Learn Hardcore Polish: Moja mama lubi herbatę.

mama – normal, everyday, warm word; like mom/mum.
matka – more formal or distant; like mother in English. It can sound serious, cold, or official, depending on context.

So:

Moja mama lubi herbatę. – neutral, friendly, everyday.
Moja matka lubi herbatę. – grammatically correct, but can sound more formal or emotionally distant in normal conversation.

Why is the verb lubi and not lubię?

The verb lubić (to like) is conjugated according to the subject.

Present tense of lubić:

(ja) lubię – I like
(ty) lubisz – you like (singular, informal)
(on/ona/ono) lubi – he/she/it likes
(my) lubimy – we like
(wy) lubicie – you like (plural)
(oni/one) lubią – they like

In the sentence Moja mama lubi herbatę, the subject is moja mama = ona (she), so you use the 3rd person singular form: lubi.

If the subject were “I”, you would say:

Lubię herbatę. – I like tea.

What’s the difference between lubić and kochać?

Both can translate as “to like / to love,” but they’re used differently:

lubić – to like, to be fond of (things, activities, people in a non‑romantic or non‑strong sense)
- Lubię herbatę. – I like tea.
- Lubię tego nauczyciela. – I like this teacher.
kochać – to love (strong emotion, usually people, sometimes places, pets, etc.)
- Kocham mamę. – I love my mom.
- Kocham cię. – I love you.

So Moja mama lubi herbatę is about preference/taste, not deep love. Saying Moja mama kocha herbatę would sound exaggerated or humorous in most contexts.

Why is it herbatę and not herbata?

Polish uses cases, and the direct object of many verbs (including lubić) takes the accusative case.

The dictionary form herbata is nominative (used for the subject).
In the accusative singular, most feminine nouns ending in -a change -a → -ę.

So:

Nominative (subject): Herbata jest dobra. – The tea is good.
Accusative (object): Lubię herbatę. – I like tea.

In Moja mama lubi herbatę, herbatę is the object of lubi, so it must be in the accusative.

Is herbatę pronounced differently because of the letter ę?

Yes. ę is a nasal vowel in Polish, but its pronunciation depends on position:

At the end of a word (like herbatę in normal careful speech), it’s often pronounced very close to plain e, especially in casual speech.
So herbatę is usually pronounced like her-bah-te (with a slightly nasal final vowel, or even just e in everyday speech).

You don’t pronounce a separate n or m after ę here. It’s one vowel sound.

Can I change the word order, like Mama moja lubi herbatę or Herbatę lubi moja mama?

Polish word order is flexible, but Moja mama lubi herbatę is the most neutral.

Some variants:

Mama lubi herbatę. – also natural; often understood as “my mom” from context.
Herbatę lubi moja mama. – emphasizes moja mama (e.g., It’s my mom who likes tea).
Moja mama herbatę lubi. – can add emphasis to lubi or contrast with something else; sounds a bit more stylized or emotional.

Mama moja lubi herbatę is unusual and can sound poetic or old‑fashioned, not typical everyday speech.

Do I always have to say moja with mama?

No. Often mama alone is understood as “my mom,” especially in personal contexts.

Compare:

Mama lubi herbatę. – (My) mom likes tea.
Moja mama lubi herbatę. – My mom likes tea. (slight emphasis that it’s my mom, or more explicit in a context with other mothers)

Similarly:

Tata pracuje. – (My) dad is working.
Mój tata pracuje. – My dad is working.

Using moja just makes the possession explicit or a bit more emphasized.

Why isn’t there a word for “a” or “the” in this sentence?

Polish has no articles (no a, an, the). The sentence:

Moja mama lubi herbatę.

can mean:

“My mom likes tea.”
“My mom likes the tea.”
“My mom likes a cup of tea.”

The exact nuance (“a” vs “the”) is understood from context, not from a separate word like in English.

How do I know that mama is feminine? Is it just because it ends in -a?

Most nouns ending in -a are feminine, and mama clearly refers to a female person, so it’s feminine.

General pattern (with many exceptions, but useful as a guide):

Nouns ending in -a → usually feminine
(e.g. kobieta – woman, koleżanka – (female) friend)
Most nouns ending in a consonant → usually masculine
(e.g. tata, dom, kot)
Nouns ending in -o, -e, -ę, -um → usually neuter
(e.g. dziecko, okno)

Because mama is feminine, you must use moja, not mój or moje.

Is there any difference between writing mama and Mama with a capital M?

Yes, there is a nuance:

mama (lowercase) – the general word mom/mum; used in normal sentences:
- Moja mama lubi herbatę.
Mama (capital) – often used when you address your own mother directly, like a name:
- Mamo, chodź tutaj. – Mom, come here.
- In some personal letters or messages, people may write Mama in a respectful or affectionate way.

In this sentence, because you’re just talking about her, mama with a lowercase m is standard.

What aspect is lubić – is there a perfective form?

Lubić is imperfective, describing a general, repeated, or ongoing state or action (here: a stable preference).

There is a related perfective verb:

polubić – to come to like (to start liking something at some point)

Compare:

Moja mama lubi herbatę. – My mom likes tea. (general preference)
Moja mama polubiła herbatę. – My mom came to like tea / started liking tea. (change of state, completed action in the past)

How do I pronounce the whole sentence naturally?

Approximate phonetic guide (English‑friendly):

Moja – MO-ya
- stress on MO, j like English y in yes.
mama – MA-ma
- stress on MA, both a like the a in father.
lubi – LOO-bee
- stress on LOO, u like oo in food.
herbatę – her-BA-te
- stress on BA, final ę very close to plain e here.

Polish almost always stresses the second‑to‑last syllable:

MO-ja
MA-ma
LU-bi
her-BA-tę

So you say: MO-ja MA-ma LU-bi her-BA-te.