Learn Spanish (Latin America): Mi mamá es peruana.

In Spanish, nationalities and languages are not capitalized. So, while we write "Peruvian" with a capital 'P' in English, it is written with a lowercase 'p' (peruana) in Spanish.

Why does peruana end in an 'a'?

Adjectives in Spanish have to match the gender of the person they describe. Since mamá is a feminine noun, the adjective describing her must also be feminine, which usually means ending in 'a' (peruana). If you were talking about your dad, it would be Mi papá es peruano.

Why do we use es instead of está for "is"?

Spanish has two verbs for "to be": ser and estar. We use ser (which becomes es for he, she, or it) when talking about permanent traits, like someone's identity, profession, or nationality.

How important is the accent mark on mamá?

It is very important! The accent mark tells you to put the spoken stress on the last syllable. Without the accent mark, the word mama puts the stress on the first syllable and means "breast" or comes from a verb meaning "to suckle".