''mum'' or ''my mum''??

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s.clke

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I go shopping with my mum every weekend.
I go shopping with mum every weekend.

Someone says if the person who you are talking to knows or has met your mum you can say just ''mum'' but if not, you normally say ''my mum''.
Is it correct?

So if I write to you,

''I had a nice weekend. I went shopping with mum.''

Does it sound weird to you...? because you don't know me and of course not my mum.

or if I say to my best friend who has already met my mum many times,

''I went shopping with my mum yesterday. ''

Is it incorrect? Or is it better to say just ''mum''?
 

Raymott

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I go shopping with my mum every weekend.
I go shopping with mum every weekend.

Someone says if the person who you are talking to knows or has met your mum you can say just ''Mum'' but if not, you normally say ''my mum''.
Is it correct?
Everyone will understand Mum whether they've met her or not. 'Mum' is quite informal.

So if I write to you,

''I had a nice weekend. I went shopping with Mum.''

Does it sound weird to you...? because you don't know me and of course not my mum.

or if I say to my best friend who has already met my mum many times,

''I went shopping with my mum yesterday. ''

Is it incorrect? Or is it better to say just ''mum''?
You can say either. I prefer "my mother" especially if you're an adult. If you're a seven year old, you might say, "with Mummy."
But if you do say Mum, it's a name, so you need to capitalise it.
"...with Mum"; "...with my mum."
 

s.clke

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You can say either. I prefer "my mother" especially if you're an adult. If you're a seven year old, you might say, "with Mummy."
But if you do say Mum, it's a name, so you need to capitalise it.
"...with Mum"; "...with my mum."

Thank you for your reply. So I understand you usually say ''my mother''.
My question might not be very clear...
Do you always put ''my'' before ''mother'' or do you sometimes leave out ''my'' and say ''mother''. For example ''I am visiting Mother this weekend.''

Do you only leave out ''my'' when the person you are talking to know your mother well?
 

Tdol

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With people who don't know her and that I don't know well, I would use my.
 

s.clke

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With people who don't know her and that I don't know well, I would use my.

Thank you for your post.:) If possible, could you explain why you choose to use ''my'' with the people who don't know her...?
 
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Barb_D

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Do you always put ''my'' before ''mother'' or do you sometimes leave out ''my'' and say ''mother''. For example ''I am visiting Mother this weekend.''

Only if you call her "Mother." When you speak to her on the phone, and say "Hi, Mother, it's Barb" then that's the right way to say it. I don't call my mother "Mother." I call her "Mom." So I would either say "I'm visiting my mother" or "I'm visiting Mom." I would use the latter if you know her too.

Do you only leave out ''my'' when the person you are talking to know your mother well?

They don't need to know her well. I have a friend. Her name is Mary. You have never met her. I would say "I"m going shopping with my friend tomorrow." I have another friend. Her name is Susan. You have met her. I would say "I'm going to a concert with Sue on Sunday."

The say thing applies to "my mother" and "Mom" or "Mum" or "Mother."
You have never met her? It's "my mother."
You know her? It's Mom/Mum/Mother (depending on what she is called).

The same thing applies to other relatives.
I got to see my uncle last week. -- You don't know him.
I got to see Uncle Harry last week. -- You know him. It doesn't matter that you call him "Mr. Greenberg." I can still say "Uncle Harry" to you.
 

s.clke

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Only if you call her "Mother." When you speak to her on the phone, and say "Hi, Mother, it's Barb" then that's the right way to say it. I don't call my mother "Mother." I call her "Mom." So I would either say "I'm visiting my mother" or "I'm visiting Mom." I would use the latter if you know her too.



They don't need to know her well. I have a friend. Her name is Mary. You have never met her. I would say "I"m going shopping with my friend tomorrow." I have another friend. Her name is Susan. You have met her. I would say "I'm going to a concert with Sue on Sunday."

The say thing applies to "my mother" and "Mom" or "Mum" or "Mother."
You have never met her? It's "my mother."
You know her? It's Mom/Mum/Mother (depending on what she is called).

The same thing applies to other relatives.
I got to see my uncle last week. -- You don't know him.
I got to see Uncle Harry last week. -- You know him. It doesn't matter that you call him "Mr. Greenberg." I can still say "Uncle Harry" to you.

Thank you. I see. It is now becoming clear to me. So if I say “I am going to see Sue this weekend.” it is ok if you know Sue and that she is a friend of mine. But it may sound a bit odd if I say “I am going to see Sue.” to you if you don’t know who Sue is. You may think... ‘Who is Sue? Do I know her?’ and probably you will ask me if she is my friend or sister.
Then if I say “I am going shopping with mum.” you may want to ask “ I don’t think I have met her or know her but why are you talking to me as if I know your mum…?”
It is a bit exaggeration but did I understand right?
 

emsr2d2

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As far as my personal usage is concerned, I would only refer to my mother as "Mum" if I were talking to another member of my family:

Dad, I'm going shopping with Mum.
Hi Auntie Sarah, I saw Mum yesterday.

If I were talking to my friends, even if they know my mother, I'd say:

I'm going shopping with my mum tomorrow.
I saw my mum last week.
 

Barb_D

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Then if I say “I am going shopping with mum.”

The fact that you did not capitalize "mum" there makes me think you don't really get the difference yet.
 

s.clke

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The fact that you did not capitalize "mum" there makes me think you don't really get the difference yet.

Ahhh... I am sure I understand! I can say ''Dad, I am going out with Mum.''
But actually, all my family are in Japan apart from my partner...
So no wonder I never said to anyone ''Mum". It's always been ''my mum''.
Anyway, thank you for your explanation. :)
 

s.clke

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As far as my personal usage is concerned, I would only refer to my mother as "Mum" if I were talking to another member of my family:

Dad, I'm going shopping with Mum.
Hi Auntie Sarah, I saw Mum yesterday.

If I were talking to my friends, even if they know my mother, I'd say:

I'm going shopping with my mum tomorrow.
I saw my mum last week.

I see. Thank you. That's very clear to me.
 
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