mother
madri
MAH-dreh
Madre is the formal word; mamma is used in everyday speech (and is the most emotionally loaded term in Italian). 'Mammismo' (mother attachment) is a well-known cultural phenomenon in Italy.
Mia madre cucina il ragù ogni domenica.
My mother cooks ragù every Sunday.
La madre è la figura centrale della famiglia italiana.
The mother is the central figure of the Italian family.