What does madre mia mean from an Italian?

Question

If a woman was the subject of the conversation and one man said to another madre mia che soggetti and then laughed and winked. The closest I've come to a translation is mother mine the subject. I know that I'm missing some of the meaning here. If anyone can help I would appreciate it.

Answer 1

Hi, I live in Italy. Okay, the phrase "madre mia or mamma mia" is just a way of saying "Oh my!". In this case, it has nothing to do with anyones actual mom. Madre mia, che soggetti....is basically "Oh my, what (strange or funny or...it depends on the look they give) people!". If the word was soggetto it would mean 1 person. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Pure Speculation: It sounds from your usage that it's used almost jokingly....I believe 'my mother' is probably not inaccurate. What's 'che soggetti'?

It could also be 'my Mother', refering to Mary the Mother of Jesus...and be along the lines of "oh good heavens"...