Grandma in Different Languages: 70 Ways to Say Grandma Around the World

Grandmothers hold a special place in families, offering love, wisdom, comfort, and unforgettable memories. But how do people say grandma in different languages? From Nana and Oma to Abuela and Nonna, every language has its own affectionate names for a grandmother.

In this guide, you will discover 70 languages with their native words for grandma, easy English pronunciations, example sentences, and English meanings. You will also learn the difference between formal and affectionate grandmother names, explore family traditions, and find sweet words you can use when talking to your grandma.

How Do You Say Grandma in Different Languages?

Grandma has many translations around the world. In Spanish, people commonly say abuela. In German, it is Oma, while Italian speakers often use nonna. French speakers use grand-mère, and Hindi speakers commonly say दादी or नानी, depending on which side of the family the grandmother belongs to.

Here are eight quick examples of how to say grandma in different languages.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Spanish	Abuela	ah-BWEH-lah	Mi abuela es muy amable.	My grandma is very kind.
French	Grand-mère	grahn-MEHR	Ma grand-mère est gentille.	My grandma is kind.
Italian	Nonna	NON-nah	Mia nonna è dolce.	My grandma is sweet.
German	Oma	OH-mah	Meine Oma ist lieb.	My grandma is lovely.
Portuguese	Avó	ah-VAW	Minha avó é carinhosa.	My grandma is affectionate.
Hindi	दादी	DAA-dee	मेरी दादी बहुत प्यारी हैं।	My paternal grandma is very lovely.
Japanese	おばあちゃん	oh-bah-AH-chan	おばあちゃんは優しいです。	Grandma is kind.
Arabic	جَدَّة	JAD-dah	جدتي لطيفة.	My grandma is kind.

Grandma in South Asian Languages

South Asian languages often distinguish between a paternal grandmother and a maternal grandmother. These differences are especially useful when speaking about family members in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, and related languages.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Hindi	दादी	DAA-dee	मेरी दादी मुझे कहानियाँ सुनाती हैं।	My paternal grandma tells me stories.
Urdu	دادی	DAA-dee	میری دادی مجھے کہانیاں سناتی ہیں۔	My paternal grandma tells me stories.
Bengali	দিদা	DEE-dah	আমার দিদা আমাকে গল্প বলেন।	My maternal grandma tells me stories.
Punjabi	ਦਾਦੀ	DAA-dee	ਮੇਰੀ ਦਾਦੀ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਪਿਆਰ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ।	My paternal grandma loves me.
Gujarati	દાદી	DAA-dee	મારી દાદી મને વાર્તાઓ કહે છે.	My paternal grandma tells me stories.
Marathi	आजी	AA-jee	माझी आजी मला गोष्टी सांगते.	My grandma tells me stories.
Nepali	हजुरआमा	huh-JOOR-ah-maa	मेरी हजुरआमा दयालु हुनुहुन्छ।	My grandma is kind.

Grandma in East Asian Languages

In several East Asian languages, family terms reflect age, respect, or the relationship between the speaker and the relative.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Mandarin Chinese	奶奶	NAI-nai	奶奶很慈祥。	Grandma is very kind.
Japanese	おばあちゃん	oh-bah-AH-chan	おばあちゃんが大好きです。	I love Grandma very much.
Korean	할머니	hal-muh-NEE	할머니는 정말 다정하세요.	Grandma is really kind.
Mongolian	Эмээ	eh-MEH	Миний эмээ сайхан сэтгэлтэй.	My grandma is kindhearted.
Cantonese	嫲嫲	maa-maa	嫲嫲好錫我。	Grandma loves me dearly.
Taiwanese Hokkien	阿媽	ah-MAH	阿媽真疼我。	Grandma loves me dearly.
Tibetan	ཨ་མ་རྒན་མོ།	ah-mah gen-moh	ངའི་ཨ་མ་རྒན་མོ་བཟང་པོ་རེད།	My grandma is kind.

Grandma in Southeast Asian Languages

Grandmother names in Southeast Asia vary by language, family tradition, and local forms of address. Some words are also used affectionately for older women.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Indonesian	Nenek	NEH-nek	Nenek saya sangat baik.	My grandma is very kind.
Malay	Nenek	NEH-nek	Nenek saya suka bercerita.	My grandma likes telling stories.
Filipino	Lola	LOH-lah	Mahal ko ang lola ko.	I love my grandma.
Vietnamese	Bà	BAH	Bà tôi rất hiền.	My grandma is very gentle.
Thai	ยาย	yaai	ยายใจดีมาก	Grandma is very kind.
Burmese	အဘွား	ah-BWAA	အဘွားက ကြင်နာတယ်။	Grandma is kind.
Khmer	ជីដូន	jee-DOON	ជីដូនរបស់ខ្ញុំចិត្តល្អ។	My grandma is kindhearted.

Grandma in Middle Eastern Languages

Words for grandma across the Middle East include affectionate everyday names and more formal family terms. Some languages distinguish between the mother’s mother and the father’s mother.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Arabic	جَدَّة	JAD-dah	جدتي تحبني كثيرًا.	My grandma loves me very much.
Persian	مادربزرگ	maa-dar-bo-zorg	مادربزرگم مهربان است.	My grandma is kind.
Hebrew	סבתא	sav-TAH	סבתא שלי אוהבת אותי.	My grandma loves me.
Turkish	Babaanne	bah-bah-EN-neh	Babaannem çok sevecen.	My paternal grandma is very affectionate.
Kurdish (Kurmanji)	Dapîr	dah-PEER	Dapîra min pir dilovan e.	My grandma is very loving.
Pashto	انا	ah-NAA	زما انا ډېره مهربانه ده.	My grandma is very kind.
Azerbaijani	Nənə	NEH-neh	Nənəm çox mehribandır.	My grandma is very kind.

Grandma in Western European Languages

Many Western European languages have traditional words for grandmother that are also used as everyday terms of affection.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
English	Grandma	GRAN-mah	My grandma makes delicious cookies.	My grandma makes delicious cookies.
French	Mamie	mah-MEE	Ma mamie est adorable.	My grandma is adorable.
German	Oma	OH-mah	Meine Oma erzählt tolle Geschichten.	My grandma tells wonderful stories.
Dutch	Oma	OH-mah	Mijn oma is heel lief.	My grandma is very sweet.
Luxembourgish	Boma	BOH-mah	Meng Boma ass ganz léif.	My grandma is very sweet.
Frisian	Beppe	BEH-puh	Myn beppe is leaf.	My grandma is sweet.
Yiddish	באָבע	BOH-beh	מײַן באָבע איז זייער ליב.	My grandma is very kind.

Grandma in Northern European Languages

In Northern Europe, the standard words for grandmother are often short and easy to remember. Families may also use personal nicknames or shortened forms.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Swedish	Mormor	MOOR-moor	Min mormor är snäll.	My maternal grandma is kind.
Norwegian	Bestemor	BES-teh-moor	Bestemoren min er snill.	My grandma is kind.
Danish	Bedstemor	BED-steh-mor	Min bedstemor er sød.	My grandma is sweet.
Icelandic	Amma	AHM-mah	Amma mín er góð.	My grandma is kind.
Finnish	Isoäiti	EE-soh-AY-tee	Isoäitini on ystävällinen.	My grandma is friendly.
Estonian	Vanaema	VAH-nah-eh-mah	Minu vanaema on lahke.	My grandma is kind.
Faroese	Omma	OM-mah	Omma mín er blíð.	My grandma is gentle.

Grandma in Southern European Languages

Southern European languages feature familiar grandmother names that are widely recognized within their respective language communities.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Italian	Nonna	NON-nah	La mia nonna è molto gentile.	My grandma is very kind.
Spanish	Abuela	ah-BWEH-lah	Mi abuela me cuenta cuentos.	My grandma tells me stories.
Portuguese	Avó	ah-VAW	A minha avó é muito querida.	My grandma is very dear to me.
Catalan	Àvia	AH-vee-ah	La meva àvia és molt amable.	My grandma is very kind.
Galician	Avoa	ah-BOH-ah	A miña avoa é moi agarimosa.	My grandma is very affectionate.
Greek	Γιαγιά	yah-YAH	Η γιαγιά μου είναι πολύ γλυκιά.	My grandma is very sweet.
Maltese	Nanna	NAN-nah	In-nanna tiegħi hija twajba.	My grandma is kind.

Grandma in Slavic and Eastern European Languages

Grandmother words in Slavic and Eastern European languages often have recognizable sounds, but their spelling and pronunciation differ. Some languages also have affectionate diminutives.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Russian	Бабушка	BAH-boosh-kah	Моя бабушка очень добрая.	My grandma is very kind.
Ukrainian	Бабуся	bah-BOO-syah	Моя бабуся дуже добра.	My grandma is very kind.
Polish	Babcia	BAHB-chah	Moja babcia jest kochana.	My grandma is lovely.
Czech	Babička	BAH-beech-kah	Moje babička je hodná.	My grandma is kind.
Slovak	Stará mama	STAH-rah MAH-mah	Moja stará mama je milá.	My grandma is sweet.
Bulgarian	Баба	BAH-bah	Баба ми е много добра.	My grandma is very kind.
Serbian	Бака	BAH-kah	Моја бака је дивна.	My grandma is wonderful.

Grandma in African Languages

African languages have many distinctive family terms. The following examples represent several languages from different regions of the continent.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Swahili	Bibi	BEE-bee	Bibi yangu ni mkarimu.	My grandma is generous.
Zulu	Ugogo	oo-goh-GOH	Ugogo wami unomusa.	My grandma is kind.
Xhosa	Umakhulu	oo-mah-KHOO-loo	Umakhulu wam unobubele.	My grandma is kind.
Yoruba	Ìyá àgbà	ee-YAH ahg-BAH	Ìyá àgbà mi jẹ́ onínúure.	My grandma is kindhearted.
Igbo	Nne ochie	neh oh-CHEE-eh	Nne ochie m dị obiọma.	My grandma is kindhearted.
Hausa	Kaka	KAH-kah	Kakata tana da kirki.	My grandma is kind.
Somali	Ayeeyo	ah-YAY-yoh	Ayeeyaday waa naxariis badan tahay.	My grandma is compassionate.

Grandma in Central Asian and Other World Languages

These final seven languages expand the collection with words from Central Asia, the Caucasus, and an internationally constructed language.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Kazakh	Әже	ah-ZHEH	Менің әжем мейірімді.	My grandma is kind.
Kyrgyz	Чоң эне	chong eh-NEH	Менин чоң энем боорукер.	My grandma is compassionate.
Uzbek	Buvi	BOO-vee	Mening buvim mehribon.	My grandma is kind.
Tajik	Бибӣ	bee-BEE	Бибии ман меҳрубон аст.	My grandma is kind.
Armenian	Տատիկ	tah-TEEK	Իմ տատիկը բարի է։	My grandma is kind.
Georgian	ბებია	BEH-bee-ah	ჩემი ბებია კეთილია.	My grandma is kind.
Esperanto	Avino	ah-VEE-noh	Mia avino estas afabla.	My grandma is kind.

Sweet and Affectionate Names for Grandma

Besides formal translations, many families use short, loving nicknames for their grandmothers. These names may be passed down through generations or chosen by grandchildren when they are young.

Grandma Name	Language or Usage	Meaning or Use
Nana	English speaking families	An affectionate name for grandma
Grammy	English	A familiar, loving nickname
Mimi	Some English speaking families	A sweet family nickname
Oma	German	Grandma
Nonna	Italian	Grandma
Abuelita	Spanish	Little grandma, often affectionate
Mamie	French	An affectionate name for grandma
Lola	Filipino	Grandma

These names are not universal, even among speakers of the same language. Families often create their own special names based on tradition, personal preference, or a child’s first attempts at saying grandmother.

Paternal vs. Maternal Grandma Names

Some languages use different words for the grandmother on the father’s side and the grandmother on the mother’s side. This distinction helps identify exactly which relative someone is talking about.

• Hindi: Dadi refers to the father’s mother, while Nani refers to the mother’s mother.
• Urdu: Dadi means paternal grandmother, while Nani means maternal grandmother.
• Mandarin Chinese: 奶奶 (nǎinai) commonly means paternal grandma, while 外婆 (wàipó) is a common term for maternal grandma.
• Swedish: Farmor means paternal grandmother, while mormor means maternal grandmother.
• Turkish: Babaanne means paternal grandmother, while anneanne means maternal grandmother.

These distinctions are particularly helpful when learning family vocabulary because a general English word such as grandma may cover relationships that another language names separately.

How to Choose the Right Word for Grandma

If you want to call your grandmother by a word from another language, consider these simple tips:

• Think about your family background: A traditional family term may feel more personal than a direct translation.
• Choose a name that is easy to pronounce: Short names such as Oma, Nana, and Lola are easy for many children to learn.
• Check the family relationship: Some languages have separate terms for maternal and paternal grandmothers.
• Consider the language and culture: A word that sounds affectionate in one language may have a different meaning or level of formality elsewhere.
• Ask your grandma what she prefers: Personal preference matters more than choosing a name simply because it is popular.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common word for grandma around the world?

There is no single word used by everyone. Common examples include Grandma in English, Abuela in Spanish, Nonna in Italian, Oma in German, and Bà in Vietnamese.

How do you say grandma in Hindi and Urdu?

In both Hindi and Urdu, Dadi refers to a paternal grandmother, and Nani refers to a maternal grandmother. These words are widely used in everyday family conversations.

What is a cute name for grandma in another language?

Some affectionate options include Abuelita in Spanish, Nonna in Italian, Oma in German, Mamie in French, and Lola in Filipino. The best choice depends on your family’s preferences.

What is the difference between Oma and Opa?

Oma is the German word for grandma, while Opa means grandpa. Both are common, familiar family terms.

Why do some languages have two words for grandma?

Some languages distinguish between the mother’s mother and the father’s mother. These terms make family relationships clearer, while other languages use one general word for grandmother and rely on context to identify the person.

Conclusion

Learning how to say grandma in different languages is a lovely way to explore family traditions and celebrate the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren. Whether you call her Nana, Oma, Nonna, Abuela, or Dadi, the name can carry a lifetime of love and memories. The most meaningful word is the one that feels right to your family.