孫娘
magomusume[ma̠ɡo̞mɯ̟sɨme̞]
The Japanese word for granddaughter is 孫娘 (magomusume).
孫娘 is used to refer to the daughter of someone's child.
Meaning: daughter of someone’s child (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 孫 (grandchild) and 娘 (daughter).
How do you pronounce it?
magomusume
Did you know?
- In Japanese, there is no distinction in the word 娘 between a 'daughter' and a 'young woman' or 'miss' when used in certain social contexts.
- While 孫娘 is the standard term, if you are speaking to someone else about their granddaughter, it is more polite to use the honorific form お孫さん (omago-san) to show respect to their family.
- While 孫娘 specifically means 'granddaughter', Japanese speakers often use the gender-neutral 孫 (mago) for both grandsons and granddaughters in casual conversation.
Examples in context
- メアリーはトムの孫娘じゃなくて姪ですよ。Mary isn't Tom's granddaughter. She's his niece.This sentence shows how to distinguish between a granddaughter and a niece using 孫娘.Tatoeba #9671073 by small_snow, translation #9672899 by CK
- 彼女の孫娘はとても可愛いです。Kanojo no magomusume wa totemo kawaii desu.Her granddaughter is very cute.
- 私の孫娘は、もう五歳です。Watashi no magomusume wa, mou go-sai desu.My granddaughter is already five years old.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are looking at a family photo.
- 結衣 Yuiこの子はあなたの孫娘さんですか？Kono ko wa anata no magomusume-san desu ka?Is this child your granddaughter?
- 健太 Kentaはい、とても元気な孫娘です。Hai, totemo genki na magomusume desu.Yes, she is a very energetic granddaughter.
- 結衣 Yui本当にかわいいですね。Hontō ni kawaii desu ne.She is really cute.
- 健太 Kentaありがとうございます。Arigatō gozaimasu.Thank you very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “granddaughter” translations and entries 孫娘, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
