جَدّ
jadd
The Arabic word for grandfather is جَدّ (jadd).
جَدّ is used to refer to a grandfather from either the paternal or maternal side of a family.
Meaning: grandfather (from either side) (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Tunisian Arabic, the word jeddi is commonly used to mean grandfather.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form جَدَّة is used to refer to a grandmother. The plural form أَجْدَاد can mean grandfathers or, more broadly, ancestors.
How do you pronounce it?
jadd
Did you know?
- While جَدّ is the standard word, in some dialects you might hear the word سِيدِي used for a grandfather. This word literally means 'my lord' or 'my master'.
- The word جَدّ is the root for the Arabic word for 'luck' or 'fortune', جَدّ. In ancient contexts, your 'fortune' was seen as something inherited from your ancestors.
- In many Arabic dialects, calling someone جَدِّي can be a way to refer to 'my grandfather', but the word 'jadd' also carries a root meaning related to 'seriousness' or 'earnestness'.
Example sentences for Arabic are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Mariam is showing Omar a family photo.
- مريم Maryamانظر يا عمر، هذا جَدّي.Unzur ya Omar, hadha jaddi.Look Omar, this is my grandfather.
- عمر Omarيبدو رجلاً طيباً جداً.Yabdu rajulan tayyiban jiddan.He looks like a very kind man.
- مريم Maryamنعم، هو لطيف معي دائماً.Na'am, huwa latif ma'i da'iman.Yes, he is always kind to me.
- عمر Omarأنا أحب جَدّي أيضاً.Ana uhibbu jaddi aydan.I love my grandfather too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandfather” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
