Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 爺爺 / 爷爷 | yéye | |
| 祖父 | zǔfù | |
| 外祖父 | wàizǔfù | |
| 外公 | wàigōng | colloquial |
The terms for grandfather in Chinese vary depending on whether you are referring to your father's father or your mother's father, and whether you are speaking formally or colloquially. 爺爺 / 爷爷 is a common way to refer to or directly address a paternal grandfather. 外公 is the common colloquial way to refer to a maternal grandfather.
Which one should you use?
爺爺 / 爷爷 specifically refers to the paternal grandfather (father's father) in common usage. In contrast, 外公 is used for the maternal grandfather (mother's father). For formal or written contexts, 祖父 is used for a grandfather (most commonly understood as paternal), while 外祖父 is the formal term specifically for the maternal grandfather.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
爺爺 / 爷爷 and 外公 are colloquial terms used in everyday speech. 祖父 and 外祖父 are formal, literary terms used in written contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
yéye
Did you know?
- The character for the maternal grandfather, 外 in 外公, literally means 'outside'. This reflects an ancient social structure where a woman's paternal relatives were considered 'inside' the family and maternal relatives were 'outside'.
- In some regional dialects and traditions, people use the term 爺爺 for any elderly man they respect, even if there is no blood relation.
- The term 外公 is used more frequently in Southern China, whereas in some Northern regions, the maternal grandfather might be called 姥爺.
Examples in context
- 他很像他外公。He resembles his grandfather.This sentence is useful for describing a physical resemblance to a maternal grandfather using 外公.Tatoeba #6092215 by xjjAstrus, translation #300797 by CK
- 我的祖父是警察。My grandfather was a policeman.This sentence is useful for stating a former profession of a grandfather using 祖父.Tatoeba #6111759 by verdastelo9604, translation #5850035 by CK
- 阿里的祖父是賣茶的。Ali's grandfather is a tea vendor.This sentence is useful for describing a grandfather's occupation using 祖父.Tatoeba #13549582 by LeviHighway, translation #12984130 by rul
- 当你见到爷爷时，记得主动问好。When you meet your grandfather, remember to greet him proactively.
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandfather” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
