お爺さん
ojiisan[o̞ʑiːsã̠ɴ]
The English phrase grandfather can be translated into Japanese as お爺さん (ojiisan). Wiktionary also lists 祖父 (sofu) and 外祖父 (gaisofu).
Meaning: grandfather (from either side) (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| お爺さん | ojiisan | [o̞ʑiːsã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| 祖父 | sofu | [so̞ɸɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 外祖父 | gaisofu |
The term grandfather in Japanese can refer to a grandfather from either side of the family.
Which one should you use?
祖父 is used when speaking about your own grandfather to others in a formal or polite context. In contrast, お爺さん is used when addressing your own grandfather directly or when referring to someone else's grandfather. While 祖父 can mean a grandfather from either side, 外祖父 specifically refers to a maternal grandfather.
How do you pronounce it?
ojiisan
Did you know?
- When addressing an elderly man who is not your relative, you can use お爺さん as a respectful way to say 'old man' or 'grandfather' in a general sense.
- The word for maternal grandfather, 外祖父 (gaisofu), literally contains the character for 'outside', reflecting the traditional view of the mother's side of the family as being external to the primary household.
- The reading of 祖父 is a kan'on reading, meaning it was a term brought into the Japanese language from China via the Tang dynasty phonetic system.
Examples in context
- 彼は祖父似だ。He resembles his grandfather.This sentence shows how to use 祖父 to describe resemblance.Tatoeba #102897 by bunbuku, translation #300797 by CK
- 私の祖父です。This is my grandfather.This sentence shows how to use 祖父 to introduce someone.Tatoeba #10763900 by small_snow, translation #1898106 by CK
- 祖父は大阪の出身です。My grandfather comes from Osaka.This sentence shows how to use 祖父 to describe someone's origin.Tatoeba #140692 by bunbuku, translation #273881 by CN
- 「お祖父さん、お元気ですか？」Grandfather, how are you?
- 「じいじ、一緒に遊びましょう！」Grandpa, let's play together!
- 78 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are looking at an old family photograph.
- 蓮 Renこのお爺さんは誰ですか？Kono ojiisan wa dare desu ka?Who is this grandfather?
- 結衣 Yui私の大好きなお爺さんです。Watashi no daisuki na ojiisan desu.He is my beloved grandfather.
- 蓮 Renとても優しそうな顔ですね。Totemo yasashisou na kao desu ne.He looks like a very kind person.
- 結衣 Yuiはい、本当にお爺さんは優しいです。Hai, hontou ni ojiisan wa yasashii desu.Yes, my grandfather is truly kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandfather” translations and entries お爺さん, 祖父, 外祖父, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 祖父, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
