Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| دادا | dādā | /d̪ɑː.d̪ɑː/ (Standard, Urdu) | masculine |
| نانا | nānā | /nɑː.nɑː/ (Standard, Urdu) | masculine |
Urdu distinguishes between grandfathers based on their relation to the speaker. You use دادا to refer to your paternal grandfather (your father's father) and نانا to refer to your maternal grandfather (your mother's father).
Which one should you use?
The terms are specific to the lineage: دادا is used for the paternal grandfather, while نانا is used for the maternal grandfather.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While دادا is the base term, it is common to add suffixes to show respect or affection. Adding جان to create دادا جان is a formal way to refer to a paternal grandfather in Pakistan and India. You can also use دادا ابو to address a paternal grandfather with both respect and affection, or دادا جی as a standard polite way to address or talk about him.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word دادا remains the same in its plural form when it is used as a subject or object without postpositions.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is dādā. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The words دادا and نانا likely originated as nursery reduplications, meaning they started as simple, rhythmic sounds used by infants to easily pronounce familial roles.
- The suffix جان in دادا جان literally means 'life' or 'soul', implying that the grandfather is as precious to the speaker as their own life.
- While دادا means 'paternal grandfather', it is also used as a general term of respect for any elderly man in some regional dialects of the Indian subcontinent.
Examples in context
- میرے دادا جان سینکڑوں قصے سناتے ہیںَMy grandfather tells hundreds of anecdotes.This sentence shows how to use دادا when describing a grandfather telling stories.Tatoeba #8314498 by FakharShafi, translation #4189070 by User66640
- میرے دادا ابو کو کتابیں پڑھنے کا شوق ہے۔My grandfather likes reading books.This sentence demonstrates the use of دادا when discussing a grandfather's hobbies.Tatoeba #1928543 by nabeel_tahir, translation #1487358 by marshmallowcat
- اُس کے اِکیاسی سالوں کے دادا جی کو اُس پر فخر ہے۔His 81-year-old grandfather is proud of him.This sentence illustrates using دادا when mentioning a grandfather's age and feelings of pride.Tatoeba #5398180 by eeyinn, translation #884404 by CM
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sara and Hamza are talking at home about their family.
- سارہ Saraکیا آپ کے دادا یہاں رہتے ہیں؟Kya aap ke dada yahan rehte hain?Does your grandfather live here?
- حمزہ Hamzaجی ہاں، میرے دادا ابھی کمرے میں ہیں۔Ji haan, mere dada abhi kamre mein hain.Yes, my grandfather is in the room right now.
- سارہ Saraوہ بہت اچھے انسان لگتے ہیں۔Woh bohat achay insaan lagte hain.He seems like a very good person.
- حمزہ Hamzaشکریہ، میرے دادا بہت مہربان ہیں۔Shukria, mere dada bohat meharban hain.Thank you, my grandfather is very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandfather” translations and entries دادا, نانا, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries دادا, نانا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
