تيتا وسيدو
tēta w sīdofamily, affectionate
Children in Lebanon often say تيتا وسيدو (tēta w sīdo) for grandma and grandpa. The shorter phrase ستّي وجدّو (sitti w jiddo) means "my grandma and grandpa". It is also called جدّي وجدّتي (jiddi w jiddti).
Meaning: grandmother and grandfather together (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Lebanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| تيتا وسيدو | tēta w sīdo | family, affectionate |
| ستّي وجدّو | sitti w jiddo | family, my grandparents |
| جدّي وجدّتي | jiddi w jiddti | neutral, my grandparents |
Say تيتا وسيدو when you talk to the pair or about them in a friendly way. جدّي وجدّتي (jiddi w jiddti) is the plain, neutral version.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word و (w) means "and" and is attached to the next word in speech, so تيتا وسيدو sounds like "tēta w-sīdo".
When do people say it?
In many Lebanese families grandparents are very present, with Sunday lunch at their house a common routine.
Did you know?
- The word سلّم (sallem) "greet" is used in the Lebanese way of sending hello through someone else, as in سلمولي على (sallemuli ʿala), "say hello to … for me".
Examples in context
- رحنا عند تيتا وسيدوriḥna ʿind tēta w sīdoWe went to grandma and grandpa.
- ستّي وجدّو عايشين بالجبلsitti w jiddo ʿāyshīn bil-jabalMy grandma and grandpa live in the mountains.
- اشتقتلكن يا تيتا وسيدوishtaʾtilkon yā tēta w sīdoI miss you, grandma and grandpa.
Example conversation
Dana calls her grandparents from Beirut on a Saturday afternoon.
- Danaألو تيتا، كيفكن؟allo tēta, kīfkon?Hello grandma, how are you both?
- Grandmotherمنيحين حبيبتي، وإنتِ؟mnīḥīn ḥabībti, w inti?We are good, my dear, and you?
- Danaمنيحة، سلمولي على سيدوmnīḥa, sallemuli ʿala sīdoI am good, say hello to grandpa for me.
