ouma
The English word "grandma" is ouma in Afrikaans.
ouma is the standard term used for grandma in Afrikaans.
Meaning: grandmother (informal) (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word ouma is composed of ou (old) and ma (mother).
Which one should you use?
While ouma refers to a grandmother, oupa is the corresponding term for a grandfather.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of ouma is oumas.
Did you know?
- The word ouma can be used jokingly to describe a woman who is acting fussy or old-fashioned, even if she is not actually old.
- In some rural areas, it is considered more respectful to address an older woman as Tannie, which means 'aunt', rather than using ouma.
- The word ouma comes from the Dutch word oma.
Examples in context
- Die seun besoek sy ouma.The boy visits his grandma.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use ouma in a sentence.Tatoeba #5922778 by CJuser01, translation #7594595 by _undertoad
- Ouma!Grandma, thank you for always being there for me. I love you, Ouma!
- Ek gaan vir my ouma 'n kaartjie skryf.I am going to write a card for my grandma.
- My ouma bak die lekkerste koekies.My grandma bakes the most delicious cookies.
Example conversation
Marelize and Johan are talking about their weekend plans.
- MarelizeGaan jy hierdie naweek jou ouma sien?Are you going to see your grandma this weekend?
- JohanJa, ek ry Saterdag na haar toe.Yes, I am driving to her on Saturday.
- MarelizeDit is wonderlik, sy is baie lief vir jou.That is wonderful, she loves you very much.
- JohanEk is ook baie lief vir my ouma.I love my grandma very much too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandma” translations and entries ouma, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ouma, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
