दादी
dādī/d̪ɑː.d̪iː/
The Hindi word for grandma is दादी (dādī).
दादी is a popular term for one's paternal grandmother in informal settings. In many Indian households, it is used as a proper noun to address the grandmother directly, much like the English word 'Grandma'.
Meaning: grandmother (informal) (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use दादी (dādī) to refer specifically to a paternal grandmother, whereas नानी (nānī) is the term used for a maternal grandmother.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can make the term more polite and respectful by adding the suffix -जी (-jī) to the end, resulting in दादीजी (dādījī).
How do you pronounce it?
dādī (/d̪ɑː.d̪iː/)
Did you know?
- The use of दादी (dādī) as a proper noun allows a child to address their grandmother without using her actual name, which is often considered disrespectful in Hindi culture.
- In many Indian cultures, the दादी (dādī) is traditionally viewed as the primary keeper of family folklore and oral history for the grandchildren.
- The phonetic structure of दादी (dādī) links it back to ancient Indo-Aryan roots, showing it has remained stable for thousands of years.
Examples in context
- दादीजी को बच्चे का ख्याल रखने दो।Let Grandma take care of the kid.This sentence demonstrates the use of दादी.Tatoeba #9423654 by abracadebby, translation #9419708 by BobbyLee
- मेरी दादी बहुत अच्छा खाना बनाती हैं।meri dadi bahut achha khana banati hain.My grandma makes very good food.
- क्या दादी अभी सो रही हैं?kya dadi abhi so rahi hain?Is grandma sleeping right now?
Example conversation
Two siblings are talking in the living room.
- पूजा Poojaआदित्य, क्या तुमने दादी को देखा?aditya, kya tumne dadi ko dekha?Aditya, have you seen grandma?
- आदित्य Adityaनहीं पूजा, दादी कहाँ जा सकती हैं?nahi puja, dadi kahan ja sakti hain?No Pooja, where could grandma have gone?
- पूजा Poojaशायद दादी बगीचे में हैं।shayad dadi bageeche mein hain.Maybe grandma is in the garden.
- आदित्य Adityaहाँ, चलो दादी को ढूँढते हैं।haan, chalo dadi ko dhoondte hain.Yes, let's go find grandma.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry दादी, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries दादी, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
