تيتا
tētafamily, affectionate
The word most Lebanese children use for grandma is تيتا (tēta). Another everyday word is ستّي (sitti), which means "my grandmother". The plain word is جدّة (jedde).
Meaning: grandmother, as a child says it (noun)
Ways to say it
| Lebanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| تيتا | tēta | family, affectionate |
| ستّي | sitti | family, my grandmother |
| جدّة | jedde | neutral, standard |
تيتا is both a way to call her and a way to talk about her, often with her name, as in تيتا ماري (tēta Mārī).
Which one should you use?
ستّي includes the sense of "my", so you say it about your own grandmother. جدّة is used when speaking about grandmothers in general or in a form.
When do people say it?
Grandmothers in Lebanon are famous for their cooking, and many families have a dish that is known as "tēta's recipe".
Did you know?
- In Lebanese the progressive prefix عم (ʿam) is used for actions happening now, as in عم تطبخ (ʿam tuṭbokh), "she is cooking".
Examples in context
- تيتا عم تطبخtēta ʿam tuṭbokhGrandma is cooking.
- ستّي بتحبني كتيرsitti btiḥebbni ktīrMy grandma loves me a lot.
- تعي يا تيتاtaʿi yā tētaCome, grandma.
Example conversation
Tala comes home from school and finds her grandmother in the kitchen.
- Talaمرحبا تيتاmarḥaba tētaHello, grandma.
- Grandmotherأهلين حبيبتي، تعي كليahlēn ḥabībti, taʿi kliHello, my dear, come and eat.
- Talaشو طابخة اليوم؟shū ṭābkha el-yōm?What did you cook today?
