bestemor
The English word 'grandma' is translated into Norwegian as bestemor.
bestemor is used to refer to a grandmother in an informal setting.
Meaning: grandmother (informal) (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word bestemor is a compound of beste, meaning 'best' and mor, meaning 'mother'.
Which one should you use?
While bestemor is the standard informal term for a grandmother, Norwegian speakers often use more specific terms to indicate which side of the family the grandmother is from: farmor for a father's mother and mormor for a mother's mother.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to refer to a specific grandma (the grandma), you add the definite suffix -a to the end of the word to form bestemora.
Did you know?
- Some Norwegian dialects use the single word beste to mean 'grandmother'.
- In some Norwegian dialects, you might hear the word godmor instead of bestemor, where the prefix comes from the word for 'good'.
Examples in context
- Kor gamal er bestemor di?How old is your grandma?This sentence shows how to ask about the age of someone using bestemor.Tatoeba #12483662 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #12483423 by cost_
- Bestemora mi var veldig flink til å lage kjøttboller.My grandma was really good at making meatballs.This sentence demonstrates a use of the definite form bestemora.Tatoeba #14047496 by Mayk, translation #13756631 by CK
- Jeg elsker deg, bestemor!I love you, grandma!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kristoffer and Emma are talking about their family plans.
- KristofferSkal vi besøke bestemor i helga?Shall we visit grandma this weekend?
- EmmaJa, det trur eg bestemor vil like.Yes, I think grandma will like that.
- KristofferHo er veldig snill mot oss.She is very kind to us.
- EmmaDet er ho verkeleg.She really is.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bestemor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bestemor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
