bunică
/buˈnikə/
The English word "grandma" is translated into Romanian as bunică.
bunică is the informal term for grandmother.
Meaning: grandmother (informal) (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express "my grandmother", you use the definite form bunica followed by the possessive pronoun mea to form bunica mea. You can also create a term of endearment by adding the diminutive suffix -uță to the word, resulting in bunicuță, which means "little grandma" or "dear grandma".
How do you pronounce it?
/buˈnikə/
Did you know?
- The word bunică shares a root with the adjective bun, meaning 'good', suggesting that a grandmother is inherently a 'good' person.
- In Romania, it is common to call any elderly woman bunică as a sign of respect and affection, even if she is a complete stranger.
- In many parts of Romania, children may call their grandmother nana instead of bunică, a term that is often used specifically for godmothers as well.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Ioana are visiting their grandmother's house.
- GabrielUnde este bunică?Where is grandma?
- IoanaEste în bucătărie, Gabriel.She is in the kitchen, Gabriel.
- GabrielVreau să o îmbrățișez.I want to hug her.
- IoanaHai să mergem împreună.Let's go together.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bunică, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
