бака
Cyrillic, feminine
The Serbian word for grandma is бака, or baka in Latin script.
Meaning: grandmother (informal) (noun)
Ways to say it
| Serbian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| бака | Cyrillic, feminine | |
| baka | /bǎːka/ | Latin, feminine |
The word is used as an informal noun to refer to a grandmother.
Which one should you use?
бака is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, while baka is the Latin script version. The form baka is specifically tagged as familiar.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the region of Kosovo, 'nena' is commonly used to address one's grandmother.
How does it change in a sentence?
These are feminine nouns.
Did you know?
- In Serbian folklore, the figure of баба often appears as a wise but frightening forest witch, similar to the English 'Baba Yaga'.
- If you call a stranger баба, you might inadvertently imply she is an old woman of a rustic or unrefined background rather than a sweet grandmother.
- The word бака evolved from the earlier form бабка, which is a common root for 'grandmother' across many Slavic languages.
Examples in context
- Dobar dan, bako. Kako ste danas?Good day, grandma. How are you today?
- Моја бака је веома добра.My grandma is very kind.
- Где је твоја бака?Where is your grandma?
- Бака је испекла дивну торту.Grandma baked a wonderful cake.
Example conversation
Nikola and Marija are talking about their family at a park.
- NikolaДа ли је твоја бака ту?Is your grandma here?
- MarijaНе, бака је код куће.No, grandma is at home.
- NikolaОнда је она вероватно у башти.Then she is probably in the garden.
- MarijaДа, бака ужива на сунцу.Yes, grandma is enjoying the sun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandma” translations and entries baka, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries baka, бака, CC BY-SA 4.0.
