mormor
common gender
The English word grandma can be translated into Swedish as mormor or farmor.
Meaning: grandmother (informal) (noun)
Ways to say it
| Swedish | Note |
|---|---|
| mormor | common gender |
| farmor | common gender |
These terms are used to refer to a grandmother in an informal way. Swedish distinguishes between the maternal and paternal grandmother.
What does it mean word for word?
mormor is a compound of mor (mother) and mor (mother), while farmor is a compound of far (father) and mor (mother).
Which one should you use?
mormor refers specifically to your maternal grandmother (your mother's mother). farmor refers to your paternal grandmother.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural forms of farmor and mormor are farmödrar and mormödrar.
Did you know?
- If you address a stranger as mormor in Sweden, it would be quite confusing, as the word is strictly for your own family or very close family friends. Unlike the English 'grandma' which can sometimes be used as a generic term of respect for an elderly woman, 'farmor' is strictly genealogical.
- The construction of 'farmor' and 'mormor' relies on the archaic or formal 'far' and 'mor'. In modern Swedish, these specific versions of 'father' and 'mother' are primarily preserved within these family titles rather than in common daily conversation.
- The distinction between mormor and farmor extends to grandfathers, who are called morfar for the maternal side and farfar for the paternal side.
Examples in context
- Hon är min mormor.She's my grandma.This sentence shows how to identify someone as your mormor.Tatoeba #4404931 by herrsilen, translation #6008218 by CannedBread
- Min mormor har inte internet.My grandma doesn't have the internet.This sentence uses mormor to describe someone's lack of internet access.Tatoeba #10660640 by Pineapple, translation #8465237 by Luiaard
- Mormor har gjort en rulltårta.Grandma has made a Swiss roll.This sentence shows a grandmother, referred to as mormor, making a Swiss roll.Tatoeba #2166330 by herrsilen, translation #10601299 by ToxicFriu
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two siblings are talking about their family during a phone call.
- KarlSka vi ringa min mormor?Shall we call my mormor?
- LinneaJa, det är en bra idé.Yes, that is a good idea.
- KarlMin mormor blir säkert glad.My mormor will surely be happy.
- LinneaHon är så snäll mot oss.She is so kind to us.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandma” translations and entries mormor, farmor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
