Ways to say it
| Syrian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| تيتا | teta | |
| جدة | jadde | more formal, written |
تيتا is what Syrian children and adults alike call their grandmother directly, and it stays in use for life, long after childhood. جدة (jadde) is the more formal word, used mainly in writing or when specifying 'grandmother' in a general sense.
What does it mean word for word?
تيتا is a childlike, affectionate word with no literal breakdown, similar to English 'grandma' next to the more formal 'grandmother'.
Which one should you use?
تيتا is warm and is what you actually call her. جدة sounds distant in direct speech and is mostly used when talking about grandmothers in general.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
تيتا is used with total comfort even by grown adults speaking to their own grandmother. It is not considered too childish at any age.
Is it said differently in some regions?
تيتا is used across Syria and much of the Levant, with the same word heard in Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine.
How does it change in a sentence?
تيتا does not change form regardless of how many grandmothers are being discussed or who is speaking.
How do you pronounce it?
Both syllables of تيتا are short and even in stress, 'TE-ta'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Using جدة to call out to her directly sounds unusually formal. Syrians call out تيتا the way English speakers say 'grandma'.
When do people say it?
Grandmothers hold a central place in Syrian family life, and تيتا is often the person who gathers the whole extended family for Friday lunch.
Did you know?
- تيتا stays the word adults use for their grandmother throughout their lives in Syria, unlike some English speakers who switch to 'grandmother' once grown.
- The same word تيتا is used in Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine, making it one of the most widely shared family words across the Levant.
Examples in context
- تيتا، شو طبختي اليوم؟teta, shu tabakhti el-youm?Grandma, what did you cook today?
- تيتا بتحكي قصص كتير حلوة.teta bithki qisas ktir helwe.Grandma tells very nice stories.
- رايحين نزور تيتا بكرا.rayhin nzur teta bukra.We are going to visit grandma tomorrow.
Example conversation
Nour calls her grandmother Teta Samira to ask about Friday lunch.
- Nourتيتا، مين رايح يجي يوم الجمعة؟teta, min rayeh yiji youm el-jum3a?Grandma, who is coming on Friday?
- Teta Samiraكل العيلة يا حبيبتي.kil el-eyle ya habibti.The whole family, my dear.
- Nourبدك مساعدة بالطبخ؟baddik musaada bit-tabkh?Do you want help cooking?
- Teta Samiraايه، تعي بكير شوي.eh, ta3i bakkir shwayy.Yes, come a little early.
