అమ్మమ్మ
ammamma/amːamːa/
The Telugu word for grandma is అమ్మమ్మ (ammamma).
అమ్మమ్మ is used to refer to a maternal grandmother. It is an informal way to address or speak about her.
Meaning: grandmother (informal) (noun)
Which one should you use?
While అమ్మమ్మ refers to a maternal grandmother, you should use నాయనమ్మ (nāyanamma) to specifically refer to a paternal grandmother.
How does it change in a sentence?
To create the polite/formal version of the word, add the honorific suffix -గారు (-gāru) to the end of the word to get అమ్మమ్మగారు (ammammagāru).
How do you pronounce it?
ammamma (/amːamːa/)
Did you know?
- Telugu belongs to the Dravidian language family, which is entirely unrelated to the Indo-Aryan languages like Hindi that many English speakers first associate with India.
- The word అమ్మమ్మ (ammamma) is constructed by doubling the word for 'mother', అమ్మ (amma), creating a recursive meaning that mirrors the concept of a 'mother's mother'.
- In Telugu culture, the distinction between అమ్మమ్మ and నాయనమ్మ is vital because maternal and paternal grandparents often held different traditional roles and expectations within the extended family.
Examples in context
- అమ్మమ్మ ఎక్కడ ఉంది?ammamma ekkaḍa undi?Where is grandma?
- అమ్మమ్మ నాకు కథ చెప్పింది.ammamma nāku katha cheppindi.Grandma told me a story.
Example conversation
Kiran and Lakshmi are talking about their family members at home.
- కిరణ్ Kiranలక్ష్మి, నీ అమ్మమ్మ ఎక్కడుంది?lakṣmi, nī ammamma ekkaḍundi?Lakshmi, where is your grandma?
- లక్ష్మి Lakshmiఅమ్మమ్మ లోపల ఉంది, కిరణ్.ammamma lōpala undi, kiraṇ.Grandma is inside, Kiran.
- కిరణ్ Kiranఆమె ఆరోగ్యంగా ఉందా?āme ārōgyaṅgā undā?Is she healthy?
- లక్ష్మి Lakshmiఅవును, ఆమె చాలా బాగుంది.avunu, āme chālā bāgundi.Yes, she is doing very well.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry అమ్మమ్మ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries అమ్మమ్మ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
