Ways to say it
| Bosnian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| baka | /bǎːka/ | feminine |
| baba | Latin, feminine | |
| nena | Latin, feminine | |
| staramajka | Latin, feminine |
The terms used to say grandmother in Bosnian range from affectionate names used by children to more general terms for elderly women.
Which one should you use?
baka is a common, affectionate and informal way to say grandmother, similar to 'grandma' in English. In contrast, baba is a more traditional or colloquial term for grandmother, but it can also be used to refer to an elderly woman in general. While baka and baba refer to the role of a grandmother, baba can also mean 'old woman' in some contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
baka is used informally by grandchildren to address their grandmothers. The term nena is a very sweet, diminutive and highly informal term used by young children for their grandmother. Nana is also an informal term for grandmother. baba is considered a more colloquial term.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of baka is bake.
How do you pronounce it?
/bǎːka/
Did you know?
- The term nena is not native to Slavic languages but was borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish word nene.
- In many Slavic languages, including Bosnian, the word for 'grandmother' often shares a linguistic root with words for 'old woman' or even 'witch' in certain folk contexts.
- The term baba is shared across many different language families worldwide, often mirroring the 'ba-ba' sound that is among the first syllables human infants produce.
Examples in context
- Ja volim svoju baku.I love my grandmother.
- Nana, šta ima novo?Grandma, what's new?
- Bako, da li mi možeš ispričati još jednu priču?Grandma, can you tell me another story?
- Baka je napravila ukusnu tortu.Grandmother made a delicious cake.
Example conversation
Emir and Selma are looking at old family photos.
- EmirPogledaj, ovo je moja baka.Look, this is my grandmother.
- SelmaBaš je ljubazna na slici.She looks very kind in the photo.
- EmirDa, ona je veoma dobra osoba.Yes, she is a very good person.
- SelmaSretan sam što je upoznajem.I am happy to meet her.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandmother” translations and entries baka, nena, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries baba, baka, nena, CC BY-SA 4.0.
