Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 奶奶 | nǎinai | |
| 祖母 | zǔmǔ | |
| 外祖母 | wàizǔmǔ | |
| 外婆 | wàipó | colloquial |
| 姥姥 | lǎolao |
In Chinese, the term used for grandmother depends heavily on whether you are referring to your father's mother or your mother's mother. 奶奶 is used specifically for a paternal grandmother, often as a direct way to address her. For a maternal grandmother, several different terms exist depending on the level of formality and the region.
What does it mean word for word?
In the terms 外祖母 and 外婆, the character 外 literally means 'outside', which indicates that the grandmother is from the 'outside' or maternal side of the family.
Which one should you use?
奶奶 refers specifically to the paternal grandmother. For the maternal grandmother, you can use 外祖母, 外婆 or 姥姥. 祖母 is a general, formal term for grandmother. 外婆 is a colloquial term for a maternal grandmother, while 姥姥 is also a colloquial term for a maternal grandmother used primarily in Northern China.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
祖母 is a formal, written term for grandmother used in literature or official contexts. 外婆 is an informal and affectionate term for a maternal grandmother.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwanese Mandarin, 外婆 is commonly used to address a maternal grandmother. In some southern regions of China and within the Fujian dialect, 婆婆 is used to address a paternal grandmother.
How do you pronounce it?
nǎinai
When do people say it?
In many Chinese families, 奶奶 is used as a direct form of address when speaking to one's paternal grandmother.
Did you know?
- The character 奶 in 奶奶 is the same character used for 'milk', reflecting the grandmother's traditional role as a caregiver and nurturer in the family.
- In some traditional households, children use the phrase 奶奶 to address any elderly woman of a similar age to their grandmother as a sign of respect, regardless of blood relation.
- The word 祖 in 祖母 relates to the concept of an 'ancestor'. When you use this word, you are linguistically linking your grandmother to the lineage of the family's ancestors.
Examples in context
- 我祖母很老了。My grandmother is very old.This sentence is useful for describing the age of a grandmother using 祖母.Tatoeba #9969255 by GlossaMatik, translation #3289539 by pne
- 我奶奶失去了記憶。My grandmother lost her memory.This sentence is useful for mentioning that a grandmother lost her memory using 奶奶.Tatoeba #5414804 by egg0073, translation #5573352 by n1ls
- 我祖母是個園藝巧手。My grandmother has a green thumb.This sentence is useful for describing a grandmother's skill in gardening using 祖母.Tatoeba #1233782 by tsayng, translation #1176493 by paula_guisard
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yuting and Junjie are looking at a family photo.
- 雨婷 Yuting这是你的奶奶吗？Zhè shì nǐ de nǎinai ma?Is this your grandmother?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，她住在乡下。Shì de, tā zhù zài xiāngxià.Yes, she lives in the countryside.
- 雨婷 Yuting你的奶奶看起来很年轻。Nǐ de nǎinai kàn qǐlái hěn niánqīng.Your grandmother looks very young.
- 俊杰 Junjie谢谢，她每天都锻炼。Xièxiè, tā měitiān dōu duànliàn.Thank you, she exercises every day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandmother” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
