nenek
/ˈnɛnɛʔ/
The English word for grandmother in Indonesian is nenek.
nenek refers to the mother of someone's parent. Beyond biological kinship, it is also used as a respectful title or direct address for elderly women, even if they are not biologically related to the speaker.
Meaning: mother of someone's parent (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
You can modify nenek using suffixes to indicate possession. Adding -ku creates nenekku, meaning my grandmother. Adding -nya creates neneknya, meaning his, her or their grandmother.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈnɛnɛʔ/
When do people say it?
In Indonesian culture, addressing an elderly woman as Nenek is a way to show respect.
Did you know?
- While nenek is the standard term, some families use oma instead, which was borrowed from the Dutch word for grandmother during the colonial period.
- The word nenek can also be used in the phrase nenek sihir, which translates to 'witch', though it is a much more metaphorical use of the word.
- In some Indonesian cultures, the term nenek is used in the phrase nenek moyang to refer to ancestors in general, rather than just a biological grandmother.
Examples in context
- Nenekku tinggal di pedesaan.My grandmother lives in the countryside.This sentence demonstrates the use of the possessive form nenekku.Tatoeba #11209408 by Pacific, translation #9025347 by Nylez
- Dia dibesarkan oleh neneknya.He was brought up by her grandmother.This sentence shows the use of the possessive form neneknya.Tatoeba #11334743 by Pacific, translation #300798 by CM
- Nenekku bisa mengendarai motor.My grandmother can ride a motorcycle.This sentence shows a simple sentence using nenek.Tatoeba #12041806 by HAGNi, translation #251361 by CK
- Saya sangat mencintai nenek saya.I love my grandmother very much.
- Ayo, Oma, mari kita makan siang bersama.Come on, Grandma, let's have lunch together.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Putri and Rian are talking about their family during a break.
- PutriApakah nenek kamu masih sehat?Is your grandmother still healthy?
- RianYa, nenekku sangat bugar sekarang.Yes, my grandmother is very fit now.
- PutriSenang mendengarnya.I am happy to hear that.
- RianTerima kasih, Putri.Thank you, Putri.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandmother” translations and entries nenek, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
