baka
/bǎːka/feminine
The Serbian word for grandmother is baka. Wiktionary also lists баба and нена.
Meaning: mother of someone's parent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Serbian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| baka | /bǎːka/ | feminine |
| баба | Cyrillic, feminine | |
| нена | Cyrillic, feminine | |
| старамајка | Cyrillic, feminine | |
| baba | Latin, feminine | |
| nena | Latin, feminine | |
| staramajka | Latin, feminine |
The term is used to refer to the mother of one's parent.
Which one should you use?
baka is the most common and affectionate way to refer to a grandmother. baba can also mean grandmother, but it is frequently used more crudely to refer to an old woman in general. nena is a modern, soft and diminutive form often used by young children.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of baka is bake.
How do you pronounce it?
/bǎːka/
Did you know?
- In some rural regions, baba can refer specifically to a midwife, as the role was traditionally held by older women in the community.
- In Serbian folklore, the figure of the baba often appears as a wise woman or a supernatural entity with healing powers.
- The term staramajka is an archaic compound that literally translates to 'old mother', a term you would find in older literature or historical contexts rather than modern daily speech.
Examples in context
- Moja baka po ocu uživa u ceremoniji čaja.My paternal grandmother enjoys tea ceremonies.This sentence shows how to use baka to talk about a paternal grandmother.Tatoeba #4248667 by Lebad, translation #4201930 by Tigrin
- Moja baka je bila ona, koja mi je dala ovaj prsten.My grandmother was the one who gave me this ring.This sentence demonstrates using baka to identify a grandmother as a person.Tatoeba #11524146 by Inego, translation #11523437 by CK
- Dobar dan, kako se osećate, bako?Good day, how are you feeling, grandmother?
- Drago mi je što vas vidim, bako Milice!Nice to see you, grandmother Milica!
- Moja baka živi u selu.My grandmother lives in the village.
Example conversation
Marija and Stefan are talking about their families in a café.
- MarijaGde je tvoja baka?Where is your grandmother?
- StefanOna je kod svoje sestre.She is at her sister's place.
- MarijaDa li je baka dobro?Is your grandmother doing well?
- StefanDa, moja baka je veoma zdrava.Yes, my grandmother is very healthy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandmother” translations and entries baka, nena, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
