büyükanne
/by.jy.kanˈne/
The English word grandmother is translated into Turkish as büyükanne. Wiktionary also lists nine.
Meaning: mother of someone's parent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| büyükanne | /by.jy.kanˈne/ |
| nine | /nine/ (from spelling rules) |
The term refers to the mother of one's parent.
What does it mean word for word?
büyükanne is a compound word consisting of büyük, which means big or great and anne, which means mother.
Which one should you use?
büyükanne is the standard term for grandmother, while nine is a more colloquial version.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
büyükanne is the formal or standard way to say grandmother. In contrast, nine is an informal or colloquial term, similar to how 'grandma' is used in English.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express possession, such as saying 'my grandmother', you add the suffix -im to the base word to form büyükannem.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 4th syllable. The sounds are /b/ as in [b]out, /y/ as in [y]es, /k/ as in [c]ore and /n/ as in [n]ot.
Did you know?
- In some regional dialects, nine can be used as a general term of endearment or respect for any elderly woman, even if she is not a relative.
- In Turkish culture, the role of the nine is traditionally central to passing down oral histories and folk tales to grandchildren.
- The colloquial term nine may have originated from baby talk, mirroring the sounds infants make when first learning to speak.
Examples in context
- Bu büyükannemin bir resmi.This is a picture of my grandmother.This sentence shows how to use the form büyükanne to indicate possession.Tatoeba #1684538 by soliloquist, translation #56198 by CK
- Büyükannem çok iyi göremez.My grandmother can't see very well.This sentence uses the form büyükanne in a simple subject position.Tatoeba #1212872 by duran, translation #273895 by CK
- Büyükannem onu eliyle ördü.My grandmother knit that by hand.This sentence demonstrates the use of the form büyükanne as a subject.Tatoeba #3834468 by duran, translation #3832021 by CK
- Selam, nine!Hi, grandma!
- Nine, ne yapıyorsun?Grandma, what are you doing?
- Nine, sana yeni bir hikaye anlatacağım!Grandma, I will tell you a new story!
- 217 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elif and Burak are looking at old family photographs.
- ElifBu fotoğraf senin büyükanne'n mi?Is this photograph your grandmother?
- BurakEvet, o benim canım büyükanne'm.Yes, she is my dear grandmother.
- ElifÇok zarif görünüyor.She looks very elegant.
- BurakTeşekkürler, o hep öyleydi.Thank you, she was always like that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandmother” translations and entries büyükanne, nine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
