دادی
dādī/d̪ɑː.d̪iː/feminine
The English word grandmother is translated into Urdu as دادی (dādī) or نانی.
Meaning: mother of someone's parent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| دادی | dādī | /d̪ɑː.d̪iː/ (Standard, Urdu) | feminine |
| نانی | nānī | /nɑː.niː/ (Standard, Urdu) | feminine |
In Urdu, the word used for grandmother depends on whether she is from your father's side or your mother's side of the family.
Which one should you use?
The form دادی refers specifically to the paternal grandmother, which is your father's mother. The form نانی refers specifically to the maternal grandmother, which is your mother's mother.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Depending on the region, different variations are used to address grandmothers. Daadi Jaan is used for a paternal grandmother in specific regions. For a maternal grandmother, some areas use Naanijaan while others use Naani Jaan.
How do you pronounce it?
The word دادی is pronounced dādī (IPA: /d̪ɑː.d̪iː/). It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In many Urdu-speaking households, children will call their grandmothers by these names even if they are not actually related, as a sign of deep respect for elderly women.
- Adding the word جان ('jaan'), meaning 'life' or 'soul', to دادی or نانی transforms the term from a simple relative into an expression of deep love and reverence.
- In Urdu culture, the maternal grandmother نانی is often historically viewed as the primary source of storytelling and folk tales for children during summer vacations.
Examples in context
- میری دادی بہت اچھی ہیں۔meri dadi bohat achi hain.My grandmother is very good.
- کیا آپ کی دادی یہاں رہتی ہیں؟kya aap ki dadi yahan rehti hain?Does your grandmother live here?
- دادی نے مجھے کہانی سنائی۔dadi ne mujhe kahani sunayi.Grandmother told me a story.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Sarah are talking about their family.
- احمد Ahmedسارہ، یہ میری دادی ہیں۔Sarah, yeh meri dadi hain.Sarah, this is my grandmother.
- سارہ Saraآپ کی دادی سے مل کر خوشی ہوئی۔Aap ki dadi se mil kar khushi hui.I am happy to meet your grandmother.
- احمد Ahmedشکریہ، وہ آپ سے مل کر خوش ہوں گی۔Shukriya, woh aap se mil kar khush hon gi.Thank you, she will be happy to meet you.
- سارہ Saraوہ بہت مہربان لگتی ہیں۔Woh bohat meharban lagti hain.She seems very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandmother” translations and entries دادی, نانی, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
