سيدو
sīdofamily, affectionate
Children in Lebanon call their grandpa سيدو (sīdo) or جدّو (jiddo). Both are warm family words and they are understood everywhere in the country.
Meaning: grandfather, as a child says it (noun)
Ways to say it
| Lebanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| سيدو | sīdo | family, affectionate |
| جدّو | jiddo | family, affectionate |
You can use them to call him, as in سيدو، تعا (sīdo, taʿa), "grandpa, come", or to talk about him, as in سيدو بيحب الورق (sīdo bi-yeḥebb el-waraʾ).
Which one should you use?
The standard word is جدّ (jedd), but kids and adults at home use سيدو or جدّو. Some people add the name, like سيدو أنطوان (sīdo Anṭwān).
What mistakes should you avoid?
The ending -o can also mean "his", so جدّو in a sentence can be "his grandfather". With a name or a direct call, it means "grandpa".
Did you know?
- In Lebanese Arabic the letter ق is often a glottal stop, so the verb قرا (ʾarā) "read" is said with that sound.
Examples in context
- سيدو، شو عم تعمل؟sīdo, shū ʿam tiʿmel?Grandpa, what are you doing?
- جدّو بيقرا الجريدة كل صبحjiddo bi-yeʾra l-jarīde kell ṣobeḥGrandpa reads the newspaper every morning.
- بحب سيدو كتيرbaḥebb sīdo ktīrI love grandpa very much.
Example conversation
Georges sits next to his grandfather who is reading the paper on a Sunday morning.
- Georgesسيدو، شو عم تقرا؟sīdo, shū ʿam teʾra?Grandpa, what are you reading?
- Grandfatherعم أقرا الجريدة يا حبيبيʿam ʾeʾra l-jarīde yā ḥabībiI am reading the newspaper, my dear.
- Georgesبتعلمني؟bitʿallemni?Will you teach me?
