деда
dȅda/dêda/Cyrillic, masculine
The Serbian word for grandpa is деда (dȅda). Wiktionary also lists deda and djed.
Meaning: grandfather (informal) (noun)
Ways to say it
| Serbian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| деда | dȅda | /dêda/ | Cyrillic, masculine |
| deda | /dêda/ | Latin, masculine | |
| djed | /djêd/ | Croatia, Latin, masculine |
деда (or deda in Latin script) is an informal masculine noun used to refer to a grandfather. You may also use the term dedo as an affectionate pet name for a grandfather.
Which one should you use?
The forms деда and deda are the same word written in the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets respectively. The form djed is used in Croatia rather than the Serbian деда.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Croatia, the form djed is used instead of the Serbian деда.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say "grandpa's" or "of grandpa", use the genitive singular form деде.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is dȅda.
Did you know?
- The word деда shares a common ancestor with the English word 'grandfather' through the ancient Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'ancestor' or 'elder'.
- In many Serbian families, the term деда is not reserved only for grandfathers but can be used as a respectful way to address any elderly man in a community.
- The term деда can be used in a figurative sense to describe something very old or 'ancient' in a colloquial way.
Examples in context
- То је био мој деда.That was my grandpa.This sentence is useful for showing how to use the form деда when identifying a person.Tatoeba #12404987 by Lebad, translation #11021127 by shekitten
- Hajde, deda, idi sa mnom.Come on, grandpa, come with me.
- Мој деда живи у Београду.My grandpa lives in Belgrade.
- Деда је купио нов свитер.Grandpa bought a new sweater.
Example conversation
Nikola and Ana are looking at old family photos.
- NikolaПогледај, ово је мој деда.Look, this is my grandpa.
- AnaИзгледа веома љубазно.He looks very kind.
- NikolaЈесте, деда је најбољи.He is, grandpa is the best.
- AnaТо је лепо, Никола.That is nice, Nikola.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandpa” translations and entries деда, deda, djed, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries деда, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
