ông nội
[ʔəwŋ͡m˧˧ noj˧˨ʔ]
ông nội is the Vietnamese word for grandpa.
The term ông nội is used to refer specifically to a paternal grandfather, meaning your father's father. In more general or respectful contexts, the term Ông can be used to refer to a grandpa or any elderly male.
Meaning: grandfather (informal) (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word nội in the phrase ông nội literally means 'internal', which in the context of Vietnamese kinship refers to the paternal side of the family.
Which one should you use?
While ông nội refers specifically to the paternal grandfather, you should use ông ngoại to refer to a maternal grandfather (your mother's father).
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese kinship, a woman is often considered to have 'moved out' of her original family upon marriage, which is why her father's side is called 'inside' or nội.
- Because Vietnamese kinship is so specific, there is no single gender-neutral word for 'grandparent'. You must always specify if the person is an ông or a bà.
- The term ông is a Sino-Vietnamese word originally derived from the Chinese character 翁, meaning 'old man'.
Examples in context
- Chúc ông nội một ngày vui vẻ và khỏe mạnh.Wishing you a happy and healthy day, grandpa.
- Ông nội của tôi rất hiền.My paternal grandfather is very gentle.
- Ông nội đang xem tivi.Grandpa is watching television.
- Cháu nhớ ông nội quá.I miss my grandpa so much.
Example conversation
Hùng and Mai are looking at a family photo album.
- HùngĐây là ảnh của ông nội tôi.This is a photo of my grandpa.
- MaiÔng nội của Hùng trông hiền quá.Your grandpa looks very gentle, Hùng.
- HùngVâng, ông nội tôi rất yêu thương cháu.Yes, my grandpa loves his grandchildren very much.
- MaiTôi cũng rất quý ông.I really like him too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ông nội, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nội, ông, ông nội, CC BY-SA 4.0.
