grand-parent
/ɡʁɑ̃.pa.ʁɑ̃/masculine
The English phrase "grandparent" is grand-parent in French. Wiktionary also lists aïeul.
Meaning: parent of one's parent (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| grand-parent | /ɡʁɑ̃.pa.ʁɑ̃/ | masculine |
| aïeul | /a.jœl/ | masculine |
In French, grand-parent is the standard noun used to refer to the parent of one's parent. While it serves as the general term, you may use specific terms like grand-père for a grandfather or informal terms like grand-papa for a grandfather, Mamie or Grand-maman for a grandmother.
Which one should you use?
grand-parent is the standard term for a grandparent, whereas aïeul is a much more formal or literary term often used to refer to ancestors in a general sense, such as "ancestor" or "forefather".
How does it change in a sentence?
Both grand-parent and aïeul are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡʁɑ̃.pa.ʁɑ̃/
Did you know?
- The term aïeul originates from the Vulgar Latin *aviolus, which was a diminutive of the Latin word avus for 'grandfather'.
- In French, the term arrière-grand-parent for 'great-grandparent' literally translates to 'back-grandparent', using the prefix arrière to indicate a step further back in time.
- French speakers often use Mamie and Papy as universal terms of endearment for grandparents, even if the children are not biological grandchildren.
Examples in context
- Nul privilège féodal, pour un rendement aisé, n'a jamais égalé celui du grand-parent qui a acheté et doté ses descendants d'un millier d'actions de General Motors ou de General Electric.No grant of feudal privilege has ever equaled, for effortless return, that of the grandparent who bought and endowed his descendants with a thousand shares of General Motors or General Electric.This sentence illustrates the use of grand-parent in a comparison regarding financial endowment.Tatoeba #8249759 by Micsmithel, translation #6287154 by Hybrid
- Une cousine issue de germaine est la petite-fille du frère ou de la sœur d'un grand-parent.A second cousin is the granddaughter of the brother or sister of a grandparent.This sentence defines a second cousin in relation to a grand-parent.Tatoeba #5313752 by Objectivesea, translation #5313524 by Objectivesea
- Une petite cousine est l'arrière petite-fille du frère ou de la sœur d'un arrière-grand-parent.A third cousin is the great-granddaughter of the brother or sister of a great-grandparent.This sentence describes the relationship of a third cousin to an arrière-grand-parent using the term grand-parent.Tatoeba #5313773 by Objectivesea, translation #5313500 by Objectivesea
- Mon grand-pèreMy grandfather
- Je vais rendre visite à mes grands-parentsI am going to visit my grandparents
- Ma grand-mèreMy grandmother
- Je vais chez papyI'm going to grandpa's place
- Amuse-toi bien avec mamieHave fun with grandma
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are talking about their families.
- EmmaEst-ce que tu habites avec un grand-parent ?Do you live with a grandparent?
- HugoNon, mais je vois mon grand-parent souvent.No, but I see my grandparent often.
- EmmaC'est super, Hugo. Ils ont beaucoup d'histoires.That's great, Hugo. They have a lot of stories.
- HugoOui, j'adore écouter mon grand-parent parler du passé.Yes, I love listening to my grandparent talk about the past.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandparent” translations and entries grand-parent, aïeul, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aïeul, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
