Großeltern
The German word for grandparents is Großeltern.
Großeltern is used to refer to the parents of a person's father or mother.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Großeltern is a compound of groß, meaning big or great and Eltern, meaning parents.
How does it change in a sentence?
Großeltern is a plural noun and does not have a singular form. To refer to a single grandparent, you must use Großvater for grandfather or Großmutter for grandmother.
Did you know?
- The word Groß in Großeltern is a cognate of the English word 'gross', which originally meant 'thick' or 'large' before it meant 'disgusting'.
- While Großeltern refers to the grandparents, the term Großelternteil is used in official or legal contexts to refer to a single grandparent without specifying gender.
- If you want to talk about your great-grandparents, you simply add another Ur- prefix, creating Urgroßeltern. The prefix Ur- is used in German to denote the most ancient or original version of something.
Examples in context
- Wir sind Toms Großeltern.We're Tom's grandparents.This sentence shows how to identify oneself as the grandparents of a specific person using Großeltern.Tatoeba #12688730 by Waldelfe, translation #7538561 by CK
- Ihr werdet bald Großeltern.You'll be grandparents soon.This sentence describes the future state of becoming grandparents using Großeltern.Tatoeba #10924189 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10924155 by CK
- Seine Großeltern sind beide tot.Both his grandparents are dead.This sentence provides an example of describing the status of grandparents using Großeltern.Tatoeba #1875794 by Esperantostern, translation #8504692 by Elsofie
- Ich besuche meine Großeltern jeden Sonntag.I visit my grandparents every Sunday.
- Kann ich heute bei Oma und Opa schlafen?Can I sleep at Grandma and Grandpa's tonight?
- Wir verbringen die Ferien oft bei unseren Großeltern auf dem Land.We often spend our vacations at our grandparents' countryside home.
- 68 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Hannah are talking about their upcoming weekend plans.
- JulianBesuchst du am Wochenende deine Großeltern?Are you visiting your grandparents this weekend?
- HannahJa, ich fahre morgen zu meinen Großeltern.Yes, I am going to my grandparents' tomorrow.
- JulianWohnen deine Großeltern weit weg?Do your grandparents live far away?
- HannahNein, sie wohnen ganz in der Nähe.No, they live very nearby.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Großeltern, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
