孫
[ma̠ɡo̞]
The Japanese word for grandson is 孫.
The word 孫 is gender-neutral and refers to both a grandson and a granddaughter.
Meaning: son of one's child (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 孫 can be used to mean both grandson and grandchild.
Did you know?
- The character 孫 is also the surname of Sun Tzu, the author of 'The Art of War', which is widely read and studied in Japan.
- The word 孫 is used in the expression 孫を可愛がる, which means to dote on one's grandchildren with an intensity often greater than they showed their own children.
- If you are talking about your own grandson to a stranger, you use 孫, but if you are referring to someone else's grandson, you should add the polite prefix 'o-' to make it お孫さん (omago-san).
Examples in context
- 孫は八歳なのよ。My grandson is eight.This sentence is useful for stating the age of your 孫.Tatoeba #10798106 by small_snow, translation #11031627 by CK
- あなたの孫はどこ？Where's your grandson?This sentence is useful for asking someone about the location of their 孫.Tatoeba #7459044 by Ninja, translation #7453442 by CK
- ひ孫は八歳ですよ。My great-grandson is eight years old.This sentence is useful for noting that a great-grandchild is eight years old.Tatoeba #11030979 by small_snow, translation #10923776 by ddnktr
- 私の孫はとても頭が良いです。My grandson is very intelligent.
- まごむすこに新しいおもちゃを買ってあげた。I bought a new toy for my grandson.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are looking at a photo album together.
- 蓮 Renこの子は私の孫です。Kono ko wa watashi no mago desu.This child is my grandson.
- 陽葵 Himariとてもかわいいですね。Totemo kawaii desu ne.He is very cute.
- 蓮 Ren孫に似ていると言われます。Mago ni nite iru to iwaremasu.I am told I look like my grandson.
- 陽葵 Himari本当にそうですね。Hontō ni sō desu ne.That is very true.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 孫, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
