Urgroßvater
The English phrase "great grandpa" is translated into German as Urgroßvater.
The terms refer to the father of one's grandparent.
Which one should you use?
While Urgroßvater is the formal term, you may encounter the affectionate Ur-Opa or the casual, shortened Uropa.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Urgroßvater is a formal term. In casual speech or when addressing them directly, Germans often use the shortened form Uropa instead of the formal Urgroßvater. Ur-Opa is an informal and affectionate term for great grandfather.
How does it change in a sentence?
Urgroßvater follows standard masculine noun declension. For example, in the accusative case, it remains Urgroßvater.
Did you know?
- In modern colloquial German, ur- is sometimes used as an intensifier similar to 'extremely' or 'really' in some dialects, such as saying something is ur-lustig.
- The prefix Ur- in Urgroßvater does not just mean 'great', it literally translates to 'primordial' or 'ancient', implying a sense of being from a very distant, original time.
- The prefix ur- can be stacked indefinitely to describe ancestors. A great-great-great-grandfather would be an Ur-Ur-Urgroßvater.
Examples in context
- Ich habe meinen Urgroßvater schon lange nicht mehr gesehen.I haven't seen my great grandfather in a long time.
- Komm, Ur-Opa, erzähl mir eine Geschichte!Come on, great grandpa, tell me a story!
- Ich vermisse meinen Uropa sehr.I miss my great grandpa a lot.
- Mein Urgroßvater war ein sehr mutiger Mann.My great grandpa was a very brave man.
- Hat dein Urgroßvater noch viele Fotos?Does your great grandpa still have many photos?
- Ich besuche heute meinen Urgroßvater im Krankenhaus.I am visiting my great grandpa in the hospital today.
Example conversation
Lukas and Hannah are looking at old family albums.
- LukasWer ist dieser Mann auf dem Foto?Who is this man in the photo?
- HannahDas ist mein Urgroßvater.That is my great grandpa.
- LukasEr sieht sehr freundlich aus.He looks very friendly.
- HannahJa, er war ein sehr netter Mensch.Yes, he was a very kind person.
