bà ngoại
[ʔɓaː˨˩ ŋwaːj˧˨ʔ]
The English phrase "maternal grandma" is translated into Vietnamese as bà ngoại.
bà ngoại is the specific term used to refer to the mother of a person's mother. In direct address or casual conversation, many people simply use bà instead of the full bà ngoại.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of bà (grandmother) and ngoại (outside/maternal).
Which one should you use?
bà ngoại refers to the maternal grandmother, whereas bà nội refers to the paternal grandmother.
Did you know?
- The term ngoại literally means 'outside', reflecting an ancient custom where a woman was considered to belong to her natal family until she married and 'moved out' to join her husband's lineage.
- The distinction between 'inside' and 'outside' families is so culturally significant that the phrase for 'to get married', xuất giá, literally means 'to go out and get married'.
- While bà is a Sino-Vietnamese word, the word for grandfather ông does not come from a word for 'grandfather' but from a word meaning 'old man'.
Examples in context
- Bà ngoại đang chờ chúng tôi ở nhà.Grandma is waiting for us at home.
- Hôm nay là sinh nhật của bà bên mẹ, chúng ta nên chúc mừng.Today is grandma on my mother's side's birthday, we should congratulate her.
- Bà ngoại của tôi rất hiền.My maternal grandma is very kind.
- Tôi đi thăm bà ngoại vào cuối tuần.I visit my maternal grandma on the weekend.
- Bà ngoại đang nấu cơm trong bếp.Maternal grandma is cooking rice in the kitchen.
Example conversation
Chi and Minh are looking at family photos together.
- ChiĐây là bà ngoại của tôi.This is my maternal grandma.
- MinhBà ngoại bạn trông rất hiền.Your maternal grandma looks very gentle.
- ChiVâng, bà ngoại tôi rất yêu quý tôi.Yes, my maternal grandma loves me very much.
- MinhTôi cũng rất yêu bà của mình.I love my grandmother very much too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bà ngoại, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bà, bà ngoại, ngoại, CC BY-SA 4.0.
