そふ
sofuhiragana, my own grandfather, to others
In hiragana, "my grandfather" is そふ (sofu) when you talk about your own grandfather to other people. Directly to him you say おじいちゃん (ojīchan). It is also called おじいさん (ojīsan).
Meaning: grandfather (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| そふ | sofu | hiragana, my own grandfather, to others |
| おじいちゃん | ojīchan | hiragana, affectionate |
| おじいさん | ojīsan | hiragana, polite |
Add わたしの (watashi no) in front, as in わたしのそふ (watashi no sofu), "my grandfather".
Which one should you use?
おじいさん (ojīsan) is used for someone else's grandfather and for an elderly man in general.
What mistakes should you avoid?
The long ji-i matters, since おじさん (ojisan) with a short vowel means "uncle".
Did you know?
- Japanese has separate words for your own family and for another person's family, which is why そふ and おじいさん differ.
Examples in context
- わたしのそふははちじゅっさいです。Watashi no sofu wa hachijussai desu.My grandfather is eighty years old.
- おじいちゃん、いっしょにさんぽしよう。Ojīchan, issho ni sanpo shiyō.Grandpa, let's go for a walk together.
- おじいさんはおげんきですか。Ojīsan wa ogenki desu ka?Is your grandfather well?
Example conversation
Mari asks her friend Ken about his family while they eat lunch.
- Mariけんくんのおじいさんはどこにすんでいますか。Ken-kun no ojīsan wa doko ni sunde imasu ka?Ken, where does your grandfather live?
- Kenわたしのそふはきょうとにすんでいます。Watashi no sofu wa Kyōto ni sunde imasu.My grandfather lives in Kyoto.
- Mariいいですね。Ii desu ne.That sounds nice.
