おじいちゃん
ojiichan
In Japanese, "my grandpa" is expressed as おじいちゃん (ojiichan).
おじいちゃん is an affectionate way to refer to one's own grandfather. In Japanese, you often omit the word "my" (watashi no) when referring to family members, as the context of the conversation makes it clear you are talking about your own grandfather. If you want to be explicit and say "my grandfather," you can say watashi no sofu.
What does it mean word for word?
The term おじいちゃん is composed of the honorific prefix お, the root for grandfather じい and the diminutive or affectionate suffix ちゃん.
Which one should you use?
While おじいちゃん is affectionate, there are other ways to refer to a grandfather depending on the situation. ojiisan can be used to refer to other people's grandfathers or can serve as a formal way of addressing one's own grandfather. jiichan is another commonly used informal expression for "grandpa".
How do you pronounce it?
ojiichan
Did you know?
- The difference between おじいさん (grandfather) and おじさん (uncle) is a long vowel. A slight mistake in vowel length can accidentally turn your 'grandpa' into your 'uncle'.
- In Japanese, the suffix ちゃん used in おじいちゃん is traditionally reserved for young children or pets, yet it is a common way for adults to affectionately address their own elders.
- While おじいちゃん is for grandfathers, the term おじいさん can also be used as a polite way to address any elderly man on the street, even if he is not related to you.
Examples in context
- 週末におじいちゃんに会いに行こう。Let's visit my grandpa this weekend.This sentence is useful for suggesting a visit to your grandpa.Tatoeba #148137 by KK_kaku_, translation #266422 by CN
- おじいちゃんは昔、板前さんでした。My grandpa was a chef a long time ago.This sentence is useful for describing a former profession of your grandpa.Tatoeba #12093059 by small_snow, translation #12141015 by CK
- 私のおじいちゃんは元気で気さくな人です。My grandpa is a lively and good-humoured man.This sentence is useful for describing your grandpa's personality.Tatoeba #164278 by wakatyann630, translation #250232 by sundown
- Watashi no sofu wa totemo yasashii hito desu. (私の祖父はとても優しい人です。)My grandfather is a very kind person.
- Watashi no ojiisan wa mainichi gakkou e aruite ikimasu. (私のおじいさんは毎日学校へ歩いて行きます。)My grandfather walks to school every day.
- Jiichan ni okuru purezento wa nani ga ii desu ka? (じいちゃんに贈るプレゼントは何がいいですか？)What would be a good gift for grandpa?
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota is showing a photo to Himari.
- 陽太 Yota見て、これがおじいちゃんなんだ。Mite, kore ga ojiichan nanda.Look, this is my grandpa.
- 陽葵 Himari優しい顔をしているね。Yasashii kao o shite iru ne.He has a kind face.
- 陽太 Yotaうん、おじいちゃんはとても優しいよ。Un, ojiichan wa totemo yasashii yo.Yeah, my grandpa is very kind.
- 陽葵 Himariいいおじいちゃんだね。Ii ojiichan da ne.He seems like a great grandpa.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
