お婆さん
obāsan
The English phrase "old woman" can be translated into Japanese using several different terms. If unsure, use お婆さん (obāsan). Wiktionary also lists ばばあ (babā) and 老婆 (rōba).
Meaning: elderly woman (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| お婆さん | obāsan | |
| ばばあ | babā | [ba̠ba̠ː] (narrow) |
| 老婆 | rōba | [ɾo̞ːba̠] (narrow) |
The terms used for an elderly woman vary significantly depending on whether you want to be respectful or insulting.
Which one should you use?
お婆さん is a polite way to refer to an elderly woman or to address one directly as 'grandmother'. In contrast, ばばあ is a highly derogatory and insulting way to refer to an old woman.
How do you pronounce it?
obāsan
Did you know?
- A slight change in vowel length can change 'grandmother' おばあさん into 'aunt' おばさん. Mispronouncing the 'a' sound can lead to calling a middle-aged woman an 'old woman'.
- The term 老婆 (rōba) is often treated as a literary archetype rather than a real person, frequently appearing in ghost stories or folklore to describe a mysterious or supernatural elderly woman.
- The word ばばあ is derived from ばば, which was once a more neutral term for an elderly woman before it evolved into a harsh insult.
Examples in context
- 昔、小さな島に老婆が住んでいました。Once there lived an old woman on a small island.This sentence shows the use of 老婆 in a narrative context.Tatoeba #142451 by bunbuku, translation #272119 by Jesse
- メアリーはその劇で老婆の役を演じた。Mary played the role of an old woman in the play.This sentence demonstrates how 老婆 can be used when describing a character role.Tatoeba #194811 by tommy__san, translation #31984 by CM
- １人の老婆が不自由な足で通りを歩いていた。An old woman limped along the street.This sentence uses 老婆 to describe an old woman in a descriptive sentence.Tatoeba #235730 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #73110 by CK
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Daito are talking about a neighbor.
- 結衣 Yuiあのお婆さんはとても親切です。Ano obāsan wa totemo shinsetsu desu.That old woman is very kind.
- 大翔 Hiroto本当にいい人そうですね。Hontō ni ii hito sō desu ne.She really seems like a good person.
- 結衣 Yuiいつも美味しいお菓子をくれます。Itsumo oishii okashi o kuremasu.She always gives me delicious sweets.
- 大翔 Hirotoそれはいいですね。Sore wa ii desu ne.That's nice.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “old woman” translations and entries お婆さん, ばばあ, 老婆, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ばばあ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
