The term “grandma” is a warm and familiar way we refer to our grandmothers, evoking feelings of love, comfort, and family history. Across the globe, every culture has its unique term to address this special family member, reflecting the diversity and richness of languages and cultural practices. In this exploration, we dive into the linguistic variety that exists in our world by looking at how to say “grandma” in 70 different languages. This list not only showcases the beauty of linguistic diversity but also celebrates the universal bond shared between grandchildren and their grandmothers.
Here is a comprehensive list of how to say “grandma” in 70 different languages:
- Albanian (🇦🇱) – Gjyshe | Pronunciation: Jee-she
- Arabic (Standard) (🇸🇦) – جدة (Jaddah) | Pronunciation: Jad-dah
- Armenian (🇦🇲) – Տատիկ (Tatik) | Pronunciation: Tah-teek
- Azerbaijani (🇦🇿) – Nənə | Pronunciation: Neh-neh
- Basque (🇪🇸) – Amona | Pronunciation: Ah-moh-nah
- Belarusian (🇧🇾) – Бабуля (Babulya) | Pronunciation: Ba-boo-lya
- Bengali (🇧🇩) – দাদী (Dadi) | Pronunciation: Dah-dee
- Bosnian (🇧🇦) – Baka | Pronunciation: Bah-kah
- Bulgarian (🇧🇬) – Баба (Baba) | Pronunciation: Bah-bah
- Catalan (🇪🇸 – Catalonia) – Àvia | Pronunciation: Ah-vee-ah
- Czech (🇨🇿) – Babička | Pronunciation: Bah-bitch-kah
- Danish (🇩🇰) – Bedstemor | Pronunciation: Beh-steh-more
- Dutch (🇳🇱) – Oma | Pronunciation: Oh-mah
- English (🇺🇸 / 🇬🇧) – Grandma | Pronunciation: Gran-mah
- Estonian (🇪🇪) – Vanaema | Pronunciation: Vah-nah-eh-mah
- Farsi (Persian) (🇮🇷) – مادربزرگ (Madar Bozorg) | Pronunciation: Mah-dar Boz-org
- Finnish (🇫🇮) – Isoäiti | Pronunciation: Ee-soh-ay-tee
- French (🇫🇷) – Grand-mère | Pronunciation: Grahn-mair
- Georgian (🇬🇪) – ბებია (Bebia) | Pronunciation: Beh-bee-ah
- German (🇩🇪) – Oma | Pronunciation: Oh-mah
- Greek (🇬🇷) – Γιαγιά (Yiayia) | Pronunciation: Yee-ah-yee-ah
- Hebrew (🇮🇱) – סבתא (Savta) | Pronunciation: Sahv-tah
- Hindi (🇮🇳) – दादी (Dadi) | Pronunciation: Dah-dee
- Hungarian (🇭🇺) – Nagymama | Pronunciation: Nahdj-mah-mah
- Icelandic (🇮🇸) – Amma | Pronunciation: Ah-mah
- Indonesian (🇮🇩) – Nenek | Pronunciation: Neh-nehk
- Irish Gaelic (🇮🇪) – Máthair Mhór | Pronunciation: Mah-hir Vor
- Italian (🇮🇹) – Nonna | Pronunciation: Non-nah
- Japanese (🇯🇵) – おばあさん (Obāsan) | Pronunciation: Oh-bah-ah-san
- Kazakh (🇰🇿) – Әже (Äje) | Pronunciation: Ah-zheh
- Khmer (Cambodian) (🇰🇭) – ជីដូនចាស់ (Yeay) | Pronunciation: Yay
- Korean (🇰🇷) – 할머니 (Halmeoni) | Pronunciation: Hal-muh-nee
- Kurdish (🇮🇶 / 🇸🇾 / 🇹🇷 / 🇮🇷) – Bapîr | Pronunciation: Bah-peer
- Kyrgyz (🇰🇬) – Чоң эне (Chong Ene) | Pronunciation: Chong Eh-neh
- Lao (🇱🇦) – ຍ່າຍ (Yai) | Pronunciation: Yai
- Latvian (🇱🇻) – Vecmāmiņa | Pronunciation: Vets-mah-mee-nah
- Lithuanian (🇱🇹) – Senelė | Pronunciation: Seh-neh-leh
- Luxembourgish (🇱🇺) – Groussmamm | Pronunciation: Gross-mahm
- Macedonian (🇲🇰) – Баба (Baba) | Pronunciation: Bah-bah
- Malay (🇲🇾 / 🇮🇩) – Nenek | Pronunciation: Neh-nehk
- Maltese (🇲🇹) – Nanna | Pronunciation: Nah-nah
- Mandarin Chinese (🇨🇳) – 奶奶 (Nǎinai) | Pronunciation: Nai-nai
- Marathi (🇮🇳) – आजी (Aaji) | Pronunciation: Ah-jee
- Mongolian (🇲🇳) – Өвөө (Övög) | Pronunciation: Uh-vuhg
- Nepali (🇳🇵) – हजुरआमा (Hajur Aama) | Pronunciation: Hah-joor Ah-mah
- Norwegian (🇳🇴) – Bestemor | Pronunciation: Beh-steh-mor
- Pashto (🇦🇫) – نیکه (Nika) | Pronunciation: Nee-kah
- Persian (Farsi) (🇮🇷) – مادربزرگ (Madar Bozorg) | Pronunciation: Mah-dar Boz-org
- Polish (🇵🇱) – Babcia | Pronunciation: Bahb-cha
- Portuguese (🇵🇹 / 🇧🇷) – Avó | Pronunciation: Ah-voh
- Romanian (🇷🇴) – Bunica | Pronunciation: Boo-nee-kah
- Russian (🇷🇺) – Бабушка (Babushka) | Pronunciation: Bah-boosh-kah
- Serbian (🇷🇸) – Бака (Baka) | Pronunciation: Bah-kah
- Sinhala (🇱🇰) – ආච්චි (Achchi) | Pronunciation: Ahch-chee
- Slovak (🇸🇰) – Babka | Pronunciation: Bahb-kah
- Slovenian (🇸🇮) – Babica | Pronunciation: Bah-bee-tsah
- Somali (🇸🇴) – Ayeeyo | Pronunciation: Ah-yay-yo
- Spanish (🇪🇸) – Abuela | Pronunciation: Ah-bway-lah
- Swahili (🇰🇪 / 🇹🇿) – Bibi | Pronunciation: Bee-bee
- Swedish (🇸🇪) – Mormor (maternal) / Farmor (paternal) | Pronunciation: Mor-mor / Far-mor
- Tajik (🇹🇯) – Бибӣ (Bibi) | Pronunciation: Bee-bee
- Tamil (🇮🇳) – பாட்டி (Paatti) | Pronunciation: Pah-ttee
- Telugu (🇮🇳) – అమ్మమ్మ (Ammamma) | Pronunciation: Ahm-mah-mah
- Thai (🇹🇭) – ย่า (Yâ) | Pronunciation: Yah
- Turkish (🇹🇷) – Anneanne (maternal) / Büyükanne (paternal) | Pronunciation: Ah-neh-ah-neh / Bew-yew-kah-neh
- Ukrainian (🇺🇦) – Бабуся (Babusya) | Pronunciation: Bah-boo-syah
- Urdu (🇵🇰) – دادی (Dadi) | Pronunciation: Dah-dee
- Uzbek (🇺🇿) – Буви (Buvi) | Pronunciation: Boo-vee
- Vietnamese (🇻🇳) – Bà | Pronunciation: Bah
- Welsh (🇬🇧 – Wales) – Nain (maternal) / Mam-gu (paternal) | Pronunciation: Nine / Mam-gee