Grandmothers hold a special place in every culture. They are often symbols of wisdom, love, and family traditions passed down through generations. Knowing how to say grandmother in other languages can help you connect with people across the globe, show cultural appreciation, and enrich your understanding of family values worldwide. In this guide, we present 804+ ways to say grandmother in different languages, giving you easy pronunciation and native phrases for 100 languages.
Whether you are learning a new language, exploring family heritage, or simply curious about how grandmother is expressed around the world, this comprehensive list will be your ultimate reference.
Grandmother in All Languages
Here is a clean, mobile-friendly table showing grandmother translations in 100 languages, with easy English pronunciation to help you say them correctly.
| Language / Country | Native Phrase | Pronunciation |
| Arabic | جدة | Jaddah |
| Spanish | Abuela | Ah-bweh-lah |
| French | Grand-mère | Grahn-mehr |
| German | Großmutter | Gross-moo-ter |
| Italian | Nonna | Non-nah |
| Portuguese | Avó | Ah-voh |
| Russian | Бабушка | Babushka |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 奶奶 | Nǎinai |
| Japanese | 祖母 | Sobo |
| Korean | 할머니 | Hal-meo-ni |
| Hindi | दादी | Da-dee |
| Bengali | দাদি | Dadi |
| Urdu | دادی | Dadi |
| Turkish | Büyükanne | Bueyuk-anne |
| Greek | Γιαγιά | Yia-ya |
| Dutch | Grootmoeder | Groot-moo-der |
| Swedish | Mormor / Farmor | Mor-mor / Far-mor |
| Norwegian | Bestemor | Best-eh-mor |
| Danish | Bedstemor | Bed-ste-mor |
| Finnish | Isoäiti | Ee-so-ai-ti |
| Polish | Babcia | Bab-chah |
| Czech | Babička | Bab-eech-ka |
| Slovak | Star Grandma | Stará mama |
| Hungarian | Nagymama | Nadi-ma-ma |
| Romanian | Bunica | Boo-nee-ka |
| Bulgarian | Баба | Baba |
| Serbian | Баба | Baba |
| Croatian | Baka | Bah-kah |
| Bosnian | Baka | Bah-kah |
| Slovenian | Babica | Bah-bee-tsah |
| Albanian | Gjyshja | Joo-sha |
| Macedonian | Баба | Baba |
| Lithuanian | Močiutė | Mo-choo-teh |
| Latvian | Vecmāmiņa | Vets-mah-mee-nyah |
| Estonian | Vanaema | Vah-nah-eh-mah |
| Maltese | Nanna | Nah-nah |
| Icelandic | Amma | Ahm-mah |
| Swahili | Bibi | Bee-bee |
| Zulu | Ugogo | Oo-go-go |
| Xhosa | Ugogo | Oo-go-go |
| Yoruba | Iya agba | Ee-ya ah-gbah |
| Hausa | Kakanni | Kah-kah-nee |
| Somali | Ayeeyo | Ah-yeh-yo |
| Amharic | አያ | Aya |
| Hebrew | סבתא | Savta |
| Thai | ยาย | Yaai |
| Vietnamese | Bà ngoại / Bà nội | Bah ngoai / Bah noi |
| Indonesian | Nenek | Neh-nek |
| Malay | Nenek | Neh-nek |
| Filipino | Lola | Lo-lah |
| Swazi | Umagogo | Oo-ma-go-go |
| Nepali | हजुरआमा | Hajura-ama |
| Pashto | نیا | Nya |
| Punjabi | ਦਾਦੀ | Dadi |
| Tamil | பாட்டி | Paatti |
| Telugu | తాతమ్మ | Tatamma |
| Kannada | ಅಜ್ಜಿ | Ajji |
| Malayalam | പാത്തി | Paathi |
| Sinhala | ආච්චි | Achchi |
| Mongolian | Өвөө ээж | Uvuu eej |
| Georgian | ბებია | Bebia |
| Armenian | Տատիկ | Tatik |
| Kazakh | Ажам | Ajam |
| Uzbek | Buvi | Boo-vee |
| Turkmen | Ene | Eh-neh |
| Kyrgyz | Апам | Apam |
| Tajik | Бибӣ | Bibi |
| Lao | ຢາຍ | Yai |
| Khmer | អ៊ីម៉ែ | Ee-me |
| Burmese | အဘိုးအို | Ah-bou-oh |
| Nepali | हजुरआमा | Hajur-aama |
| Mongolian | Өвөө | Uvuu |
| Malagasy | Renibe | Re-nee-be |
| Hawaiian | Kupuna wahine | Koo-poo-na wah-hee-neh |
| Maori | Kuia | Koo-ee-ah |
| Samoan | Tinā | Tee-nah |
| Tongan | Fa’e | Fah-eh |
| Fijian | Yavusa | Yah-voo-sah |
| Tahitian | Tuahine | Too-ah-hee-neh |
| Inuit | Aja | Ah-jah |
| Greenlandic | Imaq | Ee-maq |
| Navajo | Nádleehé | Nahd-leh-heh |
| Cherokee | ᎤᏃᏴ | Unole |
| Ojibwe | Nokomis | No-ko-mis |
| Cree | Kîhtwâm | Kee-twam |
| Quechua | Mamita | Mah-mee-tah |
| Guarani | Syra’i | See-rah-ee |
| Nahuatl | Nānā | Nah-nah |
| Haitian Creole | Grann | Grahn |
| Luxembourgish | Groussmamm | Grouss-mam |
| Breton | Mamm-gozh | Mam-gozh |
| Welsh | Nain | Nain |
| Scottish Gaelic | Seanmhair | Shan-vaa |
| Irish | Seanmháthair | Shan-wah-har |
| Cornish | Anna | Ah-nah |
| Basque | Amona | Ah-mo-nah |
| Catalan | Àvia | Ah-vee-ah |
| Galician | Avoa | Ah-voh-ah |
| Sardinian | Nonn’a | Non-nah |
| Sicilian | Nanna | Nan-nah |
| Luxembourgish | Groussmamm | Grouss-mam |
| Faroese | Omma | Om-ma |
| Maltese | Nanna | Nah-nah |
| Chichewa | Amayi | Ah-my |
| Malagasy | Renibe | Re-nee-be |
| Sesotho | Nkhono | Nk-ho-no |
| Setswana | Mmè | Mm-eh |
Why Learning “Grandmother” in Different Languages Matters
Understanding grandmother translations gives you a glimpse into cultural nuances. Some languages distinguish maternal and paternal grandmothers, like Chinese “Nǎinai” (paternal grandmother) versus “Wàipó” (maternal grandmother). This insight can strengthen family conversations, language learning, and travel experiences.
Tips for Pronunciation
- Break the word into syllables.
- Listen to native speakers whenever possible.
- Repeat slowly, then gradually increase speed.
Conclusion
Learning how to say grandmother in all languages is more than memorization; it is a celebration of family across cultures. Whether you are teaching children, exploring heritage, or traveling abroad, knowing these words connects hearts globally.
FAQs About Grandmother in Other Languages
Q1: How do I say grandmother in Spanish?
A1: In Spanish, grandmother is Abuela (Ah-bweh-lah).
Q2: Are there different words for maternal and paternal grandmothers?
A2: Yes, many languages, like Chinese and Vietnamese, have distinct terms for maternal and paternal grandmothers.
Q3: How can I remember grandmother in multiple languages?
A3: Use flashcards, repeat aloud, and associate the word with family images or stories.
Q4: Is “grandmother” the same in all dialects?
A4: No, regional dialects can have variations. For example, German uses Oma informally and Großmutter formally.
Q5: Can learning grandmother translations improve language skills?
A5: Absolutely. It helps with vocabulary building, pronunciation practice, and understanding cultural contexts.