German word

Opa

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈoːpa/

Meaning

  • masculine noungrandpa

Example

Ich rufe meinen Opa an.

I'm calling my grandpa.

Illustration for Opa (grandpa)

More examples

Als Kind habe ich immer auf meinen Opa gehört.

As a child, I always listened to my grandpa.

Core concept

A child-friendly family name for a grandfather that remains natural among adults in familiar speech.

Common phrases

  • mein Opa

    my grandpa

  • auf meinen Opa hören

    listen to my grandpa

  • bei meinem Opa zu Besuch sein

    be visiting my grandpa

Similar words

Großvater: A relatively formal term for a biological grandfather.
Großpapa: A warm, colloquial family name for a grandfather.
Opi: A familiar pet name for a grandfather, especially among children.

Definition in German

Kurzform und Koseform für den Großvater, im Alltag häufig statt Großvater gebraucht.

Word origin

Opa is a German kinship shortening associated with child language, but it has broadened into a widely used colloquial term for Großvater.

Usage tips

  • As a German noun, Opa is always capitalized, and direct address normally uses Opa without an article, as in Hallo, Opa.

Opposites

Related words

  • Uropagreat-grandpanoun

Word lists with this word