French word

grand-mère

Pronunciation

IPA/gʁɑ̃mɛʁ/

Meaning

  • feminine noungrandma

Example

Je téléphone souvent à ma grand-mère le dimanche.

I often call my grandma on Sundays.

Illustration for grand-mère (grandma)

More examples

Ma grand-mère aime raconter des histoires de son enfance.

My grandmother likes telling stories about her childhood.

Core concept

The woman in a family who is one parent's mother, viewed as a link between the parent and the next generation.

Common phrases

  • rendre visite à ma grand-mère

    visit my grandmother

  • préparer un gâteau pour ma grand-mère

    prepare a cake for my grandmother

Similar words

mère: A female parent who gives birth to or raises a child.
grand-père: An older man who is the father of someone's parent.
mamie: A familiar and affectionate name for one's grandmother.
belle-mère: The mother of a person's spouse, as an older family member.

Definition in French

La mère de l'un des parents d'une personne; femme plus âgée au sein de la famille.

Word origin

Grand-mère is a French kinship compound in which grand, 'great' or 'large', modifies mère, a word inherited from Latin mater through French.

Usage tips

  • In grand-mère, the final d of grand is not pronounced, and the word is pronounced roughly like 'grahn-mair'.

Opposites

Related words

  • arrière-grand-mèregreat-grandmothernoun

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