Japanese word

祖母

Pronunciation

Romajisobo

Meaning

  • noungrandmother

Example

毎週、祖母に電話します。mai shū so bo ni den wa shi ma su

I call my grandmother every week.

Illustration for 祖母 (grandmother)

More examples

母の日に祖母へ花を贈ります。haha no hi ni so bo e hana o oku ri ma su

I give flowers to my grandmother on Mother's Day.

Core concept

Identifies a female grandparent who is the mother of one's father or mother.

Common phrases

  • 祖母に電話するso bo ni den wa su ru

    call one's grandmother

  • 祖母の家so bo no ie

    grandmother's house

  • 祖母と暮らすso bo to ku ra su

    live with one's grandmother

Similar words

おばあちゃんobāchan: A casual and warm term for one's grandmother in everyday family conversation.
おばあさまobāsama: A respectful term for one's grandmother or another person's grandmother.

Definition in Japanese

自分の父母の母に当たる女性。ji bun no fu bo no haha ni a ta ru jo sei

Word origin

祖母 (sobo) consists of 祖 (so, "ancestor") and 母 (bo, "mother"), so its characters describe a grandmother as an ancestral mother.

Usage tips

  • In everyday family talk, おばあちゃん (obāchan) often sounds warmer than 祖母 (sobo), which commonly appears when speakers describe their own family to others.

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