In our previous post, we discussed the various words for ‘grandmother’ in Japanese. Accordingly, it is only right that we teach you how to say ‘grandfather’ in Japanese!
We will also learn the term for the collective of the two, ‘grandparents’.
Ojiisan
お爺さん
Grandfather
The standard word for ‘grandfather’ in Japanese is ojiisan (お爺さん / おじいさん). Variations of this term include ojiichan, jiichan and jiisan.
These names are used when speaking directly to your own grandfather, and also when referring to someone else’s grandfather.
Sofu
祖父
Grandfather (formal)
Sofu (祖父 / そふ) is a slightly more formal, polite term for ‘grandfather’ in Japanese.
This term is used when talking to others about one’s own grandfather. If you use ojiisan or its variations in conversation with someone you are not close with, you may come across as brash and over casual.
Jiiji
じいじ
Grandpa
Jiiji (じいじ) is what children usually call their grandfathers as a child learning to talk, as naturally, jiiji rolls off the tongue easier than ojiisan!
Jiiji is an endearing nickname that can be used by children and adults alike, as it expresses a loving and close relationship with one’s grandfather.
How to refer to both grandparents
To refer to both grandparents, you of course can use both words and simply say ‘grandfather and grandmother’ (おじいさんとおばあさん)
However, if you combine the individual terms of sofu and sobo (‘grandmother’), you get sofubo (祖父母 / そふぼ) which means ‘grandparents’!
Things to note
Similarly to the words we went over for ‘grandmother’, there are a couple of things to keep in mind with terminology related to ‘grandfather’ also.
- Ojiisan, the standard word for ‘grandfather’, can also be used to refer to any elderly man. That’s why, in order to prevent confusion, sofu is used when you want to let it be known that you are in fact speaking about your own grandfather and not just a random old man!
- The Japanese word for ‘uncle’ is ojisan (叔父さん / おじさん). It has a shorter ‘i’ sound, compared to the elongated ‘i’ in ojiisan.
- The term for ‘great-grandfather’ is hii (pronounced hee) jiisan (曾祖父さん / ひいじいさん). Additionally, when speaking about your great-grandfather to others, opt for the term sousofu (曽祖父 / そうそふ).
Want to learn more everyday Japanese? Our favourite online course is JapanesePod101. Try it out for free!
JapanesePod101 is our top recommendation to learn Japanese online. We love the fun, current audio lessons and interactive online tools. Sign up for your free lifetime account and see for yourself!
Related posts
- How to Say Mother in Japanese
- How to Say Father in Japanese
- How to Say Sister in Japanese
- How to Say Brother in Japanese
- How to Say Daughter in Japanese
- How to Say Son in Japanese
📌Pin this for later
Hannah is a half Irish/half Japanese girl living in Ireland. Her love for Japan and the Japanese language led her to studying languages and translation in university where she specialised in Japanese. She spent a year studying abroad at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. In her free time, Hannah enjoys using her sewing machine to upcycle clothes and create new pieces!