A family photo may show two grandmothers, but Turkish can name each side in one word. Here you will identify the relationship and practise speaking to a grandparent.
The idea
Anneanne is your mother’s mother; babaanne is your father’s mother. Both are written as one word. Dede can mean either grandfather, while nine means grandmother without specifying the side. Families may use different forms of address: follow the person’s usual form of address within the family. Anneanne, yarın evde misin? addresses her directly; anneannem refers to my maternal grandmother.
| Word | Family relationship |
|---|---|
| anneanne | Mother’s mother |
| babaanne | Father’s mother |
| dede | Grandfather on either side |
| nine | Grandmother; side unspecified |
Examples
- Anneannem bugün bizde kalıyor.My maternal grandmother is staying with us today.
- Babaannem balkonda çay içiyor.My paternal grandmother is drinking tea on the balcony.
- Dedem bana fotoğraf gösteriyor.My grandfather is showing me a photograph.
- Annemin annesi benim anneannem.My mother’s mother is my maternal grandmother.
- Babamın annesi benim babaannem.My father’s mother is my paternal grandmother.
- Ninem, bu fotoğraf senin mi?Grandma, is this photograph yours?
- Anneanne, yarın evde misin?Grandma (on my mother’s side), will you be at home tomorrow?
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Turkish voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Turkish device voice is available. You can still read the text.
Watch out
Do not choose babaanne because the speaker is male: the choice follows the parent connecting you to that grandmother. Nor does nine automatically mean the father’s mother. These words do not tell you which grandparent is older.
Try it yourself
Complete with “my maternal grandmother”: My mother’s mother is my ___.
Show answer or example answer
anneannem
anneannem: the clue is annemin, “my mother’s”. The route goes through your mother, and benim calls for the form meaning “my”.
Complete with “my paternal grandmother”: My father’s mother is my ___.
Show answer or example answer
babaannem
babaannem: babamın annesi identifies your father’s mother, so the word starts with baba. Keep the two adjacent letters a in the spelling.
Complete with “my grandfather”: My father’s father is my ___.
Show answer or example answer
dedem
dedem: this person is your father’s father. The same word also works for your mother’s father; the clue, not the noun alone, identifies the side.
Choose the word that does not specify the grandmother’s side: anneanne, babaanne or nine.
Show answer or example answer
nine
nine: of the three choices, only this word leaves the side unspecified. You need the family context to know which grandmother is meant.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Complete with “my maternal grandmother”: My mother’s mother is my ___.
Complete with “my paternal grandmother”: My father’s mother is my ___.
Complete with “my grandfather”: My father’s father is my ___.
Choose the word that does not specify the grandmother’s side: anneanne, babaanne or nine.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
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Draw a real or invented family tree. Label the two grandmothers and both grandfathers, then write one question addressed to a grandmother.