祖母

zǔmǔ
noun HSK 6 #3,634

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 paternal grandmother
  2. 2 father's mother

Characters

Ancestor-mother — the mother of one's father.

Examples

Wǒ de zǔmǔ jīnnián bāshí suì le.
My paternal grandmother is eighty years old this year.
Zǔmǔ zuò de cài tèbié hǎochī.
The food my grandmother makes is especially delicious.
Xiǎoshíhou wǒ chángcháng zhù zài zǔmǔ jiā.
When I was young, I often stayed at my grandmother's house.

Tips

usage
祖母 specifically means paternal grandmother. For maternal grandmother, use 外祖母 (wài zǔmǔ). In daily speech, 奶奶 (nǎinai) is far more common for paternal grandmother.
memory
(ancestor) + (mother) = the mother on the ancestor's side, i.e., your father's mother.

Stroke Order