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grandpa

/ˈɡrænpɑː/
A2noun

An informal word for a grandfather.

Concreteness 4.4/5 · Concrete

Tiếng Việt

ông

G-răn-pa

Âm 'g' đọc lướt nhanh nối với 'răn', nhấn trọng âm vào 'răn', âm 'pa' kéo dài nhẹ.

Một từ thân mật để chỉ ông (ông nội hoặc ông ngoại).

Meanings

2 meanings

  1. 1A grandfather.family

    Ông (ông nội hoặc ông ngoại).

    “grandma and grandpa”

    “bà và ông”

    • I love you, Grandpa.
    • My grandpa used to take me fishing every summer.
    • She's going to visit her grandpa this weekend.

    Trong tiếng Việt, cần phân biệt rõ 'ông nội' (bố của bố) và 'ông ngoại' (bố của mẹ). Khi gọi trực tiếp, chỉ cần dùng 'Ông'.

  2. 2Any elderly man, regardless of whether he has grandchildren.slang

    Bất kỳ người đàn ông lớn tuổi nào, bất kể ông ấy có cháu hay không (thường dùng như tiếng lóng).

    “Watch your step, grandpa.”

    “Đi đứng cẩn thận nhé, ông già.”

    • Some grandpa was driving 20 miles per hour in the fast lane.

    Cách dùng này trong tiếng Việt tương đương với từ 'ông già', thường mang sắc thái suồng sã, đôi khi thiếu tôn trọng nếu dùng với người lạ lớn tuổi.

Word bank

Common phrases

  • maternal grandpa
  • paternal grandpa
  • great-grandpa
  • visit grandpa

Grammar & forms

Grammar

  • countable

Inflections

plural
grandpas

Usage patterns

  • grandpa to somebody

Avoid mistakes

Common mistakes

  • I went to see my Grandpa.

    I went to see my grandpa.

    Do not capitalize 'grandpa' when preceded by a possessive pronoun like 'my' unless it is the first word of a sentence.

  • grandpa is coming over.

    Grandpa is coming over.

    Capitalize 'Grandpa' when using it as a proper noun (a name) without a pronoun.

  • He is a grandpa of three.

    He is a grandfather of three.

    In formal contexts or when stating facts about family structure, 'grandfather' is preferred.

  • My grandpas name is John.

    My grandpa's name is John.

    Use an apostrophe and an 's' to show possession.

  • The grandpas gathered at the park.

    The grandfathers gathered at the park.

    While 'grandpas' is grammatically correct, 'grandfathers' is more natural when referring to a group of elderly men in a general or formal sense.

Don't confuse with

  • grandfather

    the father of one's father or mother

    “My grandfather served in the navy.”

    Use 'grandfather' in formal writing and 'grandpa' in casual conversation.

Academic collocations

Words that pair with "grandpa" in formal and academic writing

verb
visitrememberresemble
adjective
maternalpaternalbelovedlate
noun
housefarmstory
preposition
withtofrom

In context

Real-world examples

  • daily life

    My grandpa loves tending to his bonsai trees in the morning.

    Ông của tôi rất thích chăm sóc cây cảnh vào buổi sáng.

    Gardening and tending to bonsai trees (cây cảnh) is a very common and respected hobby for elderly men in Vietnam.

  • tradition

    We always visit our grandpa on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

    Chúng tôi luôn đến chúc Tết ông vào ngày mùng một Tết.

    Visiting grandparents on the first day of Tet is a deeply rooted Vietnamese tradition to show filial piety and respect.

  • slang

    Hurry up, grandpa, we're going to be late!

    Nhanh lên đi ông già, chúng ta sắp muộn rồi!

    Similar to English, calling a slow-moving younger person 'ông già' (old man) is used jokingly, but should be avoided with actual elders as it is disrespectful.

Notes for Vietnamese speakers

  • In Vietnamese culture, grandparents hold a highly respected position in the family hierarchy. Filial piety (đạo hiếu) is a core value.
  • Vietnamese distinguishes between the paternal grandfather ('ông nội' - father's father) and maternal grandfather ('ông ngoại' - mother's father). English 'grandpa' covers both.
  • When addressing a grandfather directly, Vietnamese people simply use 'Ông' or 'Ông ơi' rather than translating 'grandpa' literally.

Etymology

Mid 19th century: a childish or informal alteration of grandfather, combining 'grand-' and 'pa' (a shortened form of papa).

Exam levels

IELTS

4.0

CEFR

A2

TOEIC

255-400

More in Vietnamese

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