French · People & Family

"Grandmother" in French: grand-mère

la grand-mère

Say it: grahn-MEHRfeminine · la grand-mèrenoun/ɡʁɑ̃.mɛʁ/

Note: everyday: mamie

Grandmother in French is la grand-mère. Ma grand-mère is my grandmother. Everyday nicknames include mamie and mémé, depending on the family.

Visit

Je vais chez ma grand-mère dimanche.
I'm going to my grandmother's on Sunday.
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How to pronounce grand-mère

Say it

grahn-MEHR

/ɡʁɑ̃.mɛʁ/

Grand-mère is grahn-MEHR. Nasal an in grand; mère like mehr with soft r. Hyphenated.

"Grandmother" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
la grand-mèrethe grandmother

Standard noun.

ma grand-mèremy grandmother

Family talk.

mamiegrandma

Affectionate everyday name.

les grands-parentsgrandparents

Both sides.

How to use grand-mère in real life

  1. 1Visit

    Je vais chez ma grand-mère dimanche.

    I'm going to my grandmother's on Sunday.

    Ma grand-mère.

  2. 2Story

    Ma grand-mère cuisine un excellent pot-au-feu.

    My grandmother cooks an excellent pot-au-feu.

    Everyday praise.

  3. 3Kids

    La grand-mère de Léo habite à Nice.

    Léo's grandmother lives in Nice.

    La grand-mère de…

Mistakes English speakers make with grand-mère

Incorrect: Le grand-mère.

Correct: La grand-mère.

Grand-mère is feminine.

Incorrect: Ma grandmother.

Correct: Ma grand-mère. / Mamie.

Use grand-mère or mamie.

Good to know

Many families rarely say grand-mère to her face — they use mamie. On forms and polite third-person talk, grand-mère stays standard.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Weekend visit

  1. ChatPal

    Ta grand-mère va bien ?

    Is your grandmother well?

  2. You

    Oui. Ma grand-mère marche encore tous les jours.

    Yes. My grandmother still walks every day.

  3. ChatPal

    Tu lui portes des fleurs ?

    Are you bringing her flowers?

  4. You

    Des lilas. Elle adore ça.

    Lilacs. She loves them.

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"Grandmother" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Grandmother" in French

How do you say grandmother in French?

La grand-mère.

What about grandma?

Mamie (or mémé in some families).

How do I say my grandmother?

Ma grand-mère.

How do you pronounce grand-mère?

Grahn-MEHR.

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  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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