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How to Say ‘Grandmother’ in Japanese

祖母

sobo

[soh-boh]

💬 Usage Tip: [祖母] is the humble word for “my grandmother.” For someone else’s grandmother, use [おばあさん].

🇯🇵 In Japan: Using humble family terms ([祖母], [母]) is a politeness habit in Japanese—especially important in formal settings like interviews.

Phrase Breakdown

祖母

sobo

[soh-boh]

grandmother

Your grandmother (usually your own). In interviews you may mention caring for 祖母/祖父 at home.

Example

祖母の介護を手伝いました。

I helped with my grandmother’s care.

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