nǎi nai
grandmother [father's mother]
我爱我的奶奶。
wǒ ài wǒ de nǎinai.
I love my grandmother.
奶奶给我讲故事。
nǎinai gěi wǒ jiǎng gùshi.
Grandmother tells me stories.
奶奶做饭很好吃。
nǎinai zuò fàn hěn hǎo chī.
Grandmother's cooking is delicious.
外婆 (wàipó)
maternal grandmother
姥姥 (lǎolao)
maternal grandmother
奶奶 (nǎinai)
paternal grandmother
孙女 (sūn nǚ)
granddaughter
外婆 (wài pó)
maternal grandmother
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The Chinese word 奶奶 (nǎinai) for "grandmother" is composed of two characters: 奶 (nǎi) and 奶 (nǎi). The character 奶 (nǎi) originally meant "mother" or "wet nurse" and was often used as a term of endearment for women. The character 奶 (nǎi) is a reduplication of 奶 (nǎi), which emphasizes the meaning of "mother" or "grandmother". Together, the two characters 奶奶 (nǎinai) form a compound word that specifically refers to "grandmother". It is worth noting that the term 奶奶 (nǎinai) is commonly used in Mandarin Chinese, while other regions of China may have different terms for "grandmother".
