zǔ mǔ
grandmother
我祖母今年八十岁了。
wǒ zǔmǔ jīnnián bāshí suì le.
My grandmother is eighty years old this year.
我祖母很慈祥，她总是给我讲故事。
wǒ zǔmǔ hěn cíxiáng, tā zǒngshì gěi wǒ jiǎng gùshi.
My grandmother is very kind, she always tells me stories.
我祖母很勤劳，她每天都早起晚睡。
wǒ zǔmǔ hěn qínláo, tā měitiān dōu zǎo qǐ wǎn shuì.
My grandmother is very hardworking, she gets up early and goes to bed late every day.
奶奶 (nǎinai)
grandmother
外婆 (wàipó)
maternal grandmother
孙女 (sūn nǚ)
granddaughter
孙子 (sūn zi)
grandson
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The Chinese word 祖母 (zǔmǔ) for "grandmother" is composed of two characters: 祖 (zǔ), meaning "ancestor" or "grandfather", and 母 (mǔ), meaning "mother". The character 祖 is a pictograph depicting a person with a long beard, representing an elder or ancestor. The character 母 is a combination of two pictographs: 女 (nǚ), meaning "woman", and 子 (zǐ), meaning "child". Together, these characters form the word 祖母, which literally means "ancestor's mother" or "grandfather's mother". This term is used to refer to one's paternal grandmother, while the term 外祖母 (wàizǔmǔ) is used to refer to one's maternal grandmother.
