お祖父さん

• Reading: おじいさん
• Romaji: ojiisan
• Kanji breakdown: 祖 (so) — ancestor; 父 (fu/chichi) — father; お〜さん — honorific address form
• Pronunciation: /o.dʑiː.saɴ/

Meaning

Grandfather; grandpa. The polite or familiar term of address for a grandfather.

The honorific form used when addressing your own grandfather directly or referring to someone else's grandfather. Often written in hiragana as おじいさん. Can also be used to address an elderly man you don't know. Contrasts with 祖父, the humble form.

Examples

1. おじいさん、この写真はいつのですか。 Grandpa, when was this photo taken?
2. 友達のおじいさんは九十歳です。 My friend's grandfather is ninety years old.
3. おじいさんと一緒に魚釣りに行きます。 I'm going fishing with my grandpa.

Usage Guide

Context: home life, talking about others' grandfathers, direct address

Tone: warm

Origin & History

Formed by adding the honorific prefix お to 祖父さん (jiisan). The long vowel じい distinguishes it from おじさん (uncle), which has a short vowel.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo period

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal