外婆 wàipó mother's mother
(colloquial) mother's mother; maternal grandmother
How to remember 外婆: 外 outside + 婆 old woman = mother's mother.
Characters
How it is used
- 外婆 (wàipó) is the colloquial term for one's mother's mother - maternal grandmother.
- Paired with 外公 (maternal grandfather); the paternal-side equivalent is 奶奶 (nǎinai, paternal grandmother).
- Regional variant: 姥姥 (lǎolao) is the common northern Mandarin/Beijing term for the same relative.
- Well known from the children's song and phrase "澎湖湾" and other pop culture references - 外婆 carries a warm, homey connotation in Chinese culture.