祖母 zǔmǔ father's mother
father's mother; paternal grandmother
How to remember 祖母: 祖 ancestor + 母 mother = father's mother.
Characters
How it is used
- Paternal grandmother (father's mother) - 我祖母今年九十岁 (wǒ zǔmǔ jīnnián jiǔshí suì) my grandmother is ninety this year.
- A formal/written term; spoken northern Chinese uses 奶奶 (nǎinai). Specifically the father's side - the mother's mother is 外祖母/姥姥.
Example sentences
- 我祖母很老了。 Wǒ zǔmǔ hěn lǎo le.My grandmother is very old.
- 祖母非常喜欢看电视。 Zǔmǔ fēicháng xǐhuān kàndiànshì.Grandma likes watching TV.
- 我的姐姐就像我的祖母。 Wǒ de jiějiě jiù xiàng wǒ de zǔmǔ.My sister resembles my grandmother.