bà ngoại
Definition
- Noun:
- Maternal grandmother: The mother of one's mother. This term specifically denotes the grandmother on the mother's side of the family.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Cuối tuần này tôi sẽ về quê thăm bà ngoại. (This weekend, I will return to my hometown to visit my maternal grandmother.)
- Bà ngoại tôi năm nay đã tám mươi tuổi. (My maternal grandmother is eighty years old this year.)
- Tôi rất thích nghe bà ngoại kể chuyện ngày xưa. (I really enjoy listening to my maternal grandmother tell stories about the old days.)
Advanced Usage
- "Bà ngoại đỡ đầu": Godmother (maternal). This is a specific cultural/religious term for a woman who acts as a sponsor at a child's baptism, often chosen from the mother's side.
- Bà ngoại đỡ đầu của tôi rất quan tâm đến việc học của tôi. (My godmother (maternal) is very concerned about my studies.)
Variants and Related Words
- Bà nội (Noun): Paternal grandmother. The mother of one's father.
- Ông ngoại (Noun): Maternal grandfather. The father of one's mother.
- Ngoại (Noun/Adjective): Can be used as a short, informal form for "bà ngoại" or "ông ngoại" in direct address or within the family. It also functions as an adjective meaning "maternal" or "external".
- Cháu chào ngoại ạ! (Hello, grandma (maternal)!)
- Họ ngoại (maternal relatives/clan).
Synonyms
- Bà (Noun): Grandmother (general term, can be ambiguous without context).
- Mẹ vợ (Noun): Mother-in-law (specifically, the mother of one's wife). This is a different relationship but shares the "maternal" connection from the wife's perspective.
Related Phrases
- Nhà ngoại (Noun Phrase): The maternal family's home or the family on the mother's side.
- Tết năm nay chúng tôi sẽ về nhà ngoại. (This Lunar New Year, we will go to my maternal grandmother's house / my mother's family home.)
Related Idioms
- (Có) bà ngoại lo / Để bà ngoại lo: An idiom meaning "to have someone else (often an authority figure or a kind person) take care of a problem or responsibility," implying one doesn't have to worry about it. It evokes the image of a doting grandmother handling things.
- Việc này khó lắm, nhưng cứ để bà ngoại lo. (This matter is very difficult, but just let it be handled [by someone else]. / Don't worry about it.)