Portuguese words for kids · Family
How to say “grandma” in Portuguese
For many families, grandma is the reason to learn the language in the first place. A greeting in her language means a lot.
Grandma in Portuguese (Portugal)
a avó
Sounds like ≈ uh uh-VAW
Good to know: Avó (open ó, like "aw") is grandma; avô (closed ô, like "oh") is grandpa. Only the vowel sound tells them apart.
Hear it in a song
Real lines from our Portuguese songs, with the English meaning shown in the app:
A minha avó!
My grandma!
from As Vogais (The Vowel Song)
Avó!
Grandma!
from Avó e Avô (Grandma and Grandpa)
2 songs that teach it
“Grandma” is one of the key words in these songs. Every line is shown in Portuguese with its English meaning.
Practice ideas for parents
- 1On the next call, have your child greet grandma as avó.
- 2Make a drawing for grandma and write avó on it together.
- 3Sing the grandparents song before visiting so the words are fresh.
Related Portuguese words
“Grandma” in other languages
Sing it in Portuguese, free
The first unit, 6 greeting songs with lyrics and English translation, is free forever. No card needed. Premium unlocks all 134 songs.
About the pronunciation: the “sounds like” spellings are rough English approximations for parents (capital letters show the stressed syllable). Portuguesehas sounds English doesn't, so treat them as a starting point and let the songs be the model. Songs are original and produced with AI music tools. Ideas for using Portuguese songs with your family.