babička

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Old Czech babička. By surface analysis, babice +‎ -ka. Doublet of babočka.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbabɪt͡ʃka]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

babička f

1. grandmother

   Coordinate term: dědeček

2. old woman

   Synonym: stařena

Declension

Declension of babička (hard feminine reducible)

	singular	plural
nominative	babička	babičky
genitive	babičky	babiček
dative	babičce	babičkám
accusative	babičku	babičky
vocative	babičko	babičky
locative	babičce	babičkách
instrumental	babičkou	babičkami

Coordinate terms

Czech family terms

rodina (“family”)		Male	Female	Neutral
parent		otec (“father”) nursery: táta	matka (“mother”) nursery: máma	rodič (“parent”)
grandparent	paternal	dědeček (“paternal grandfather”) nursery: děda	babička (“paternal grandmother”) nursery: bába	prarodič (“grandparent”)
	maternal1	stařeček (“maternal grandfather”)	stařenka (“maternal grandmother”)
sibling		bratr (“brother”)	sestra (“sister”)	sourozenec (“sibling”)
cousin		bratranec (“male cousin”)	sestřenice (“female cousin”)	–
second cousin		vlastník, bratránek (“male second cousin”)	vlastnice, sestřenka (“female second cousin”)	–
child		syn (“son”)	dcera (“daughter”)	dítě (“child”)
grandchild		vnuk (“grandson”)	vnučka (“granddaughter”)	vnouče (“grandchild”)
parent's sibling	paternal	strýc (“paternal uncle”)	strýna (“paternal aunt”)2	–
	maternal	ujec (“maternal uncle”)2	teta (“maternal aunt”)	–
sibling's child		synovec (“nephew”)	neteř (“niece”)	–
spouse		manžel (“husband”)	manželka (“wife”)	choť (“spouse”)
spouse's parent		tchán (“father-in-law”)	tchyně (“mother-in-law”)	–
child's spouse		zeť (“son-in-law”)	snacha (“daughter-in-law”)	–
child's spouse's parent		svat (“co-father-in-law”)	svatka (“co-mother-in-law”)	–
sibling's spouse		švagr (“sibilar brother-in-law”)	švagrová (“sibilar ister-in-law”)	–
spouse's sibling3	marital	deveř (“marital brother-in-law”)	zelva (“marital sister-in-law”)	–
	uxorial	šír (“uxorial brother-in-law”)	svěst (“uxorial sister-in-law”)	–
stepparent		otčím (“stepfather”)	macecha (“stepmother”)	–
stepchild		pastorek (“stepson”)	pastorkyně (“stepdaughter”)	–
more distant: pra- (“grand- / once removed”) through a more distant ancestor: z druhého kolena (“second”) only through one parent: poloviční (“half-”) not blood relative: nevlastní (“step-”)

¹ Literary (the usual terms today are dědeček and babička).
² Literary (the usual terms today are strýc and teta).
³ Obsolete (replaced by švagr and švagrová).

Further reading

• “babička”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “babička”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “babička”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /babit͡ʃka/, [ˈbabit͡ʃka]
• Rhymes: -it͡ʃka
• Hyphenation: ba‧bič‧ka

Noun

babička f

1. grandmother

   Synonyms: starká, babka

2. old woman

   Synonyms: starenka, babka

Declension

Declension of babička
(pattern žena)

	singular	plural
nominative	babička	babičky
genitive	babičky	babičiek
dative	babičke	babičkám
accusative	babičku	babičky
locative	babičke	babičkách
instrumental	babičkou	babičkami

Further reading

• “babička”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2026