Tiếng Việt · Word Attested

bà

[ʔɓaː˨˩]

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(noun) a grandmother

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

bà ngoại

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used Toàn quốc & hải ngoại · Vietnam-wide & diaspora

Examples

Bà tôi vẫn khỏe và minh mẫn.My grandmother is still healthy and sharp-minded.

Editorial example (contributed-collins-enriched)

Sources & notes

Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗ Local usage: Bà can also mean an older woman or certain female relatives, depending on context. [contributed-collins-enriched]

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(noun) an old woman; an old lady

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

phụ nữ già

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(noun) a lady, old or young

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

người phụ nữ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Examples

Hai Bà Trưngthe Two Ladies Trưng

Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

(pronoun) you, my grandmother

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

bà của tôi

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Common questions

What does “bà” mean?

(noun) a grandmother

Is “bà” formal or informal?

bà is generally informal.