<p>Unlike brothers; sisters (兄弟; 姐妹), Chinese don't have a collective word for 祖父母 (grandparents from father's side) and 外祖父母 (grandparents from mother's side)</p>
<p>If you had to write grandparents and didn't know if there are maternal or paternal grandparents, you can write  父母的父母 (the parents of one's parents), which encompasses one's all four grandparents</p>
<p>We do have a collective word 祖輩 for 'ancestors' and great grandparents are included in this term so you don't have to write 父母的父母的父母 for it</p>
<p><strong>Edit:</strong></p>
<p>祖父輩 (Grandfather's generation) encompasses the whole generation, which includes grandparents and granduncles</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T10:24:53.033Z
2020-12-30T10:44:02.067Z
2020-12-30T10:44:02.067Z
Tang Ho
<p>There is no formal word that encompasses grandparents from either side or together, but no one will complain if you use 祖父母 to refer to both sides. If anyone does complain, then tell them that you feel that it's sexism to differentiate paternal and maternal relatives or any other reason you can think of.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T09:57:11.997Z
Quote:- "...no one will complain if you use 祖父母 to refer to both sides" Since 祖 is translated into English as "ancestral", and since your grandparents from both sides are collectively your "ancestors", technically they are all your 祖父母?
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-31T03:49:03.307Z
I think 祖 means paternal,  not ancestral.
Redwood
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-31T10:53:46.453Z
You may think 祖 means paternal and 外祖 means maternal, but it is not the case. 祖 means ancestral and 外 means external. Historically women are regarded to be "transferred" to the husband's family and no longer relates to her original family, therefore the 外 to imply that maternal relatives are unimportant and have no connections other than blood ties - definitely not applicable to modern society.
Agrit
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T08:23:32.410Z
2020-12-30T08:23:32.410Z
Agrit
<p>If you want to be clear in referring to both your mother and father's parents, instead of 祖父母 (which presumably refers to your father's parents) you might say 外內祖父母.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-05T15:09:55.530Z
2021-01-05T15:09:55.530Z
kwaalaateimaa
<p>I know there is 祖父母, but that's only paternal grandparents. Is there a word that the encompasses grandparents from either side or together?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T04:15:39.047Z
祖父母 (father's side), 外祖父母 (mother's side) and we don't mix them together like brothers and sisters (兄弟; 姐妹)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T05:31:46.997Z
so if i had to write grandparents, but i didn't know if there are the maternal or paternal grandparents, which one do I choose?
Redwood
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T05:36:43.663Z
try 你父母的父母 (the parents of your parents)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T09:08:08.257Z
Isn't this just a dupe of https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/34837/4136? 祖父母 can also be a collective group, like mentioned in the other Q.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T09:45:40.510Z
"try 你父母的父母" -- :)  So, great grandparents become 你父母的父母的父母? How about great, great grandparents? :)
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T10:11:52.370Z
the collective word for them is 祖輩
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-30T15:46:33.157Z
I feel like it should be (父+母)², and for great grandparents (父+母)³, and so on.
Becky 李蓓
<word>
Is there a word for grandparents(collectively)?
# Is there a word for grandparents(collectively)?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-12-30)

I know there is 祖父母, but that's only paternal grandparents. Is there a word that the encompasses grandparents from either side or together?

**Tags:** word

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 祖父母 (father's side), 外祖父母 (mother's side) and we don't mix them together like brothers and sisters (兄弟; 姐妹)  
> **username_0**: so if i had to write grandparents, but i didn't know if there are the maternal or paternal grandparents, which one do I choose?  
> **username_1**: try 你父母的父母 (the parents of your parents)  
> **username_2**: Isn't this just a dupe of https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/34837/4136? 祖父母 can also be a collective group, like mentioned in the other Q.  
> **username_3**: "try 你父母的父母" -- :)  So, great grandparents become 你父母的父母的父母? How about great, great grandparents? :)  
> **username_1**: the collective word for them is 祖輩  
> **username_4**: I feel like it should be (父+母)², and for great grandparents (父+母)³, and so on.  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-12-30. Score: 2

Unlike brothers; sisters (兄弟; 姐妹), Chinese don't have a collective word for 祖父母 (grandparents from father's side) and 外祖父母 (grandparents from mother's side)

If you had to write grandparents and didn't know if there are maternal or paternal grandparents, you can write 父母的父母 (the parents of one's parents), which encompasses one's all four grandparents

We do have a collective word 祖輩 for 'ancestors' and great grandparents are included in this term so you don't have to write 父母的父母的父母 for it

**Edit:**

祖父輩 (Grandfather's generation) encompasses the whole generation, which includes grandparents and granduncles


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### Answer by username_5 on 2020-12-30. Score: 1

There is no formal word that encompasses grandparents from either side or together, but no one will complain if you use 祖父母 to refer to both sides. If anyone does complain, then tell them that you feel that it's sexism to differentiate paternal and maternal relatives or any other reason you can think of.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Quote:- "...no one will complain if you use 祖父母 to refer to both sides" Since 祖 is translated into English as "ancestral", and since your grandparents from both sides are collectively your "ancestors", technically they are all your 祖父母?  
> **username_0**: I think 祖 means paternal,  not ancestral.  
> **username_5**: You may think 祖 means paternal and 外祖 means maternal, but it is not the case. 祖 means ancestral and 外 means external. Historically women are regarded to be "transferred" to the husband's family and no longer relates to her original family, therefore the 外 to imply that maternal relatives are unimportant and have no connections other than blood ties - definitely not applicable to modern society.  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2021-01-05. Score: 1

If you want to be clear in referring to both your mother and father's parents, instead of 祖父母 (which presumably refers to your father's parents) you might say 外內祖父母.


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