20 Gujarati Phrases for Talking With Grandparents (With Script, Pronunciation and a Five-Line Call)
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The reason most diaspora families want their children to speak Gujarati is one specific conversation: the one with grandparents. These are the phrases that carry that conversation — greetings, questions, answers and the small courtesies that make ba and dada light up. Each is given in Gujarati script, a plain English transliteration, and the meaning, with notes on when to use it.
Greetings and goodbyes
કેમ છો? (kem cho?) — How are you? The universal opener. The polite plural form, right for anyone older.
મજામાં. (majama) — I'm well. The standard reply. "Majama chu" is fuller; "majama" alone is what people actually say.
જય શ્રી કૃષ્ણ (jai shri krishna) — A greeting used in many Gujarati families in place of hello, especially with elders. If your family uses it, it is the first thing to teach.
આવજો (aavjo) — Goodbye, literally "come again". Said by both the person leaving and the one staying.
શુભ રાત્રિ (shubh raatri) — Good night. Less common in speech than "aavjo", but a nice bedtime-call closer.
Asking and answering
તમે શું કરો છો? (tame shu karo cho?) — What are you doing? "Tame" is the respectful "you".
તમે જમ્યા? (tame jamya?) — Have you eaten? In Gujarati families this is a greeting in its own right, and grandparents ask it constantly. Teach the child to ask it back.
હા, જમ્યો / જમી. (haa, jamyo / jami) — Yes, I've eaten. Boys say "jamyo", girls "jami".
આજે શું ખાધું? (aaje shu khadhu?) — What did you eat today? The follow-up that keeps the call going.
મેં ... ખાધું. (me ... khadhu) — I ate ... Fill the gap: rotli, daal, bhaat, shaak, khichdi, pizza.
તમારી તબિયત કેમ છે? (tamari tabiyat kem che?) — How is your health? Older relatives appreciate being asked.
સારી છે. (saari che) — It's good.
Small courtesies
આભાર (aabhaar) — Thank you. Formal; everyday Gujarati often just uses "thank you", but elders like hearing "aabhaar".
માફ કરજો (maaf karjo) — Sorry / excuse me.
હા / ના (haa / naa) — Yes / no.
મને ... જોઈએ છે. (mane ... joie che) — I want / need ... Useful with "paani" (water), "khaavanu" (food), "madad" (help).
મને ... ગમે છે. (mane ... game che) — I like ... A phrase that lets a child talk about anything: school, cricket, a colour, a food.
Family words
બા (ba) — grandmother, often specifically paternal; દાદા (dada) — paternal grandfather; નાના / નાની (nana / nani) — maternal grandfather / grandmother; કાકા / કાકી (kaka / kaki) — father's younger brother and his wife; મામા / મામી (mama / mami) — mother's brother and his wife; માસી (masi) — mother's sister; ફોઈ (foi) — father's sister. Families vary; use the words your family uses.
Putting it together: a five-line call
- Child: Jai shri krishna, ba. Kem cho?
- Ba: Majama, beta. Tame kem cho?
- Child: Majama. Tame jamya?
- Ba: Haa. Aaje shu khadhu?
- Child: Me rotli ane shaak khadhu. Aavjo, ba!
Practise it twice before the call. After a few weeks the child will ad-lib past the script, which is the whole point.
Notes on politeness
Gujarati has a respectful plural ("tame", "cho") and a familiar singular ("tu", "che"). Children use the respectful form with all elders; grandparents use the familiar form back, and often add "beta" (child) or the child's name with "-bhai" or "-ben". Do not worry if a child mixes them up early — grandparents forgive everything in a grandchild who is trying.
The adult course and flashcards in our Gujarati collection include audio for every phrase above, which matters: the aspirated consonants and the difference between "che" and "cho" are much easier heard than read.