An Indian kinship term meaning maternal grandfather — your mother's father. The '-ji' suffix is an honorific in Hindi and several other South Asian languages, conveying respect. 'Nana' alone is the base term for maternal grandfather, while 'nanaji' adds the respectful suffix appropriate for elders. The term is widely used across North India and the Indian diaspora, particularly in Hindi-speaking contexts, and carries a warm, affectionate tone.
Every summer we took the train to Lucknow to spend a month with nanaji, who would tell us stories about partition.
"nanaji" means an indian kinship term meaning maternal grandfather — your mother's father. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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(India) mother's father; maternal grandfather.
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