barnbarn

Barnbarn is a Swedish noun meaning grandchild. It is a closed compound formed from barn, meaning child, and barn, used here to denote generation difference; together they literally describe “a child of a child.” In everyday Swedish, barnbarn refers to a grandchild and can be used for one or more children of one’s son or daughter.

Usage and grammar: The term is standard in Swedish and appears in both spoken and written language, including family contexts and media. For a single grandchild one would say mitt barnbarn, and for multiple grandchildren mina barnbarn. Like other Swedish compound nouns, barnbarn follows normal Swedish pluralization and definite forms within sentences.

Geographic and linguistic context: Barnbarn is primarily used in Sweden and among Swedish-speaking communities in Finland. It is understood by Swedish speakers elsewhere, but cognate terms exist in related languages with different spellings.

Cross-linguistic notes: The cognate term in Norwegian and Danish is barnebarn (often spelled with an e in Norwegian). In Norwegian Bokmål and Danish, barnebarn denotes the same concept of a grandchild, though pronunciation and minor usage may vary by language and region.

See also: barnebarn (Norwegian), barnebarn (Danish).