grand-tante

great-aunt

noun grahn-TAHNT Rare

Origin: compound of grand (great) + tante (aunt)

Usage Note

Grand-tante is the standard term for a great-aunt — the sister of a grandparent. The plural is grand-tantes (the grand element does not take a plural -s in this compound). The masculine counterpart is grand-oncle. In informal speech, many French speakers simply say ma vieille tante or use the first name, reserving grand-tante for introductions and genealogical contexts.

Examples

"Ma grand-tante fête ses quatre-vingt-dix ans ce soir."

Natural Translation

My great-aunt is celebrating her ninetieth birthday tonight.

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