ENGLISH
REFERENCE

nan

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈnæn// UK //nˈæn// nan Archaic Slang

n. a casual and warm name for your grandmother. It is very common in British English and often used when speaking directly to her.

n. an informal term of address or reference for a grandmother. Common in British, Australian, and New Zealand English; often used as a hypocorism within the family unit.


SIMPLE

I am going to visit my nan this weekend.

CONTEXTUAL

After she retired, my nan spent most of her afternoons gardening and teaching us how to bake traditional pies.

Synonyms
Origin

From Thai น่าน (nâan).

Usage

Often capitalized when used as a proper name for a specific person ('Hi, Nan').

© 2026 English Reference