Hello there Korean learners! 💕
Following the recent post about How to say Dad in Korean, I’m now writing about How to say Mom in Korean. We will then check other terms related to the family in future posts. So if you want to see more of this series in the future, you can just either search “how to say”, or check the tags in the sidebar.
Now on to the topic of today! Let’s learn how to say mom in Korean. 🙂
Table of Contents
The Ways to Say Mom in Korean
In Korean, you can say the word “mom”, or “mother”, in 3 different ways, just like for dad. You will learn to talk properly about your mom, to your mom, or about and to other people’s mothers.
So it’s quite an important term to know and learn. But even more important: you have to know how to use it properly. Let’s see that together.
어머니 : The Standard Way To Say Mother in Korean
The standard way to say mother in Korean is 어머니 (eomeoni).
It is a common way to call your mom or talk about your own mom. This word is the closest to the English word “mother”. It will be used commonly when you’re talking about your mother in a formal setting, or when you’re talking about someone else’s parents.
USAGE :
In more formal settings, when talking to your parents
When talking to/about someone’s parents
어머님 : The Formal Way To Say Mother in Korean
In Korean, the formal way to say mother is 어머님 (eomeonim).
It is the most respectful way to address one’s father and would be used in very formal settings.
Just like we saw in the article related to how to say dad in Korean, let’s talk a bit about in-laws. If you have Korean in-laws, 어머님 will be the word to refer to her, or call her. But, as we will see a bit further in the article, it depends on the people.
In any case, you can never go wrong with calling one’s mother 어머님, as it is the most respectful way to address them.
USAGE :
For your in laws, until they tell you otherwise
For your friends’ parents, until they tell you otherwise
엄마 : The Casual Way To Say Mom in Korean
And lastly, the casual way to say father in Korean is 엄마 (eomma). In K-Dramas and movies, you can often hear this word said by children to their mom.
In informal settings or when speaking affectionately to one’s own father, Koreans commonly use the term “엄마.” This term carries a warm and intimate connotation, much like the English word “mom”.
When speaking directly to your own mother, using the term “엄마” is the most common and affectionate way to address her.
USAGE :
When you talk to your mom,
When you talk about your mom to someone close,
When you talk with children
Referring to Your Mom in Korean
If you want to refer to your mom in Korean, you will use 엄마 (eomma) or 어머니 (eomeoni), with the pronoun 우리 (uri).
If you want to refer to your mother-in-law, it will highly depend on your relationship with him as well as his wishes. My mother-in-law asked me to call her 엄마, rather than 어머니, which she dislikes. So I would suggest you check in with the person you’re calling (or with your partner).
It always depends on the person’s wishes. The same goes for the usage of 반말 (casual language) with friends. You never know what the person feels comfortable with before asking.
Referring to Someone’s Mom in Korean
When referring to someone else’s mother in Korean, it’s essential to use the appropriate level of formality and respect. Remember that it is always better to be too polite than the opposite.
In this sense, I would suggest you start with “어머니” (eomoni). And as we saw, adding the honorific suffix “-님” to “어머니” further emphasizes respect when addressing someone’s mother, so you can also use it.
You can never go wrong with being too polite, even if it might feel awkward sometimes. The person will let you know if you should address them in another way.
How to Say My Mom in Korean
As you might have noticed, saying “my” in Korean is a bit special.
As we saw in the article about how to say father in Korean, Koreans refer to “my dad” as “our dad”. 우리 is used when you talk about a group that you feel very attached to. In this case: the family. So of course, the same goes for “mother”!
You wouldn’t use 내 엄마. You’ll use 우리 엄마.
Wrap up
There you go! I hope you’ll feel more confident and comfortable the next time you need to address your mom, or someone else’s 🙂
Until next time, happy learning!
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