Japanese
Korean
Family and titles
❃ Family and titles
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형제자매가 어떻게 되세요?
[ Hyeongjejamaega eotteoke doeseyo? ] -
How many siblings do you have?
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저는 외동딸이에요.
[ Jeoneun oedongttarieyo. ] -
I am an only daughter.
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저희 가족은 네 명이에요.
[ Jeohui gajogeun ne myeongieyo. ] -
There are four people in my family.
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부모님은 고향에 계세요.
[ Bumonimeun gohyange gyeseyo. ] -
My parents are in my hometown.
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오빠 한 명, 여동생 한 명이 있어요.
[ Oppa han myeong, yeodongsaeng han myeongi isseoyo. ] -
I have one older brother and one younger sister (female speaker).
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언니, 오늘 뭐 해요?
[ Eonni, oneul mwo haeyo? ] -
Unni, what are you doing today? (Female to older female)
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형, 같이 밥 먹어요.
[ Hyeong, gachi bap meogeoyo. ] -
Hyung, let's eat together. (Male to older male)
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누나, 제가 도와줄게요.
[ Nuna, jega dowajulgeyo. ] -
Nuna, I will help you. (Male to older female)
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할아버지, 할머니, 건강하세요.
[ Harabeoji, halmeoni, geonganghaseyo. ] -
Grandpa, Grandma, please stay healthy.
-
조카가 너무 귀여워요.
[ Jokaga neomu gwiyeowoyo. ] -
My nephew/niece is so cute.
-
선배님, 조언 부탁드립니다.
[ Seonbaenim, joeon butakdeurimnida. ] -
Sunbae, please give me some advice.
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후배들이 아주 잘하네요.
[ Hubaedeuri aju jalhaneyo. ] -
The juniors are doing a great job.
-
아저씨, 이거 얼마예요?
[ Ajeossi, igeo eolmayeyo? ] -
Excuse me, sir, how much is this?
-
아주머니, 반찬 좀 더 주세요.
[ Ajumeoni, banchan jom deo juseyo. ] -
Ma'am, please give us more side dishes.
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가족과 떨어져 살아서 외로워요.
[ Gajokgwa tteoreojyeo saraseo oerowoyo. ] -
I live away from my family, so I feel lonely.
Understanding the mechanics of Korean relationships requires entirely abandoning Western egalitarian social norms. In South Korea, society is strictly structured like a massive extended family, governed by age and gender dynamics. You rarely call someone by their first name unless they are your exact same age (동갑 - Donggap) and you are very close friends. Instead, you must use specific family titles, even with people you are not biologically related to. If you are a female, you call an older male friend 오빠 (Oppa) and an older female friend 언니 (Unni). If you are a male, you call an older male friend 형 (Hyung) and an older female friend 누나 (Nuna). These terms show respect while creating a warm, familial bond. Calling an older person by their given name without these titles is considered incredibly disrespectful. For strangers whose age you don't know, especially middle-aged service workers or market vendors, you use 아주머니 (Ajumeoni / Auntie) for women and 아저씨 (Ahjussi / Uncle) for men. However, be careful not to call a young woman "Ajumeoni," as it implies she is older and married, which can be offensive! Another profound linguistic concept that reflects Korea's collective society is the use of "Uri" (우리), meaning "Our." In English, you say "My house," "My mom," or "My country." In Korea, individualism takes a back seat. You must say 우리 집 (Uri jip - "Our house"), 우리 엄마 (Uri eomma - "Our mom"), and 우리 나라 (Uri nara - "Our country"), even if you are an only child! This linguistic habit emphasizes that every individual is first and foremost part of a collective whole, highlighting the deep-rooted spirit of togetherness (Jeong) in Korean culture.
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