Korean Family Terms - How to Address Family, Relatives & Friends

January 6, 2026

Attachments

Korean_Family_Members.pdf

OTHER224 KB

Korean family words can feel overwhelming at first.

In English, we mostly say “aunt,” “uncle,” or “in-law.” In Korean, the word changes depending on who the person is, which side of the family they belong to, and your relationship to them.

That sounds scary. It’s not.

This guide explains Korean family vocabulary in a clear, logical way. It’s written for complete beginners and young learners, and you don’t need to memorize everything at once.

Immediate Family

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#

Korean

English

Romanization

1

가족

Family

gajok

2

아버지

Father

abeoji

3

아빠

Dad

appa

4

어머니

Mother

eomeoni

5

엄마

Mom

eomma

6

부모님

Parents

bumonim

7

아들

Son

adeul

8

Daughter

ttal

9

아이

Child / Children

ai

Grandparents & Grandchildren

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#

Korean

English

Romanization

1

조부모님

Grandparents

jobumonim

2

할아버지

Grandfather

harabeoji

3

할머니

Grandmother

halmeoni

4

손주

Grandchildren

sonju

5

손자

Grandson

sonja

6

손녀

Granddaughter

sonnyeo

Brothers & Sisters

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#

Korean

English

Romanization

1

Older brother (boy speaking)

hyeong

2

오빠

Older brother (girl speaking)

oppa

3

누나

Older sister (boy speaking)

nuna

4

언니

Older sister (girl speaking)

eonni

5

동생

Younger sibling

dongsaeng

6

남동생

Younger brother

namdongsaeng

7

여동생

Younger sister

yeodongsaeng

8

형제

Brothers

hyeongje

9

자매

Sisters

jamae

Father’s Side of the Family (친가)

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#

Korean

English

Romanization

1

친가

Father’s side

chinga

2

친할아버지

Paternal grandfather

chinhalabeoji

3

친할머니

Paternal grandmother

chinhalmeoni

4

큰아빠 / 백부

Father’s older brother

keunappa / baekbu

5

큰엄마 / 백모

Father’s older brother’s wife

keuneomma / baengmo

6

작은아빠 / 숙부

Father’s younger brother

jageunappa / sukbu

7

작은엄마

Father’s younger brother’s wife

jageuneomma

8

삼촌

Father’s unmarried brother

samchon

9

고모

Father’s sister

gomo

10

고모부

Father’s sister’s husband

gomobu

Mother’s Side of the Family (외가)

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#

Korean

English

Romanization

1

외가

Mother’s side

oega

2

외할아버지

Maternal grandfather

oehalabeoji

3

외할머니

Maternal grandmother

oehalmeoni

4

외숙부

Mother’s brother

oesukbu

5

외숙모

Mother’s brother’s wife

oesungmo

6

이모

Mother’s sister

imo

7

이모부

Mother’s sister’s husband

imobu

Marriage & In-Laws

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#

Korean

English

Romanization

1

남편

Husband

nampyeon

2

부인

Wife

buin

3

아내

Wife (neutral)

anae

4

사돈

In-laws

sadon

5

친정

Married woman’s family

chinjeong

6

시집

Husband’s family

sijip

Parents-in-Law

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#

Korean

English

Romanization

1

시아버지 / 아버님

Father-in-law (husband’s side)

siabeoji / abeonim

2

시어머니 / 어머님

Mother-in-law (husband’s side)

sieomeoni / eomeonim

3

장인

Father-in-law (wife’s side)

jangin

4

장모님

Mother-in-law (wife’s side)

jangmonim

Brothers-in-Law

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Korean

English

Romanization

1

아주버님 / 형님

Brother-in-law (husband’s side, older brother)

ajubeonim / hyeongnim

2

시동생

Brother-in-law (husband’s side, younger brother)

sidongsaeng

3

서방님

Brother-in-law (husband’s side, younger, married, addressed directly)

seobangnim

4

도련님

Brother-in-law (husband’s side, younger, unmarried, addressed directly)

doreyonnim

5

형님

Brother-in-law (wife’s side, older brother)

hyeongnim

6

처남

Brother-in-law (wife’s side, younger brother)

cheonam

Sisters-in-Law

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#

Korean

English

Romanization

1

형님 / 언니

Sister-in-law (husband’s side, older sister)

hyeongnim / eonni

2

동서 / 아가씨

Sister-in-law (husband’s side, younger sister)

dongseo / agassi

3

처형 / 형님

Sister-in-law (wife’s side, older sister)

cheohyeong / hyeongnim

4

처제

Sister-in-law (wife’s side, younger sister)

cheoje

Spouses of In-Laws

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#

Korean

English

Romanization

1

형님

Husband’s older brother’s wife

hyeongnim

2

동서

Husband’s younger brother’s wife

dongseo

3

아주머님

Wife’s older brother’s wife

ajumeonim

4

처남댁

Wife’s younger brother’s wife

cheonamdaek

5

서방님

Husband’s older sister’s husband

seobangnim

6

서방님

Husband’s younger sister’s husband

seobangnim

7

형님

Wife’s older sister’s husband

hyeongnim

8

동서

Wife’s younger sister’s husband

dongseo

Siblings’ Spouses

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Korean

English

Romanization

1

형수님

Older brother’s wife (for men)

hyeongsunim

2

매형

Older sister’s husband (for men)

maehyeong

3

제수

Younger brother’s wife (for men)

jesu

4

매제

Younger sister’s husband (for men)

maeje

5

새언니

Older brother’s wife (for women)

saeeonni

6

형부

Older sister’s husband (for women)

hyeongbu

7

올케

Younger brother’s wife (for women)

olke

8

제부

Younger sister’s husband (for women)

jebu

Referring to Spouse (When Talking to Others)

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Korean

English

Romanization

1

주인 / 바깥양반 / 주인양반

Husband (when talking about him with other people)

juin / bakkatyangban / juinyangban

2

애비

Husband (when talking about him with adults with children)

aebi

3

아내

Wife (when talking about her to non-relatives)

anae

4

안사람

Wife (when talking about her with other people)

ansaram

5

에미

Wife (when talking about her with adults with children)

emi

Other Useful Family Words

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Korean

English

Romanization

1

친척

Relatives

chincheok

2

사촌

Cousin

sachon

3

삼촌

Uncle

samchon

4

숙모

Aunt

sungmo

5

조카

Nephew

joka

6

조카딸

Niece

jokattal

Final Thoughts

Korean family vocabulary reflects how important relationships are in Korean culture.

You don’t need to learn everything at once. Start with immediate family and siblings, then slowly expand.

Understanding the structure is more important than memorization.

Take your time. Stay consistent. You’ve got this.

화이팅!

Attachments

Korean_Family_Members.pdf

OTHER224 KB

Have any questions about this topic? Ask away!

Anna 쌤 - Korean Language Instructor at TopKoreanAcademy

Anna 쌤

Korean Language Instructor at TopKoreanAcademy

  • 14+ years of experience teaching Korean to learners of all levels
  • Achieved TOPIK Level 6 and develops practical study materials and TOPIK preparation courses based on the latest exam patterns
  • BA in Pedagogy, plus a 1-year Korean language program at Sogang University
  • MA from Yonsei University
  • Specializes in clear, practical explanations for beginner, intermediate, and advanced students
  • Expert in TOPIK test preparation, helping learners improve with simple, step-by-step guidance
  • Passionate about building real confidence and useful, real-world skills

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