Korean family vocabulary with pronunciation, usage and cultural context, including why Korean uses different words depending on who is speaking.
In English, "uncle" covers your mother's brother, your father's brother, and your parents' friends you were told to call uncle. In Korean, each of these has a different, specific word.
Quick answer: Korean family terms change with the side of the family and often with the speaker's gender. A woman calls her older brother 오빠 and older sister 언니; a man says 형 and 누나. Your father's sister is 고모, your mother's sister is 이모, your mother's brother is 외삼촌, and maternal grandparents take the prefix 외-.
Korean family terminology is one of the most intricate in the world — and one of the most revealing about Korean culture. The number of distinct terms reflects how seriously Korea takes family relationships and hierarchical positioning.
More interestingly: many Korean family terms depend on the speaker's gender, not just the relationship. A woman calls her older brother 오빠 (oppa). A man calls his older brother 형 (hyeong). Same relationship, different word.
| Relationship | Korean | Romanization | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Father | 아버지 | abeoji | formal |
| Father | 아빠 | appa | casual (like "dad") |
| Mother | 어머니 | eomeoni | formal |
| Mother | 엄마 | eomma | casual (like "mom") |
| Grandfather (pat.) | 할아버지 | harabeoji | father's father |
| Grandmother (pat.) | 할머니 | halmeoni | father's mother |
| Grandfather (mat.) | 외할아버지 | oeharabeoji | mother's father |
| Grandmother (mat.) | 외할머니 | oehalmeoni | mother's mother |
This is where it gets interesting.
If you are female:
| Relationship | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| Older brother | 오빠 | oppa |
| Older sister | 언니 | eonni |
| Younger sibling (any) | 동생 | dongsaeng |
If you are male:
| Relationship | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| Older brother | 형 | hyeong |
| Older sister | 누나 | nuna |
| Younger sibling (any) | 동생 | dongsaeng |
This is why 오빠 (oppa) has become globally famous through K-Pop — female fans calling male idols "oppa" implies a sibling-like closeness with an older male figure, which carries emotional warmth in Korean culture.
Korean distinguishes between relatives on the father's side and mother's side.
Father's side:
| Relationship | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| Father's older brother | 큰아버지 | keun-abeoji |
| Father's younger brother | 작은아버지 / 삼촌 | jageun-abeoji / samchon |
| Father's sister | 고모 | gomo |
| Father's brother's wife | 큰어머니 / 작은어머니 | keun-eomeoni / jageun-eomeoni |
Mother's side:
| Relationship | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| Mother's brother | 외삼촌 | oesamchon |
| Mother's sister | 이모 | imo |
| Mother's sister's husband | 이모부 | imobu |
| Relationship | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| Husband | 남편 | nampyeon |
| Wife | 아내 (your own wife) / 부인 (someone else's wife, polite) | anae / buin |
| Father-in-law (husband's father) | 시아버지 | si-abeoji |
| Mother-in-law (husband's mother) | 시어머니 | si-eomeoni |
| Father-in-law (wife's father) | 장인 | jangin |
| Mother-in-law (wife's mother) | 장모 | jangmo |
| Relationship | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| Son / daughter | 아들 / 딸 | adeul / ttal |
| Younger brother / younger sister | 남동생 / 여동생 | namdongsaeng / yeodongsaeng |
| Grandson / granddaughter | 손자 / 손녀 | sonja / sonnyeo |
| Cousin | 사촌 | sachon |
| Nephew or niece | 조카 | joka |
| Father's sister's husband | 고모부 | gomobu |
| Mother's brother's wife | 외숙모 | oesungmo |
| Older sister's husband (female speaker) | 형부 | hyeongbu |
| Older sister's husband (male speaker) | 매형 | maehyeong |
| Older brother's wife (female speaker) | 새언니 | saeeonni |
| Older brother's wife (male speaker) | 형수 | hyeongsu |
Two example sentences:
Korean family terms are not just used within families. They are widely used in everyday social life:
오빠 (oppa) — Women use this not just for older brothers but for older male friends, boyfriends, and as an affectionate term for any older man they are close to.
언니 (eonni) — Women use this for older female friends, mentors, or any older woman they feel close to.
형 (hyeong) — Men use this for older male friends, seniors, and mentor figures.
누나 (nuna) — Men use this for older female friends or women they admire.
아저씨 (ajeossi) — A middle-aged man. Technically accurate but can feel rude — Koreans joke that being called 아저씨 for the first time is a milestone of getting older.
아줌마 (ajumma) — A middle-aged woman. Similarly, this feels more like "ma'am" than a compliment.
One of the most distinctly Korean language features is using 우리 (uri = "our") where English uses "my":
This reflects the collectivist nature of Korean culture — possession is communal, not individual.
At Klovers, we teach family vocabulary alongside the culture that gives it meaning. Understanding 오빠 and 형 is not just vocabulary — it is understanding how Korean people see relationships and identity. You can practise these terms with a teacher in a free trial class.
Both mean "older brother". 오빠 (oppa) is used by women and 형 (hyeong) by men, for real brothers and for close older male friends.
이모 (imo) is your mother's sister. It is also used warmly for older women you are close to, such as a family friend or the owner of a favorite local restaurant.
Cousin is 사촌 (sachon). Cousins on the mother's side are often called 외사촌 (oesachon).
Korean usually uses 우리 ("our") for family, home and country, so 우리 엄마 is the natural way to say "my mom" even when you are an only child.