The Korean words for relatives can be divided into two types: those for which some of the words differ according to the sex of the person related (that is, whether you are speaking, for example, about a man’s brother or a woman’s brother), and those for which the words are the same regardless of the sex of the person related. You will have noticed also that Koreans cannot speak of their brothers and sisters (or cousins, who are regarded as extended siblings) without specifying whether that person is older or younger than the person related.
The words for grandfather (할아버지) and grandmother (할머니) are also used to mean old man and old woman; similarly, the words for uncle (아저씨) and aunt (아주머니, 아줌마) are used to mean (older) man and (older) lady, particularly in expressions used by children, or in speaking to children, such as Say hello to the man, dear or The lady who lives next door.
The word 집 (댁) house may also used in the way we use the word family: 우리집이 커요 Our house [family] is large. 식구, literally, mouths to feed, means members of the family. To ask or tell how many people there are in someone’s family, you can use a form of either 있- (there) are or 이- (the copula):
- 식구가 몇명이세요?
Your family members are how many (people)? - 식구가 몇명이 있어요?
Your family members — how many of them are there?
You may have noticed that Koreans often refer to we/us where English speakers would say I/me: 우리 개 my dog. [This is extended even to cases where the explanation given earlier (belonging to our family) is not so convincing:] 우리 남편은 is the usual way of saying my husband, and 우리 아내 my wife.
KINSHIP TERMS — In the following list, honorific kinship terms are in a different type: AppleGothic Bold (고딕).
a. Relatives for which the terms differ according to the sex of the person related:
| A male’s . . . | A female’s . . . | English |
|---|---|---|
| 장인, 장인어른 | 시아버지, 시아버님 | father-in-law |
| 장모, 장모님 | 시어머니, 시어머님 | mother-in-law |
| 아내 (부인) | 남편 | spouse |
| 형제 | (오빠들과 남동생들) | brothers |
| 형(님) | 오빠 | older brother |
| 누나, 누님 | 언니 | older sister |
b. Relatives for which the terms do not differ according to the sex of the person related:
| 조부모, 조부모님 | grandparents | 할아버지, 할아버님 | grandfather |
| 할머니, 할머님 | grandmother | 부모, 부모님 | parents |
| 아버지, 아버님 | father | 어머니, 어머님 | mother |
| 아이, 애 | child(ren) | 아들, 아드님 | son |
| 딸, 따님 | daughter | 손주, 손주아이 | grandchild(ren) |
| 손자 | grandson | 손녀[-딸] | granddaughter |
| 사위 | son-in-law | 며느리 | daughter-in-law |
| 사촌 | cousin | 아저씨 | uncle |
| 아주머니 | aunt | 조카 | nephew |
| 조카 딸 | niece | 동생 | younger sibling |