In Korean, family words change by your gender and age: 오빠, 형, 언니, 누나. Here's the full vocabulary.
Immediate family
The everyday words. The short forms (엄마, 아빠) are affectionate; the long forms (어머니, 아버지) are respectful, used around elders or in writing.
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 가족 | gajok | family |
| 식구 | sikgu | household family (literally "the mouths that eat") |
| 부모님 | bumonim | parents (respectful form) |
| 엄마 | eomma | mom |
| 아빠 | appa | dad |
| 어머니 | eomeoni | mother (respectful) |
| 아버지 | abeoji | father (respectful) |
| 남편 | nampyeon | husband |
| 아내 | anae | wife |
| 와이프 | waipeu | wife (loanword) (common in speech) |
| 아들 | adeul | son |
| 딸 | ttal | daughter |
| 자식 | jasik | child(ren) (one's own) (often plural) |
Siblings (the speaker's gender matters)
Korean distinguishes the word based on WHO is speaking. A boy and a girl don't use the same terms for their older brother or sister. These words are also used to address older friends of the opposite sex.
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 형제 | hyeongje | siblings (general) |
| 형 | hyeong | older brother (said by a male) |
| 오빠 | oppa | older brother (said by a female) |
| 누나 | nuna | older sister (said by a male) |
| 언니 | eonni | older sister (said by a female) |
| 동생 | dongsaeng | younger sibling (gender-neutral) |
| 남동생 | namdongsaeng | younger brother |
| 여동생 | yeodongsaeng | younger sister |
| 쌍둥이 | ssangdungi | twin |
| 외동 | oedong | only child |
Grandparents, uncles and aunts
Korean distinguishes the PATERNAL and MATERNAL sides for uncles, aunts and grandparents. The prefix 외- ("outer") marks the maternal side.
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 할아버지 | harabeoji | grandfather (paternal) |
| 할머니 | halmeoni | grandmother (paternal) |
| 외할아버지 | oeharabeoji | maternal grandfather |
| 외할머니 | oehalmeoni | maternal grandmother |
| 삼촌 | samchon | uncle (father's brother, unmarried) |
| 큰아버지 | keunabeoji | father's older brother (married) |
| 작은아버지 | jageunabeoji | father's younger brother (married) |
| 외삼촌 | oesamchon | maternal uncle |
| 고모 | gomo | paternal aunt |
| 이모 | imo | maternal aunt (also used to address a friendly waitress) |
| 사촌 | sachon | cousin |
| 조카 | joka | nephew, niece |
In-laws and life stages
Words tied to marriage and the extended family tree. In-laws have very different terms depending on whether the speaker is the wife or the husband.
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 시아버지 | siabeoji | father-in-law (husband's side) (what a wife says) |
| 시어머니 | sieomeoni | mother-in-law (husband's side) |
| 장인어른 | jangineoreun | father-in-law (wife's side) (what a husband says) |
| 장모님 | jangmonim | mother-in-law (wife's side) |
| 사위 | sawi | son-in-law |
| 며느리 | myeoneuri | daughter-in-law |
| 친척 | chincheok | relative (extended family) |
| 어른 | eoreun | adult, elder (carries the respect owed to elders) |
| 아기 | agi | baby |
| 아이 | ai | child |
Frequently asked questions
Why does Korean have so many words for "older brother" and "older sister"?
Because the word depends on the SPEAKER's gender. A boy calls his older brother 형 (hyeong) and his older sister 누나 (nuna). A girl calls her older brother 오빠 (oppa) and her older sister 언니 (eonni). For younger siblings it's simpler: everyone says 동생 (dongsaeng), with 남- or 여- as a prefix to specify gender if needed.
What's the difference between 가족 and 식구?
가족 (gajok) refers to family in the broad, biological sense. 식구 (sikgu) more specifically refers to the people who live and eat under the same roof, it's warmer and more collective. You'd say 우리 가족은 네 명이에요 ("there are 4 of us in the family") but 식구가 많아요 ("we're a big household").
Why is there a 외- prefix for the maternal side?
외 means "outer". Traditional Korean society considered the lineage to pass through the father, so the maternal family was "outside" the main lineage. That's why we say 외할아버지 (maternal grandfather) and 외삼촌 (maternal uncle). The term is neutral today, even as society has shifted.
Can you call someone outside your family "오빠" or "언니"?
Yes, and it's very common. A girl will call her boyfriend, an older classmate or an older male friend 오빠. Between female friends, a younger one calls her elder 언니. It's a marker of closeness AND age-based respect, not a sign of biological relation.