엄마에게 전화하다
eomma-ege jeonhwahada
The English phrase 'call mother' is translated into Korean as 엄마에게 전화하다 (eomma-ege jeonhwahada).
This phrase is used to describe the action of making a telephone call to one's mother.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of 엄마에게, which means 'to mother' and 전화하다, which means 'to call'. The particle 에게 means 'to' and is used here to indicate the recipient of the call.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more formal or polite way to express this, you can use 어머니께 전화하다. This version replaces 엄마 with the formal 어머니 and replaces the particle 에게 with the more polite particle 께. Additionally, 어머니 or 어머님 can be used as formal terms for 'mother'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the past tense in a polite, conversational way, you can change the dictionary form 전화하다 to 전화했어요. For example, 엄마에게 전화했어요 means 'called mother'.
How do you pronounce it?
eomma-ege jeonhwahada
Did you know?
- The word 전화 (jeonhwa) in 'call' literally translates to 'electric speech' or 'electric way of speaking'.
- Koreans often use the term 어머님 not just for their own mother, but as a polite way to address another person's mother or a mother-in-law.
- The verb 하다 in 전화하다 is a 'light verb' that can turn almost any noun into an action, meaning 'calling' is conceptually 'doing a telephone'.
Examples in context
- 어머님을 부르셔야 합니다.You should call your mother.
Example conversation
Minji and Dohyun are talking about their weekend plans.
- 민지 Min-ji지금 뭐 해요?jigeum mwo haeyo?What are you doing now?
- 도현 Do-hyeon저 지금 엄마에게 전화하다.jeo jigeum eomma-ege jeonhwahada.I'm calling my mother right now.
- 민지 Min-ji좋은 생각이에요.joeun saenggak-ieyo.That is a good idea.
- 도현 Do-hyeon네, 그래요.ne, geuraeyo.Yes, it is.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 전화하다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
