잘 자요 엄마
jal jayo eomma
To say "good night mom" in Korean, you say 잘 자요 엄마 (jal jayo eomma).
This phrase is used to wish one's mother a good night's sleep before going to bed.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 잘 (well), 자요 (sleep – polite form) and 엄마 (mom).
Which one should you use?
There are three main ways to express this depending on the level of respect: 잘 자 엄마 is a casual way to say "sleep well, mom", 잘 자요 엄마 is a polite middle ground and 안녕히 주무세요 엄마 is a highly respectful way to say "sleep peacefully, mom".
How does it change in a sentence?
Removing the 요 from 자요 to create 잘 자 엄마 makes the phrase informal. Using 안녕히 주무세요 instead of 잘 자요 is a highly respectful way to wish a parent a good night.
How do you pronounce it?
jal jayo eomma
Did you know?
- Korean has separate verbs for 'sleeping' based on the social status of the person, which is why 자요 and 주무세요 are different words.
- The word 엄마 'mom' is actually a combination of the old word for mother 어미 and a calling particle -아.
- In Korean, calling your mother 엄마 instead of the more formal 어머니 can make a 'good night' wish feel much more affectionate and intimate.
Examples in context
- 어머니, 좋은 밤 되세요.Mom, have a good night.
- 어머니, 편히 주무세요.Mom, sleep well.
- 안녕히 주무세요Sleep well
- 엄마, 사랑해요. 편히 자세요.Mom, I love you. Sleep well.
- 내일 봐요, 잘 자요 엄마.naeil bwayo, jal jayo eomma.See you tomorrow, good night mom.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo is saying goodnight to his mother before going to his room.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo엄마, 이제 자러 갈게요.eomma, ije jareo galgeyo.Mom, I'm going to bed now.
- 민지 Min-ji그래, 아들 잘 자렴.geurae, adeul jal jaryeom.Okay, sleep well, son.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo잘 자요 엄마.jal jayo eomma.Good night, mom.
- 민지 Min-ji잘 자, 현우야.jal ja, hyunwoo-ya.Good night, Hyunwoo.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 엄마, 잘, CC BY-SA 4.0.
