손자
sonja[sʰo̞ɲd͡ʑa̠]
The Korean word for "grandson" is 손자 (sonja). Wiktionary also lists 외손자 (oesonja).
Meaning: son of one's child (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 손자 | sonja | [sʰo̞ɲd͡ʑa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 외손자 | oesonja | [ˈwe̞(ː)sʰo̞ɲd͡ʑa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ˈø̞(ː)sʰo̞ɲd͡ʑa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The term is used to refer to the son of one's child.
Which one should you use?
While 손자 can refer to a grandson in general, 외손자 is used specifically when referring to a grandson born to one's daughter.
How do you pronounce it?
sonja
Did you know?
- The character 외 in 외손자 means 'outside', reflecting a historical patriarchal system where children of daughters were viewed as belonging to the husband's family.
- The word 손 in 손자 is a Sino-Korean root, but in native Korean, 손 also means 'hand', which can lead to puns in wordplay or jokes about 'handing down' family traits.
- While 손자 means 'grandson', the word 손주 is often used as a gender-neutral term to refer to grandchildren in general.
Examples in context
- 저의 손자는 매우 재치있고 영리합니다.My grandson is very witty and intelligent.
- 그는 손자를 아주 사랑해요.geuneun sonjareul aju saranghaeyo.He loves his grandson very much.
- 손자가 벌써 초등학생이에요.sonjaga beolsseo chodenghaksaengieyo.The grandson is already an elementary school student.
Example conversation
Subin and Hyunwoo are looking at a photo album.
- 수빈 Su-bin이 아이가 누구예요?i aiga nuguyeyo?Who is this child?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo제 손자예요.je sonjayeyo.This is my grandson.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말 귀엽게 생겼네요!jeongmal gwiyeopge saenggyeotneyo!He looks really cute!
- 현우 Hyeon-woo감사합니다.gamsahabnida.Thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandson” translations and entries 손자, 외손자, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 손자, 외손자, CC BY-SA 4.0.
