이모 안녕하세요
imo annyeonghaseyo
In Korean, "hello aunt" is said as 이모 안녕하세요 (imo annyeonghaseyo).
The phrase is a polite greeting specifically used when speaking to a maternal aunt. However, in many parts of Korea, 이모 is also used as a friendly, colloquial term to address women who are close to the family or even female restaurant workers.
Which one should you use?
While 이모 refers to a maternal aunt, the term 고모 is used to refer to a paternal aunt (your father's sister).
How do you pronounce it?
imo annyeonghaseyo
Did you know?
- Because 이모 is so common in restaurants, some business owners even name their eateries using the word 이모 to signal a home-cooked feel.
- The greeting 안녕하세요 literally asks if you are at peace, reflecting a historical culture where health and safety were not always guaranteed.
- Calling a woman 이모 when she is not actually your aunt is a way of 'pseudo-kinship' used to soften social barriers in Korea.
Examples in context
- 이모 안녕하세요.Imo annyeong-haseyo.Hello, aunt.
- 이모 안녕하세요, 오랜만이에요.Imo annyeong-haseyo, oraenman-ieyo.Hello, aunt, it has been a long time.
- 이모 안녕하세요, 잘 지내셨어요?Imo annyeong-haseyo, jal jinaesyeosseoyo?Hello, aunt, have you been doing well?
Example conversation
Subin meets her mother's sister at a family gathering.
- 수빈 Su-bin이모 안녕하세요! 잘 지내셨어요?imo annyeonghaseyo! jal jinaesyeosseoyo?Hello aunt! Have you been doing well?
- 도현 Do-hyeon응, 수빈아. 너도 잘 지냈니?eung, subina. neodo jal jinaenni?Yes, Subin. Have you been doing well too?
- 수빈 Su-bin네, 저도 잘 지냈어요.ne, jeodo jal jinaesseoyo.Yes, I've been doing well too.
- 도현 Do-hyeon우리 수빈이가 많이 컸구나.uri subini-ga mani keutguna.Our Subin has grown a lot.
