엄마, 안녕하세요
eomma, annyeonghaseyo
The English phrase "hello mom" is translated into Korean as 엄마, 안녕하세요 (eomma, annyeonghaseyo).
This phrase is a polite greeting used when speaking to one's mother.
Which one should you use?
The default form uses the polite greeting 안녕하세요. You can use the informal 엄마, 안녕 if the relationship is very casual. If you wish to be more formal and respectful, you can replace 엄마 with 어머니 to say 어머니, 안녕하세요.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Using 어머니 is a formal way to address your mother. While the default form uses the polite greeting 안녕하세요, one can use the informal 엄마, 안녕 if the relationship is very casual. Replacing 엄마 with 어머니 makes the phrase more formal and respectful.
How do you pronounce it?
eomma, annyeonghaseyo
Did you know?
- The greeting 안녕하세요 literally translates to 'are you in a state of peace or well-being' rather than a simple 'hello'.
- In Korea, it is common to use 어머니 when speaking about one's mother to others, even if you call her 엄마 to her face.
- The word 엄마 actually contains a hidden 'hey' because it evolved from the ancient word 어미 fused with the vocative particle -아.
Examples in context
- 어머님, 오랜만이에요.Long time no see, Mom.
Example conversation
Minji enters the living room and greets her mother.
- 민지 Min-ji엄마, 안녕하세요!eomma, annyeonghaseyo!Hello mom!
- 도현 Do-hyeon어머, 민지 왔니?eomeo, minji wanni?Oh, Minji, you're here?
- 민지 Min-ji네, 이제 막 도착했어요.ne, ije mak dochakaesseoyo.Yes, I just arrived.
- 도현 Do-hyeon어서 와라. 배고프지?eoseo wara. baegopeuji?Welcome. You must be hungry, right?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 안녕하세요, 엄마, CC BY-SA 4.0.
