여보
yeobo[jʌ̹bo̞]
The English word 'hubby' can be translated into Korean as 여보 (yeobo).
The term 여보 is used by married couples to address each other, similar to 'honey' or 'darling' in English.
Meaning: husband (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 여보 is a term of endearment used when calling out to one's spouse, 남편 is the standard noun for 'husband' used when talking about him to others.
How do you pronounce it?
yeobo
Did you know?
- In the context of a phone call, 여보세요 (the extended form of 여보) is the standard way to say 'Hello' to see if anyone is on the other end.
- Married couples in Korea often switch from 여보 to calling each other 'Dad' or 'Mom' (아빠 or 엄마) once they have children.
- The word 여보 is essentially a 'calling' word, originally used to grab a partner's attention to look at something together.
Examples in context
- 저의 남편은 정말 멋있어요.My husband is really handsome.
- 사랑하는 남편, 항상 곁에서 지켜주는 당신에게 감사합니다.My beloved husband, thank you for always being there for me.
- 여보, 오늘 퇴근이 빨라요?yeobo, oneul toegeuni ppallayo?Hubby, are you finishing work early today?
- 여보, 배고픈데 밥 먹을까요?yeobo, baegopunde bap meogeulkkayo?Hubby, I'm hungry, shall we eat?
- 여보, 이것 좀 도와줘요.yeobo, igeot jom dowajwoyo.Hubby, please help me with this.
Example conversation
A couple is deciding what to eat for dinner.
- 민준 Min-jun여보, 오늘 저녁 뭐 먹을까요?yeobo, oneul jeonyeok mwo meogeulkkayo?Hubby, what shall we eat for dinner tonight?
- 서연 Seo-yeon글쎄요, 저는 비빔밥이 먹고 싶어요.geulsseyo, jeoneun bibimbabi meokgo sipeoyo.I'm not sure, I want to eat bibimbap.
- 민준 Min-jun좋아요. 그럼 제가 주문할게요.joayo. geureom jega jumun-halgeyo.Sounds good. Then I will order it.
- 서연 Seo-yeon고마워요, 민준 씨!gomawoyo, Minjun ssi!Thank you, Minjun!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 여보, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 여보, CC BY-SA 4.0.
