How to Say "Husband and Wife" in Korean

부부

bubu[pubu]

The English phrase 'husband and wife' is translated into Korean as 부부 (bubu).

While it literally translates to 'husband and wife', 부부 is most commonly used to refer to a 'married couple' as a single unit.

Meaning: husband and wife (noun)

Which one should you use?

Unlike English, where you might say 'a husband and a wife', in Korean, the single word 부부 is used to describe the couple as a collective entity.

bubu

The term 여보 is an endearing term for a spouse meaning Honey.

The term 여보, used by a 부부 to address each other, originates from the phrase 여기 보시오, meaning 'look here'.
When referring to a 'married couple' in a highly formal or honorific setting, one might use 내외 instead of 부부. This term literally means 'inside and outside', a poetic way to describe the two halves of a household.
In many traditional contexts, a husband and wife are rarely addressed by their names or even the word 부부 when speaking to others. Instead, they are often referred to through their relationship to their children, such as 'father of [child's name]'.

어제 남편과 아내가 함께 파티에 참석했어요.
Yesterday, the husband and wife attended the party together.
두 사람은 아주 잘 어울리는 부부예요.
du saram-eun aju jol eoul-lineun bubu-yeyo.
Those two are a very well-matched husband and wife.
우리 부부는 주말에 산책을 해요.
uri bubu-neun jumal-e sanchaek-eul haeyo.
My husband and I go for walks on weekends.
그 부부는 사이가 정말 좋아 보여요.
geu bubu-neun saiga jeongmal joa boyeoyo.
That husband and wife seem to have a great relationship.

Dohyun and Seoyeon are talking about their friends' wedding.

도현 Do-hyeon

민수 씨랑 지수 씨 정말 예쁜 부부네요.
Min-su ssi-rang Ji-su ssi jeong-mal ye-ppeun bu-bu-ne-yo.
Minsu and Jisu are such a beautiful couple.
서연 Seo-yeon

맞아요. 분위기가 정말 좋아요.
ma-ja-yo. bun-wi-gi-ga jeong-mal jo-a-yo.
Right. The atmosphere between them is great.
도현 Do-hyeon

두 사람이 정말 행복해 보여요.
du sa-ram-i jeong-mal haeng-bok-hae bo-ye-yo.
The two of them look really happy.
서연 Seo-yeon

저희도 나중에 그런 부부가 되고 싶어요.
jeo-hui-do na-jung-e geu-reon bu-bu-ga doe-go sip-eo-yo.
I want us to become a couple like that later, too.

Sources

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