엄마
eomma[ʌ̹mma̠]
To say ma, meaning mom, in Korean, say 엄마 (eomma).
엄마 is the warm, everyday word children and adults use for their mother, much like mom or ma in English.
Meaning: colloquial form of mother (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized eomma. The first vowel sounds close to the u in cup, and the double m is held a little longer.
Did you know?
- The word 엄마 actually contains a hidden 'hey' at the end. It was formed by merging the old word for mother, 어미, with the vocative particle -아 used to call out to someone.
- In Korea, a married woman uses the specific term 친정엄마 to refer to her own mother to distinguish her from her mother-in-law.
- While 엄마 is used by children, many Korean adults continue to use it with their mothers well into adulthood. Using the more formal 어머니 (eomeoni) can sometimes feel too distant or cold in a close family setting.
Examples in context
- 엄마, 배고파요.eom-ma, bae-go-pa-yo.Mom, I'm hungry.
- 우리 엄마는 요리를 잘해요.u-ri eom-ma-neun yo-ri-reul jal-hae-yo.My mom is a good cook.
- 엄마한테 전화해 봐.eom-ma-han-te jeon-hwa-hae bwa.Try calling your mom.
Example conversation
Subin and Jihun are talking about family during a break.
- 수빈 Su-bin지훈 씨, 엄마는 어디 계세요?ji-hun ssi, eom-ma-neun eo-di gye-se-yo?Jihun, where is your mom?
- 지훈 Ji-hun엄마는 지금 집에 계세요.eom-ma-neun ji-geum jip-e gye-se-yo.My mom is at home now.
- 수빈 Su-bin아, 그렇군요.a, geu-reot-gun-yo.Ah, I see.
- 지훈 Ji-hun수빈 씨는 어머니랑 친해요?su-bin ssi-neun eo-meo-ni-rang chin-hae-yo?Are you close with your mother, Subin?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 엄마, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 엄마, CC BY-SA 4.0.
