우리 집
uri jip
In Korean, 'my home' is typically expressed as 우리 집 (uri jip).
The phrase refers to the place where a person lives, often referring to the shared household of their family.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 우리 집 is composed of 우리 (uri), meaning 'we' or 'our' and 집 (jip), meaning 'house' or 'home'.
Which one should you use?
While 내 집 (nae jip) literally means 'my home', it sounds unnatural in most social contexts compared to 우리 집, which emphasizes the household or collective identity. For a single word, 집 is used to say 'home' in an informal context.
How do you pronounce it?
uri jip
When do people say it?
Koreans typically use the word 'our' (우리) instead of 'my' (내/제) when referring to things that are shared with a group, such as one's home, family or country.
Did you know?
- The use of 우리 (our) extends beyond the home to other intimate relations, such as 우리 엄마 (our mom) or 우리 남편 (our husband), even if the speaker is an only child or has only one spouse.
- The word 집 (home) is frequently used in Korean as a suffix for specialized stores, such as 빵집 (bread house) for a bakery or 꽃집 (flower house) for a florist.
- While 우리 집 usually means 'my home', it can also be used to refer to one's business or workplace, such as a small shop or a family-run restaurant.
Examples in context
- 우리집이 아름다워My home is beautiful
- 우리 집은 학교에서 가까워요.uri jibeun hakgyoeseo gakkawoyo.My home is close to school.
- 오늘 우리 집에서 파티를 해요.oneul uri jibeoseo patireul haeyo.We are having a party at my home today.
- 우리 집은 아주 조용해요.uri jibeun aju joyonghaeyo.My home is very quiet.
Example conversation
Seoyeon invites Dohyun over for dinner.
- 서연 Seo-yeon도현 씨, 우리 집에서 저녁 먹을래요?Dohyun ssi, uri jibeoseo jeonyeok meogeullaeyo?Dohyun, would you like to have dinner at my home?
- 도현 Do-hyeon좋아요! 몇 시에 갈까요?joayo! myeot sie galggayo?I'd love to! What time should I go?
- 서연 Seo-yeon여섯 시쯤에 오세요.yeoseot sip쯤-e oseyo.Please come around six o'clock.
- 도현 Do-hyeon네, 그럼 그때 봬요.ne, geureom geuttae bwaeyo.Okay, I'll see you then.
