우리 부모님
uri bumonim
The English phrase "my parents" is translated into Korean as 우리 부모님 (uri bumonim).
This phrase is used to refer to the father and mother of the person speaking.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 부모님 refers to parents, where the suffix –님 is added to the root 부모 to show respect to one's own parents.
Which one should you use?
While 부모 means parents, 부모님 is the standard and respectful way to refer to them in most social contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
When 우리 부모님 is the subject of a sentence involving honorific actions, the subject marker –께서 is often used instead of –이/가. For example, you might see the form 부모님께서.
How do you pronounce it?
uri bumonim
When do people say it?
When referring to family members, Korean speakers typically use the word for "our" (우리) instead of "my" (내/제).
Did you know?
- The use of 우리 extends beyond parents to other shared bonds, such as 'our house' or 'our school', even if the speaker is the sole owner or student.
- Using the word 우리 (our) for your parents reflects a deeply rooted Confucian collectivist mindset where the individual is inseparable from the family unit.
- The respectful suffix -님 added to 부모 is the same honorific used when addressing teachers or doctors, such as in 선생님.
Examples in context
- 우리 부모님은 수영을 못하셔.Neither of my parents can swim.Tatoeba #8501829 by Eunhee, translation #6699007 by CK
- 내가 이렇게 건강한 것은 우리 부모님 덕이다.I owe it to my parents that I'm so healthy.Tatoeba #11107575 by intertime, translation #11104927 by CK
- 우리 부모님께서는 나를 배웅하러 공항에 오셨다.My parents came to see me off at the airport.Tatoeba #3681042 by Eunhee, translation #3953964 by KoreanBeaver
Example conversation
Minjun and Seoyeon are talking about their family backgrounds.
- 민준 Min-jun우리 부모님은 지금 부산에 살고 계셔.uri bumonimeun jigeum busane salgo gyesyeo.My parents are living in Busan now.
- 서연 Seo-yeon정말? 부산은 여행하기 정말 좋은 곳이야.jeongmal? busaneun yeohaenghagi jeongmal joeun gosiya.Really? Busan is a great place to travel.
- 민준 Min-jun응, 나중에 우리 부모님 댁에 한번 놀러 와.eung, najunge uri bumonim daege hanbeon nolleo wa.Yeah, come visit my parents' house sometime.
- 서연 Seo-yeon초대해 줘서 고마워, 민준아.chodaehae jwoseo gomawo, minjuna.Thanks for inviting me, Minjun.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
