내 아들
nae adeul
The English phrase "my son" is translated into Korean as 내 아들 (nae adeul).
The phrase is used by a parent to refer to their male child.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 내 (my) and 아들 (son).
Which one should you use?
While 내 아들 literally means "my son", Korean speakers often use 우리 아들, which translates to "our son", to express affection and connection to their family.
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to someone of higher status or in a formal setting, use 제 아들 instead of 내 아들.
How do you pronounce it?
nae adeul
When do people say it?
It is common for Korean speakers to use 우리 (our) instead of 내 (my) when referring to family members, even if they are the only parent.
Did you know?
- In very formal settings, a parent might refer to their own son using a humble form to show respect to the listener, effectively lowering their son's status to be polite.
- In modern Korean, using 내 아들 ('my son') instead of 우리 아들 ('our son') can sometimes sound cold or overly possessive to native ears.
- The word 아들 ('son') is a pure Korean word, distinct from the many Sino-Korean terms used for family members.
Examples in context
- 내 아들은 또래에 비해 키가 작아.My son is small for his age.This sentence is useful for describing a child's height relative to their peers using 내 아들.Tatoeba #8386644 by Eunhee, translation #274439 by CK
- 내 아들은 자폐아예요.My son is an Aspie.This sentence is useful for describing a child's condition using 내 아들.Tatoeba #8358542 by Eunhee, translation #5932115 by deniko
- 내 아들이에요.He's my son.This sentence is useful for identifying a person as your son using 내 아들.Tatoeba #13259272 by atitarev, translation #4703087 by CH
- 제 아들은 항상 열심히 공부합니다.My son always studies hard.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Hyunwoo are talking about family photos.
- 서연 Seo-yeon이 사진 속에 있는 사람이 내 아들입니다.I sajin soge inneun sarami nae adeul-imnida.The person in this photo is my son.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo정말 귀엽네요. 몇 살이에요?Jeongmal gwiyeopneyo. Myeot sarieyo?He is really cute. How old is he?
- 서연 Seo-yeon이제 다섯 살이 되었어요.Ije daseot sari doe-eosseoyo.He just turned five.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo서연 씨를 많이 닮았네요.Seoyeon ssi-reul mani dalmanneyo.He looks a lot like you, Seoyeon.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
