할머니
halmeoni[ha̠ɭmʌ̹ni]
In Korean, "nana" is translated as 할머니 (halmeoni).
할머니 is the term for grandmother. Beyond biological family, it is also frequently used as a polite way to address elderly women in public, even if they are not biologically related to the speaker.
How does it change in a sentence?
할머니 is a noun and does not change its form based on whether the speaker is male or female.
How do you pronounce it?
halmeoni
Did you know?
- If you are addressing a woman who is elderly but not quite at the age of a 'grandmother' in your eyes, using 할머니 might actually offend her by making her feel much older than she is.
- The term 할머니 is etymologically built from the idea of a 'great' or 'big' mother, stemming from the Middle Korean word 하다 meaning 'to be big'.
- In many Korean families, the specific term for a maternal grandmother and a paternal grandmother are actually different, making 할머니 a generalized term for the concept.
Examples in context
- 안녕하세요, 저는 나나입니다.Hello, I am Nana.
- 나나씨, 잘 지내셨어요?Nana, how have you been?
- 나나야, 오늘 영화 볼래?Hey Nana, do you want to watch a movie today?
- 나나씨, 도와주실 수 있으세요?Nana, can you help me?
- 우리 할머니는 요리를 잘해요.u-ri hal-meoni-neun yo-ri-reul jal-hae-yo.My grandmother is good at cooking.
Example conversation
Two children are talking about their family.
- 지훈 Ji-hun서연아, 할머니 댁에 언제 가?seoyeona, halmeoni daege eonje ga?Seoyeon, when are you going to nana's house?
- 서연 Seo-yeon나는 이번 주말에 가.naneun ibeon jumare ga.I am going this weekend.
- 지훈 Ji-hun좋겠다! 할머니가 맛있는 거 해주셔?jokgetda! halmeoniga masinneun geo haejusyeo?Lucky you! Does nana make something delicious?
- 서연 Seo-yeon응, 할머니가 갈비찜 해주신대.eung, halmeoniga galbijjim haejusindae.Yes, nana said she'll make braised short ribs.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 할머니, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 할머니, CC BY-SA 4.0.
