우리
uri[uɾi]
The English phrase "our" is translated into Korean as 우리 (uri).
우리 is a determiner meaning "belonging to us". In practice, it is frequently used instead of 'my' when referring to things that a person shares with a group, such as one's family, home or school.
Meaning: belonging to us (det)
Which one should you use?
While 우리 means 'our', it is often used in contexts where an English speaker would naturally use 'my', such as '우리 엄마' (my mother).
How do you pronounce it?
uri
When do people say it?
Koreans often use 우리 to refer to one's own spouse, mother or house to emphasize a sense of communal belonging, even if the speaker is the only one actually possessing the item.
Did you know?
- The word 우리 is a homonym that can also refer to a pen or enclosure for livestock, such as a pigsty.
- In Korean, 우리 is used for 'my' even when referring to a spouse, which can lead an English speaker to mistakenly think the person has multiple partners.
- The history of the word traces back to Old Korean roots like WUli, which was documented long before the modern Hangul script was even invented. This means the concept of 'our' is deeply embedded in the very oldest layers of the Korean language.
Examples in context
- 우리 선생님 여기 오신다.Here comes our teacher.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 우리 with a profession like teacher.Tatoeba #10585540 by ssuss32, translation #272782 by CK
- 톰은 우리의 옆집 이웃이다.Tom is our next-door neighbor.This sentence shows how 우리 can be used to describe a neighbor.Tatoeba #5526758 by raining211, translation #3158721 by CK
- 우리 아기는 아직 말을 못해.Our baby cannot talk yet.This sentence demonstrates the use of 우리 when talking about a baby.Tatoeba #8358264 by Eunhee, translation #65556 by CC
- 60 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Minjun are looking for their belongings in a cafe.
- 서연 Seo-yeon민준 씨, 우리 가방 못 봤어요?Minjun ssi, uri gabang mot bwasseoyo?Minjun, have you seen our bags?
- 민준 Min-jun저기 의자 밑에 있어요.Jeogi uija mite isseoyo.They are under that chair.
- 서연 Seo-yeon아, 정말 다행이네요!A, jeongmal dahaengineyo!Ah, that is a relief!
- 민준 Min-jun서연 씨, 얼른 챙겨요.Seoyeon ssi, eolleun chaenggyeoyo.Seoyeon, hurry and grab them.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 우리, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 우리, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
