부모님
bumonim[pumo̞nim]
The English phrase 'parents' is translated into Korean as 부모님 (bumonim).
부모님 is used to refer to parents.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is built from 부모, which means 'parents'. The component 부 means father and 모 means mother.
Which one should you use?
While 부모 is the literal term for parents, 부모님 is the standard, respectful way to refer to them in almost all social contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The suffix –님 is added to 부모 to create the polite and respectful form 부모님, which is used when speaking about one's own or others' parents.
How does it change in a sentence?
Korean does not use a plural marker for 'parents' in the way English does. The single form 부모님 is used for both one parent and both parents depending on context.
Did you know?
- Korean has a specific word 효도 'hyodo' that describes the specific virtue of being a dutiful and respectful child to one's 부모님, a concept with no single English equivalent.
- In traditional Korean culture, the order of 부 'father' before 모 'mother' in 부모님 reflects a historical Confucian social hierarchy.
- Due to the culture of respect, it is common for Koreans to avoid saying 'my' before 부모님 because the relationship is considered implied and self-evident.
Examples in context
- 어제 너희 부모님을 만났다.I met your parents yesterday.Tatoeba #11105941 by intertime, translation #63320 by CK
- 우리 부모님은 수영을 못하셔.Neither of my parents can swim.Tatoeba #8501829 by Eunhee, translation #6699007 by CK
- 난 톰이 내 부모님을 만났으면 했어.I wanted Tom to meet my parents.Tatoeba #8363162 by Eunhee, translation #8363050 by CK
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dohyun and Subin are talking about family during a coffee break.
- 도현 Do-hyeon수빈 씨, 부모님은 잘 계세요?Subin ssi, bumonim-eun jal gyeseyo?Subin, are your parents doing well?
- 수빈 Su-bin네, 부모님은 아주 건강하세요.Ne, bumonim-eun aju geongang-haseyo.Yes, my parents are very healthy.
- 도현 Do-hyeon정말 다행이네요.Jeongmal dahaeng-ineyo.That is a relief.
- 수빈 Su-bin도현 씨 부모님도 잘 계시죠?Dohyun ssi bumonim-do jal gyesijyo?Dohyun, your parents are doing well too, right?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 부모님, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
