엄마 어디 계셔?
eomma eodi gyesyeo?
To ask "where is your mom?" in Korean, you use 엄마 어디 계셔? (eomma eodi gyesyeo?)
This phrase is used to ask about the current location of someone's mother.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 엄마 (mom), 어디 (where) and 계셔 (the honorific form of "to be/exist").
Which one should you use?
While 엄마 어디 계셔? uses an honorific verb to show respect to the mother, 엄마 어디 있어? uses a plain verb and is even more casual/lower in register. Other informal variations include 어디에 너희 엄마 있어? and 엄마 어디에 있어?
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the question polite or formal, you should change 엄마 (mom) to 어머니 (mother) and 계셔 to 계세요.
How do you pronounce it?
eomma eodi gyesyeo?
Did you know?
- Korean has a distinct honorific verb 계시다 specifically for the existence of people of higher status, which is why 계셔 is used instead of the general verb for 'to be'. English uses the same word 'is' regardless of who is being discussed.
- The word 엄마 is a shortened version of the older term 어미, formed by combining the word for 'mother' with a vocative particle. This demonstrates how many common family terms in Korean evolved from fused spoken calls.
- In Korean culture, the choice between 계셔 and 있어 is not just about politeness, but about the social hierarchy between the speaker and the mother. Using 있어 for someone else's mother could be perceived as a significant sign of disrespect.
Examples in context
- 어디에 너희 엄마 있어?Where is your mom?
- 지금 엄마 어디 계셔?jigeum eomma eodi gyesyeo?Where is your mom right now?
Example conversation
Minji asks Hyunwoo about his mother while visiting his house.
- 민지 Min-ji현우야, 엄마 어디 계셔?hyeonu-ya, eomma eodi gyesyeo?Hyunwoo, where is your mom?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo엄마는 지금 마트에 가셨어.eommaneun jigeum mateu-e gasyeosseo.My mom went to the mart just now.
- 민지 Min-ji그럼 언제 오셔?geureom eonje osyeo?Then when is she coming back?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo곧 오실 거야.got osil geoya.She will be here soon.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 어디, 엄마, CC BY-SA 4.0.
