너희 어머니
neohui eomeoni
The English phrase "your mom" can be translated into Korean as 너희 어머니 (neohui eomeoni).
While 너희 어머니 is the literal translation for "your mother", the internet slang 느금마 is the actual equivalent used for the 'your mom' insult in online gaming and chat contexts.
Meaning: a general-purpose insult (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 너희 어머니 is composed of 너희 (your/plural your) and 어머니 (mother).
Which one should you use?
Using the literal 너희 어머니 as an insult sounds unnatural and overly formal. The insult relies on using much more vulgar or abbreviated forms in actual practice. For the actual insult, speakers use the slang 느금마 or its even more abbreviated form 느금.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
어머니 is a formal way to refer to "your mom" in Korean, and 어머님 is a more honorific way to refer to "your mom" in formal situations.
How does it change in a sentence?
The slang term 느금마 is often shortened even further to 느금 in rapid-fire online insults.
How do you pronounce it?
neohui eomeoni
Did you know?
- In Korean culture, insults targeting parents are considered significantly more offensive than insults targeting the individual themselves.
- Using the polite version 어머님 to insult someone is a common way to be sarcastic or mockingly respectful in Korean internet culture.
- While 너희 어머니 means 'your mother', the word 너희 originally meant 'your place' in Middle Korean.
Example conversation
Two friends are teasing each other during a game.
- 서연 Seo-yeon도현, 너 진짜 못한다.Dohyeon, neo jinja mot-handa.Dohyeon, you are really bad at this.
- 도현 Do-hyeon뭐라고? 너야말로 못해.mworago? neoyamalo mot-hae.What? You're the one who's bad.
- 서연 Seo-yeon너희 어머니!neohui eomeoni!Your mom!
- 도현 Do-hyeon와, 진짜 유치하다.wa, jinja yuchihada.Wow, that's so childish.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 너희, 어머니, CC BY-SA 4.0.
