In this article, we’ll be discussing how to say grandma in Korean.

Have you already managed to get through and learn all of the family vocabularies? How does your Korean friend refer to their grandma? Would you like to learn how to say “grandma” in Korean with us today? You do? Great, then let’s begin learning!

“Grandma” in Korean

There are a few ways to say grandma or grandmother in Korean. Most of them are very rare and academic, so you will do fine learning just one word with us today. The most common word you’ll hear for grandma in Korean is 할머니 (halmeoni). This specifically means grandma in English. Thus, you would most often use it to refer to your own grandma.

When you want to be more formal and say grandmother instead of grandma, the correct word to use is 할머님 (halmeonim). Super easy to remember since it only comes with one extra syllable! 님 (nim) in general is a formal attachment to someone’s name. However, in the case of grandmother, it is not that often used, and you will do great with just using 할머니.

You can use 할머니 whether you’re talking about your grandma from your father’s side or your mother’s side. In a technical sense, the word 외할머니 (oehalmeoni) specifically means your grandma from your mother’s side. However, you do not need to worry about using it in everyday situations.

Sample Sentences

Standard

우리 할머니는 시골에서 살고 계셔요. → Our grandma lives in the countryside.

(uri halmeonineun sigoreseo salgo gyesyeoyo.)

할머니, 파이를 조금 더 먹어도 되요? → Grandma, is it okay to have some more pie?

(halmeoni, paireul jogeum deo meogeodo doeyo?)

Informal

매주말 할머니 댁에 방문하시로 가. → I go visit my grandma every weekend.

(maejumal halmeoni daege bangmunhasiro ga.)

Congratulations! You know now how to say grandma in Korean, and can even use it as a pet name for your own grandma! How about you tell us something simple about your grandma using your new Korean skills in the comments?

The post How to Say “Grandma” in Korean appeared first on 90 Day Korean®.