What does 어머니 (eomeoni) mean?
- 어머니eomeoni
Mother
Polite: safe with most people
어머니 (eomeoni) means "mother." It is the respectful, standard word, while 엄마 is the casual, childlike "mom."
Where it comes from
어머니 is a native Korean word. 엄마 is its softer everyday version.
How to use 어머니
Adults use 어머니 when they want to sound respectful or formal, for example when talking about their mother to a teacher, a boss or someone older. Some people, often adult sons, also call their own mother 어머니 at home.
When speaking about your mother politely, Koreans use honorific verbs for her, such as 어머니께서 오셨어요 (my mother came), instead of the plain verbs.
For someone else's mother or a mother-in-law, 어머님 sounds even more respectful and is the more common choice.
Examples
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Calling your mother after a long time
Telling a teacher about your family
Explaining who made the side dishes
Other ways to say it
| Korean | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|
| 엄마 | mom | Casual, everyday word. |
| 어머님 | mother (honorific) | For someone else's mother or a mother-in-law. |
| 어머니께서 | mother (as subject, honorific) | Uses the honorific subject marker 께서. |
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between eomeoni and eomma?
They both mean mother. 엄마 is casual like "mom," and 어머니 is respectful like "mother."
What is the difference between eomeoni and eomeonim?
어머님 adds the honorific 님 and is used mostly for other people's mothers and for a mother-in-law. 어머니 is the usual respectful word for your own mother.