What does 여보 (yeobo) mean?
- 여보yeobo
Honey (between spouses)
Fine in most situations
여보 (yeobo) means "honey" or "dear" and is what married couples call each other. You hear it constantly from husbands and wives in K-dramas.
Where it comes from
여보 is related to 여보세요, the "hello" Koreans say on the phone. Both are often explained as coming from an old way of saying "look here."
How to use 여보
It is used mainly by married couples, often middle-aged or older ones. Young dating couples usually say 자기야 instead, and using 여보 while dating can sound like playful pretending to be married.
Couples say it with both casual and polite speech, so you will hear 여보, 밥 먹어 as well as 여보, 밥 먹어요.
Do not confuse it with 여보세요, which is for answering the phone, not for your spouse.
Examples
Tap a word to see what it means and save it to your flashcards.
A wife calling her husband to dinner
Looking for your spouse at home
Thanking your spouse for a gift
Other ways to say it
| Korean | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|
| 여보세요 | Hello? (on the phone) | Related word, used to answer calls. |
| 당신 | you (to a spouse) | How spouses often say "you" to each other. |
| 자기야 | honey | Common among dating and young married couples. |
Questions learners ask
Can unmarried couples say yeobo?
They can, but it usually sounds like a joke or like they are acting married. 자기야 is the normal choice for dating couples.
Is yeobo the same as yeoboseyo?
No. 여보 is for your spouse, and 여보세요 is "hello" on the phone. The two words are related, but they are used very differently.