Are you learning Korean and getting confused about family titles?
Here’s how to say aunt in Korean!
Quick Summary
- Unlike English, where aunt is just aunt, there are multiple words in Korean depending on whether the aunt is on your mom’s side or dad’s side, and whether she’s older or younger than your parent.
- Aunt in Korean could be gomo, emo, keun eomma, jageun eomma, sookmo, and oe sookmo.
Aunt on Your Dad’s Side: Gomo (고모)
When you’re talking about your father’s sisters, the word you use is gomo (고모).
Gomo’s husband would be gomoboo (고모부) in Korean.
In traditional Korean families, gomo often had a close relationship with nieces and nephews, sometimes even more so than with cousins.
So if your dad has three sisters, congratulations! You’ve just gained three different gomos to keep track of.
Aunt on Your Mom’s Side: Emo (이모)
For your mother’s sisters, you use emo (이모).
For the husband of your emo, you can call him emoboo (이모부).
Another thing to note is that we call our moms’ close friends emo as well, even though they’re not related by blood.
So when you hear a Korean kid yelling “emo!” at the playground, it doesn’t always mean they’re talking to an actual aunt.
It could also be a polite way to call an older woman (instead of calling her ajumma).
One of my fondest memories of my aunt involves a car accident and cross-country journey.
From my book, “A Korean Girl Explains“
While on a business trip, my dad was in the passenger seat of a car that got sideswiped on the freeway. The impact was on his side, so he took the worst of it. My mom had to take care of him at the hospital.
I was about to have a traditional birthday party at my kindergarten with hanbok and mother-daughter photos. My emo who lives in Seoul visited me all the way down south in Changwon, the opposite end of the country. She took a 5-hour bus ride so I wouldn’t feel left out.
Whenever I’m in Seoul, I make sure to drop by her house for stories, laughter, and a trip to a Korean spa.
Dad’s Brothers’ Wives: Keun Eomma (큰엄마) or Jageun Eomma (작은엄마)
Things get a bit trickier here.
In Korean, uncles’ wives get specific titles or names too.
Keun eomma (큰엄마) literally means a big mama, and refers to the wife of your dad’s older brother.
Jageun eomma (작은엄마) literally meaning a little mom, is the wife of your dad’s younger brother. She’s also called sookmo (숙모).
They’re technically aunts, but the word mom (eomma or umma) is attached, showing respect and their mother-like role in the extended family.
Mom’s Brothers’ Wives: Oe sookmo (외숙모)
On your mom’s side, her brother’s wife is called oesookmo (외숙모).
It’s less commonly used in casual conversation compared to emo.
But it’s still the proper term if you’re introducing her formally or talking to her.
If this all sounds overwhelming, you can simply omit calling their specific titles.
Emo is a go-to for friendly or polite interactions with older women, like when you’re at a restaurant, it’s common to call the lady serving food “emo!” instead of “excuse me.”
