Welcome back to Simply Korea 101!

In Chapter 2, we learned how to introduce ourselves in Korean.

Now, let’s take the conversation one step further.

After introducing yourself, talking about your family is a natural way to get to know someone better.

Today, we’ll learn 5 useful Korean family words and 5 practical conversation phrases.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 5 Useful Korean Family Words

① 가족 — Family

가족
Pronunciation: gajok
English: family

가족 is the general Korean word for your family.

Example:
우리 가족
→ My family / Our family

② 엄마 — Mom

엄마
Pronunciation: eomma
English: mom / mother
→ 엄마

엄마 is the everyday word Korean speakers commonly use when referring to their mother.

Example:
우리 엄마
→ My mom

③ 아빠 — Dad

아빠
Pronunciation: appa
English: dad / father
→ 아빠

아빠 is the everyday word for father.

Example:
우리 아빠
→ My dad

④ 형제 — Siblings / Brothers

형제
Pronunciation: hyeongje
English: siblings / brothers
→ 형제

This word can refer to brothers or siblings, depending on the context.

For beginners, it’s useful to recognize this word when talking about family.

⑤ 자매 — Sisters

자매
Pronunciation: jamae
English: sisters
→ 자매

자매 refers specifically to sisters.

Example:
두 자매
→ Two sisters

💬 5 Practical Korean Conversation Phrases

① 가족이 몇 명이에요? — How many people are in your family?

가족이 몇 명이에요?
Pronunciation: gajogi myeot myeong-ieyo?
English: How many people are in your family?

This is a natural question when getting to know someone.

Example:

가족이 몇 명이에요?
→ How many people are in your family?

네 명이에요.
→ There are four people.

② 우리 가족은 네 명이에요. — There are four people in my family.

우리 가족은 네 명이에요.
Pronunciation: uri gajogeun ne myeong-ieyo
English: There are four people in my family.

You can change the number depending on your family.

우리 가족은 세 명이에요.
→ There are three people in my family.

우리 가족은 다섯 명이에요.
→ There are five people in my family.

③ 형제가 있어요? — Do you have any siblings?

형제가 있어요?
Pronunciation: hyeongjega isseoyo?
English: Do you have any siblings?

This is a simple way to ask whether someone has siblings.

You can answer:

네, 있어요.
→ Yes, I do.

아니요, 없어요.
→ No, I don’t.

④ 여동생이 있어요. — I have a younger sister.

여동생이 있어요.
Pronunciation: yeodongsaengi isseoyo
English: I have a younger sister.

여동생 means a younger sister.

You can replace it with other family members.

남동생이 있어요.
→ I have a younger brother.

언니가 있어요.
→ I have an older sister.
(said by a woman)

오빠가 있어요.
→ I have an older brother.
(said by a woman)

⑤ 가족과 함께 살아요. — I live with my family.

가족과 함께 살아요.
Pronunciation: gajokgwa hamkke sarayo
English: I live with my family.

This phrase is useful when talking about your living situation.

함께 means “together.”

🗣️ Mini Conversation

Let’s talk about family!

A: 가족이 몇 명이에요?
→ How many people are in your family?

B: 우리 가족은 네 명이에요.
→ There are four people in my family.

A: 형제가 있어요?
→ Do you have any siblings?

B: 네, 여동생이 있어요.
→ Yes, I have a younger sister.

A: 가족과 함께 살아요?
→ Do you live with your family?

B: 네, 함께 살아요.
→ Yes, I live with my family.

Korean Tip: 우리

One word you’ll hear a lot in Korean is 우리.

우리 literally means “we” or “our.”

But Korean speakers often use 우리 when talking about people or things that belong to them.

For example:

우리 가족
→ My family

우리 엄마
→ My mom

우리 집
→ My home / Our house

This is a very natural part of everyday Korean.

So don’t be surprised if you hear Koreans say 우리 instead of “my.”

🗣️ Read Aloud & Repeat

→ 소리 내어 읽고 따라 해보세요.

가족

gajok
Family

엄마

eomma
Mom

아빠

appa
Dad

가족이 몇 명이에요?

gajogi myeot myeong-ieyo?
How many people are in your family?

형제가 있어요?

hyeongjega isseoyo?
Do you have any siblings?

가족과 함께 살아요.

gajokgwa hamkke sarayo.
I live with my family.

Try saying each expression three times.

Click, listen, read aloud, and repeat.

🎯 Today’s Korean Challenge

Can you talk about your family in Korean?

Try completing these sentences:

우리 가족은 ______ 명이에요.

→ There are ______ people in my family.

______이/가 있어요.

→ I have ______.

가족과 함께 살아요.

→ I live with my family.

Now put them together and say them out loud.

→ 이제 문장을 이어서 소리 내어 말해보세요.

Example:

우리 가족은 네 명이에요.
여동생이 있어요.
가족과 함께 살아요.

→ There are four people in my family.
I have a younger sister.
I live with my family.

Great job! 

🌸 One Small Step

You don’t need complicated Korean to have a conversation.

A few simple sentences can tell someone a lot about you.

Start with your family, and you’ll soon be able to talk about your everyday life in Korean.

What’s Next?

In Chapter 4, we’ll learn another set of useful Korean words and expressions for everyday conversations.

Keep practicing, one phrase at a time.

See you in Chapter 4!

— Ayla

Let’s discover Korea, one word, one dish, and one story at a time.