How to Say Father in Korean(5 Best Ways To Call Your Dad)

Family relations are an important part of Korean culture. After all, the father is the head of the household traditionally

Wouldn’t learning to address your father in Korean be a sweet gift?

Just like mom, we have many ways to refer to our dad in Korean, and there’s a good reason for that.

Whether you’re using the word “아빠[appa] in Korean” or a more polite term 아버지 [abeoji], knowing how to pronounce dad in Korea and using these words can be a big help.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to say dad in Korean in informal, polite, and formal situations and all about parents’ day with examples and exercises. 

Alright friends, it’s time to dive in. 

Table of Contents

how to say dad in Korean |Father in Korean

To say dad in Korean, you can use the word “아빠” (ah-ppa). This word is a casual way to address your father, and it is commonly used in everyday conversation.

If you want to be more formal or polite, you can use the word “아버지(ah-beo-ji)”. This word is more respectful and is often used when speaking to an older person or someone you don’t know well.

In Korean culture, it is customary to address your parents using honorific titles. The honorific title for “dad” is “아버님” (ah-beo-nim).

This title is used when speaking to or about your father in a formal or respectful setting, such as at a wedding or in a business setting.

Here’s how to say father or dad in Korean language in informal, polite, and formal situations. 

• 아빠 [a-ppa] – Informal
• 아버지 [a-beo-ji] – Polite
• 아버님 [a-beo-nim] – Formal

Example

Here are some examples of how you can use these words for father in Korean in sentences:

아빠, 저기요! (Ah-ppa, jeo-gi-yo)

“Dad, over here!”

아버지가 집에 있어요. (Ah-beo-ji-ga jib-e is-sseo-yo. –

“Dad is at home.”

아버님, 저에게 이 선물을 주세요. (Ah-beo-nim, jeo-e-ge i seon-mul-eul ju-se-yo. –

“Dad, please give me this gift.”

The Standard “father” in Korean

아버지 [a-beo-ji] is the standard way to say father in Korean.

You can use it in most situations and you will never sound rude. 

Again, if you wanted to say “my dad in Korean” in a polite way, you could use the expression “우리 아버지” literally translated as “our father.”

When to use

• Older/middle-aged generations usually this form while talking with their dad in Korean. But the newer generation doesn’t use this when talking directly to their own parents. 
• Instead, it’s more common for Koreans to talk to or about someone else’s father in Korean. 

How to use 

Ben’s a wonderful father. 

벤은 정말 좋은 아버지예요.

You’re as tall as your father. 

네 키가 아버지만큼 크구나

My father was a hard man. 

우리 아버지는 냉정한 사람이었다.

She’s a friend of my father’s. 

그 분은 우리 아버지 친구 분이시다.

She is very close to her father. 

그녀는 아버지와 사이가 아주 가깝다.

What are you giving your father for his birthday? 

넌 아버지 생신 때 뭐 드릴 거니?

let’s move to learn another name for dad in Korean.

Korean conversation using 아버지” abeoji in korean

Here is a sample conversation in Korean using the word “아버지” (a-beo-ji), which means “father” in Korean:

Person A: 저의 아버지는 어디에 계시나요? (jeo-eui a-beo-ji-neun eo-di-e gye-si-na-yo?)

(Where is my father?)

Person B: 저의 아버지는 직장에 계시네요. (jeo-eui a-beo-ji-neun jik-jang-e gye-si-ne-yo.)

(Your father is at work.)

Person A: 저의 아버지는 언제 집으로 돌아올까요? (jeo-eui a-beo-ji-neun eon-je jib-eu-ro dol-a-ol-kka-yo?)

(When will my father come home?)

Person B: 저의 아버지는 저녁 7시에 집으로 돌아올 거예요. (jeo-eui a-beo-ji-neun jeo-nyeog 7-si-e jib-eu-ro dol-a-ol geo-ye-yo.)

(Your father will come home at 7:00 PM.)

Dad in Korean| The meaning of 아빠 appa in Korean

The informal way to say father/dad in Korean language is 아빠 [a-ppa]. You can use it to address your own father in Korean.

If you want to say “My dad in Korean”, just say the word “우리 아빠 [u-ri appa],” which means “our dad” where ” (uri)” is translated as “our ” and appa in Korean means “father.”

When to use

You can use this form while talking about your own parents with friends.

How to use 

What does your daddy look like? 

너희 아빤 어떻게 생겼니?

Dad is retired now. 

우리 아빠는 이제 은퇴하셨어요.

Is it OK if I borrow the car, Dad? 

아빠, 저 차 좀 빌려 가도 돼요?

My dad loves going to football games. 

우리 아빠는 축구 경기장에 가시는 걸 아주 좋아하신다.

‘Dad, can I borrow the car?’ 

“아빠, 저 차 좀 빌려 가도 돼요?

My father is wiping off the window. 

아빠는 창문을 닦고 계신다

My dad hates it when I talk back to him. 

우리 아빠는 내가 말대꾸하는 걸 아주 싫어하셔

conversation using dad in Korean

Here is a sample conversation in Korean using the word “아빠” (appa), which means “dad” in Korean:

Person A: 저의 아빠는 어디에 계시나요? (jeo-eui appa-neun eo-di-e gye-si-na-yo?)

(Where is my dad?)

Person B: 저의 아빠는 직장에 계시네요. (jeo-eui appa-neun jik-jang-e gye-si-ne-yo.)

(Your dad is at work.)

Person A: 저의 아빠는 언제 집으로 돌아올까요? (jeo-eui appa-neun eon-je jib-eu-ro dol-a-ol-kka-yo?)

(When will my dad come home?)

Person B: 저의 아빠는 저녁 7시에 집으로 돌아올 거예요. (jeo-eui appa-neun jeo-nyeog 7-si-e jib-eu-ro dol-a-ol geo-ye-yo.)

(Your dad will come home at 7:00 PM.)

Formal father in Korean| How do you say dad in Korean?

The formal way to say father in Korean is 아버님 [a-beo-nim]. As this is a formal word, you can use it when addressing your father in formal situations or in situations when you just want to sound extra respectful.

When to use

You can use this form when you are meeting a friend’s parents for the first time.

If you are Meeting your girlfriend or boyfriend’s dad for the first few times, you can use the Korean word for dad “아버님 [a-beo-nim]” to address him with respect. 

How to use 

We’re sorry to hear that your father’s in the hospital again. 

당신 아버님께서 또 입원하셨다니 안됐군요.

Did you hear about Mary’s father? 

메리 아버님 소식 들었어요?

What does your father do? 

아버님은 무슨 일을 하세요?

My father reached the age of sixty this year. 

아버님은 올해 환갑을 맞으셨다

Her father was sporting a black suit. 

그녀의 아버님이 까만 양복을 입고 계셨어요.

I’ve been supporting my family ever since my father died. 

아버님이 돌아가신 후로 줄곧 가족들을 부양해 오고 있어요

how to say ‘My father’ in Korean?

Now that you know how to say father in Korean language, it’s time to use it in how to use it in different ways like

If you want to say “my dad in Korean”, you can say 내/제 엄마( ‘nae/jeh appa’). 

However, Koreans don’t like to say it this way.

You should say “우리 아빠(uri appa)” when you want to say “my father,” which literally translates to ‘our father’. Here ‘uri’ (우리) directly means “we.”

This phrase can be used to refer to your own biological father, or it can be used to refer to someone else’s father in a casual or informal context.

Here are a few example sentences using the phrase “우리 아빠” (u-li appa), which means “our dad” in Korean:

Our dad is at home.

“우리 아빠가 집에 있어요.”

(u-li appa-ga jip-e is-sseo-yo)

Our dad gets a lot of stress when he works.

“우리 아빠는 일할 때 스트레스가 많아요.”

(u-li appa-neun il-hal ddae seu-teu-re-seu-ga manh-a-yo) – “

The knowledge that our dad gave us has really helped us.

“우리 아빠가 우리에게 준 지식이 정말 도움이 됐어요.”

(u-li appa-ga u-li-e-ge jun ji-sik-i jeong-mal do-woom-i dwaess-sseo-yo) – “

Our dad is drawing a picture at our house

“우리 아빠는 우리 집에서 그림을 그리고 있어요.”

(u-li appa-neun u-li jib-e-seo geu-rim-eul geu-ri-go iss-eo-yo)

Our dad is taller than our mom.

“우리 아빠가 우리 어머니보다 키가 크죠.”

(u-li appa-ga u-li eo-meo-ni-bo-da ki-ga keu-jyo)

How do you say “This is my father” in Korean?

when you are talking with someone and you want to introduce your father, you can say an expression like “This is my father/ dad”.

Here’s how to say this is my dad in Korean language.

To say “This is my father” in Korean, you can use the phrase “이게 나의 아빠예요” (i-ge na-eui appa-ye-yo). The word “이게” (i-ge) means “this,” “나의” (na-eui) means “my,” and “아빠” (appa) means “father.” The particle “예요” (ye-yo) is a formal way of saying “is.”

you can say “This is my father” in Korean in 3 ways depending on the age of the person or situation you are in.

• Formal: (제 아버지예요)jae abeoji-yeyo/ (제 아버지입니다)jae abeoji-ipnida
• Informal way: (내 아빠야)nae apbba-ya
• Very Formal way : (저의 아버님이십니다)jeo-eui abeonim-isipnida

Here’s an example conversation using this phrase:

Person A: Who is this person?

이 사람은 누구예요? (i sa-ram-eun nu-gu-ye-yo?)

Person B: This is my father.

이게 나의 아빠예요. (i-ge na-eui appa-ye-yo.)

It’s also worth noting that you can use the formal term for “father,” 아버지 (ah-beo-ji), in place of 아빠 (ah-ppa) if you want to show more respect or formality.

Parents’ day in korea

Now you may ask, is there a Father’s Day in Korea?

The answer is yes and no.

Both fathers and fathers share a special holiday called Parent’s Day (어버의날) in May.

It’s a pretty big day for parents, and they are usually given flowers, taken out to dinner, and given money.

In South Korea, Parents’ Day (어버이날, eo-beo-ee-nal) is a holiday that is celebrated on May 8th each year.

It is a day to honor and show appreciation for one’s parents and the role they play in the family and society.

On Parents’ Day, people often give gifts or cards to their parents or express their love and gratitude through words or actions.

It is also common for people to visit their parents or elders on this day, or to hold special events or gatherings to celebrate and honor their parents.

Parents’ Day is a relatively new holiday in South Korea, having only been officially designated as a national holiday in 1973.

Here are a few common ways that people celebrate this day

1. Giving gifts or cards:
2. On Parents’ Day, many people give gifts or cards to their parents as a way to show their appreciation and love. This can be something small and simple, like a bouquet of flowers or a handwritten note, or it can be something more elaborate, like a special meal or a thoughtful gift.
3. Visiting or spending time with parents: Many people use Parents’ Day as an opportunity to visit their parents or spend quality time with them. This could involve going out for a meal, taking a walk together, or simply spending the day at home and enjoying each other’s company.
4. Expressing gratitude: Parents’ Day is a good time to express your gratitude and appreciation for your parents. This can be through words, such as telling them how much you appreciate all that they have done for you, or through actions, such as helping with household chores or tasks.
5. Special events or gatherings: Some people may celebrate Parents’ Day by holding special events or gatherings, such as family dinners, parties, or other celebrations. This can be a good way to bring everyone together and show your love and appreciation for your parents.

How To Memorize Days Of The Week In Korean In Minutes & Never Forgets It?

Anki Isn’t The Only Game In Town. watch a drama

Did you know you can do a mini-series and master how to say dad in Korean language?

Well, what could be better than that?

Here is how Koreans do it all the time (now you can do it too!!!)

https://www.tatlerasia.com/culture/entertainment/sg-best-fathers-in-Korean-dramas

Use Flashcard And Test

Maybe drama is not your thing. What about flashcards?

I know it’s an old thing(you might be using Anki too)

But When it comes to mastering Korean vocabulary, you will never regret using these fellas. 

Here is the list 

https://www.studystack.com/flashcard-100728

https://quizlet.com/417771054/Korean-family-terms-maternal-pt-6-flash-cards/

Other Online Resources

We live in the era of the 20th century. 

And I bet you  love to surf (well, who doesn’t?)

The internet is full of free stuff and language resources that you haven’t explored yet. Here is what I found when I was learning day of the week in Korean

Here is a list (I hope it might help you)

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Korean_terms_of_family_and_kinship

Korean Family and Kinship Terms

Conclusion

Great job. You finally know how to say dad in Korean.

If you are ever unsure of how to say father in Korean, then it is best to stick with what you know and use 괜찮아요 (Gwaenchanayo),괜찮아 (Gwaenchana),알았어 (arasseo),네 (ne).

All these words are widely used and accepted in Korea.

Well, it’s time for you to apply it in real life and improve your pronunciation.

So go out and next time you get a chance to say father in Korean, just use any of these as much as you can.

Koreans will understand you even if you got it wrong. 

Looking for more Korean phrases and when to use them you can check out our other articles on this topic.

Here are some recommended lessons:

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• How To Say Goodbye In Korean
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