Chuseok, Korea's biggest holiday, is coming up. It's a day where everyone gathers, and if you're spending it with a Korean family, knowing what to call everyone makes the day a lot less confusing. Let's go through the family titles you'll actually need!

Your Own Siblings

Let’s start with the basics. Korean sibling titles change depending on your own gender, not just theirs.

• 형: how a younger brother calls his older brother
• 오빠: how a younger sister calls her older brother
• 누나: how a younger brother calls his older sister
• 언니: how a younger sister calls her older sister
• 동생: younger sibling, used for both brothers and sisters

So the same older brother gets called 형 by one sibling and 오빠 by another, depending on who's speaking.

친가: Your Father's Side

• 할아버지 / 할머니 — grandfather and grandmother
• 큰아버지 — father's older brother
• 작은아버지 — father's younger brother
• 고모 — father's sister
• 큰어머니 — 큰아버지's wife
• 작은어머니 — 작은아버지's wife
• 고모부 — 고모's husband
• 사촌 — cousins, the children of any of the above

외가: Your Mother's Side

• 외할아버지 / 외할머니 — grandfather and grandmother on your mother's side
• 외삼촌 — mother's brother
• 이모 — mother's sister
• 외숙모 — 외삼촌's wife
• 이모부 — 이모's husband
• 외사촌 — cousins on your mother's side

The pattern to remember: anything on your mother's side gets an 외 attached to the front. Once that clicks, 친가 and 외가 stop being confusing.

Marrying In

Once you're married, you pick up a whole new set of titles for your spouse's family.

If you're the wife, addressing your husband's side (시댁):

• 시아버지 / 시어머니 — father-in-law and mother-in-law
• 시아주버니 — husband's older brother
• 시동생 — husband's younger brother
• 시누이 — husband's sister

If you're the husband, addressing your wife's side (처가):

• 장인어른 / 장모님 — father-in-law and mother-in-law
• 처남 — wife's brother
• 처형 — wife's older sister
• 처제 — wife's younger sister

Siblings' Spouses

• 형수 — older brother's wife
• 매형 / 자형 — older sister's husband
• 올케 — brother's wife, from a sister's perspective
• 제부 — younger sister's husband

Instead of memorizing the whole list at once, work through it in order:

1. Figure out how the person relates to your parents — sibling, sibling's spouse, or their kid
2. Check whether it's 친가 or 외가 — if it's your mother's side, expect an 외
3. If you're still stuck, just ask quietly 🤫

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