Key Facts
- Hangul: 이모; Revised Romanization: imo
- Part of speech: noun
- Syllables: 2 (i-mo)
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 姨母 (姨 mother's sister + 母 mother)
- Register: Neutral; used for the mother's sister, and casually for female staff in some restaurants.
Maternal Aunt in Korean: What Does 이모 Mean?
이모 is your mother's sister. It is a neutral word in family talk. The father's sister is a different word, 고모, and the mother's brother is 외삼촌. In some restaurants, customers also call older female staff 이모, in a friendly, casual way, even though there is no family link.
How Do You Pronounce 이모?
이모 has two syllables, i and mo, both simple open vowels. There are no final consonants to learn, so each syllable is short and even. Revised Romanization writes imo.
Example Sentences with 이모
이모는 부산에 살아요.
Imoneun busane sarayo.
My aunt lives in Busan.
이모는 부산에 살아요 says "my aunt lives in Busan". 부산에 uses 에 for the place where someone lives.
이모가 선물을 줬어요.
Imoga seonmureul jwosseoyo.
My aunt gave me a present.
이모가 선물을 줬어요 is "my aunt gave me a present". 선물을 is the gift and 줬어요 is "gave".
이모와 같이 시장에 갔어요.
Imowa gachi sijange gasseoyo.
I went to the market with my aunt.
이모와 같이 시장에 갔어요 uses 와 같이, "together with", and 시장에 is "to the market". The verb 갔어요 is the past of going.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 큰이모 | mother's eldest sister |
| 이모부 | husband of a maternal aunt |
| 이모네 집 | aunt's house |
큰이모 is the eldest of your mother's sisters, 이모부 is the husband of a maternal aunt and 이모네 집 is your aunt's house. 네 after the noun turns a person into "the family of" or "the place of".
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 이모 for your father's sister.
Correct: ✓ 고모 for the father's sister; 이모 for the mother's sister.
Why: Korean tracks which side of the family a relative comes from, so the two aunts have different words.
이모 Compared with Related Words
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 이모 | maternal aunt | The word on this page. |
| 고모 | paternal aunt | The father's sister. |
| 외삼촌 | maternal uncle | The mother's brother. |
The pairing 이모 and 외삼촌 covers the mother's siblings, while 고모 sits on the father's side.
Where Does the Word Come From?
이모 is Sino-Korean, written 姨母 in hanja: 姨 means mother's sister and 母 means mother. The hanja encode the same family link as the word.
Arranging a Visit to Your Aunt
An adult niece calls her mother’s sister to arrange a weekend visit. She uses the family title directly when greeting her aunt.
Niece
이모, 토요일에 집에 계세요?
Imo, toyoire jibe gyeseyo?
Auntie, will you be home on Saturday?
Aunt
응. 왜?
Eung. Wae?
Yes. Why?
Niece
엄마랑 같이 갈게요.
Eommarang gachi galgeyo.
I’ll come with Mom.
Aunt
그래. 점심 같이 먹자.
Geurae. Jeomsim gachi meokja.
All right. Let’s have lunch together.
계세요 is the respectful form used to ask whether the aunt is at home. The niece keeps polite endings, while the aunt answers casually to a younger relative. This difference is natural in many families. Other families use different speech habits, so the family title alone does not tell you which ending every person will choose.
How Do You Use 이모 as a Family Title?
이모 can stand alone when you call your aunt, just as “Auntie” can in English. When talking about her, 우리 이모 is common even if you mean “my aunt”. 우리 literally means “our”, but in family expressions it often presents a relative as belonging to your family; it does not prove that your listener shares the same aunt.
이모네 means your aunt’s household or place. In 이모네 집, 네 attaches to the family title and 집 names the house. The expression concerns the aunt’s home, not a special kind of building. You may hear the shorter 이모네 when the destination is already clear from the conversation.
이모부 is your maternal aunt’s husband. Marriage creates this title; your mother’s brother has a different one, 외삼촌. English “uncle” can cover both relationships, so first ask whether the person is your mother’s sibling or her sister’s husband. That question gives you the Korean word more reliably than the English label alone.
Where Will You Hear 이모 outside the Family?
Children may be introduced to a parent’s close female friend as 이모. Here the word expresses a familiar social relationship rather than a literal place on the family tree. In a drama, hearing a child call someone 이모 therefore does not establish that the women are sisters. The surrounding dialogue must supply that information.
The restaurant use also relies on familiarity. Some customers call female staff 이모 in a small, informal restaurant, especially where regulars know the staff. That does not make it a universal service title. 저기요, “excuse me”, lets you get someone’s attention without assigning a family relationship or guessing their age.
Family Words to Learn beside 이모
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 엄마 | mom | The parent whose sister is your 이모. |
| 이모부 | maternal aunt’s husband | Related through marriage to your mother’s sister. |
| 외삼촌 | maternal uncle | Your mother’s brother. |
| 조카 | niece or nephew | What you are to your aunt; the word covers both. |
The family vocabulary lesson shows the wider set of relationships. Compare 고모, paternal aunt, before translating an English sentence that simply says “my aunt”. The speaker’s family connection determines the choice.
Quick Self-Test
- Your father’s sister visits. Is she your 이모?
- Is 이모부 your mother’s brother?
- If a child calls a family friend 이모, must she be related by birth?
Show answers
- No. She is your 고모.
- No. 이모부 is your maternal aunt’s husband; 외삼촌 is your mother’s brother.
- No. 이모 can also be a familiar title for a parent’s female friend.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "maternal aunt" in Korean?
Maternal aunt in Korean is 이모 (imo), your mother's sister.
What is the word for the father's sister?
The father's sister is 고모, not 이모.
What is 이모부?
It is the husband of a maternal aunt.
Why are restaurant staff called 이모?
It is a casual, friendly way to address female staff in some restaurants.
What is 큰이모?
It is the eldest sister of your mother.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Korean family vocabulary groups 이모 with other relatives.
- Index: Korean words A to Z lists every single-word entry.
- Compare: paternal aunt is the father's sister.
- See also: mom is the parent link to this aunt.
- Practice: vocabulary flashcard decks lets you add 이모 to a spaced-repetition set.