Key Facts
- Hangul: 우리; Revised Romanization: uri
- Part of speech: pronoun
- Origin: native
- Register: Neutral; also used for 'our' (e.g. 우리 집). Humble form is 저희.
We in Korean: What Does 우리 Mean?
우리 works as a pronoun for we and us, and it also serves as the word for our. The register is neutral, and the humble form is 저희, used with elders or customers. Koreans often say 우리 where English says "my", which is the cultural point of this word.
How Do You Pronounce 우리?
Two syllables, u and ri, said "uri". The r in ri is a quick tap of the tongue, closer to a soft d than an English r.
Example Sentences with 우리
우리는 친구예요.
Urineun chinguyeyo.
We are friends.
The topic marker follows 우리, and 친구예요 means are friends, a basic sentence of belonging.
우리 집에 오세요.
Uri jibe oseyo.
Please come to our house.
Here 우리 sits before 집 and works as our, with 오세요 as the polite invitation to come.
우리 같이 점심 먹어요.
Uri gachi jeomsim meogeoyo.
Let us eat lunch together.
같이 means together, and 먹어요 is a suggestion form, so this reads as a friendly "let us eat".
Common Phrases and Collocations
Three fixed phrases show 우리 turning into a family word.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 우리 집 | our house / my home |
| 우리 가족 | our family / my family |
| 우리나라 | our country |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: translating word for word and always using 제 (my) for your family and home.
Correct: say 우리 (our), as in 우리 엄마 and 우리 집, even when only one person is meant. 제 is not a grammar error, but 우리 is what Koreans normally say here.
우리 Compared with Similar Words
저희 is the humble we, for elders or customers. 너희 is the casual plural you. 우리나라 is our country, written as one word with no space.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 저희 | we (humble) | Humble form used with elders or customers. |
| 우리나라 | our country | Written together without a space. |
| 너희 | you (plural, casual) | Plural 'you'. |
Background on 우리
우리 집 and 우리 가족 can refer to the speaker’s own home and family when talking to an outsider. The listener uses the situation to understand whose home or family is meant.
Making a Plan at School
Two classmates are arranging a visit after school. One uses 우리 집 for their own home; the other does not need to share that home.
Jisu
오늘 우리 집에 올래요?
Oneul uri jibe ollaeyo?
Would you like to come to my place today?
Alex
좋아요. 우리 같이 숙제해요.
Joayo. Uri gachi sukjehaeyo.
Sounds good. Let’s do our homework together.
Jisu
네, 우리 동생도 있어요.
Ne, uri dongsaengdo isseoyo.
Okay. My younger sibling will be there too.
Alex
그럼 학교 끝나고 같이 가요.
Geureom hakgyo kkeunnago gachi gayo.
Then let’s go together after school.
In the first and third lines, 우리 집 and 우리 동생 refer to Jisu’s home and sibling. In the second line, 우리 includes both classmates doing the homework. The same pronoun can mark personal belonging or a group, so follow the noun and the situation.
When Does 우리 Mean “My”?
우리 엄마 usually means “my mom” when one person mentions their mother to a friend. It does not claim that the listener has the same mother. 우리 집 works similarly for “my place”, and 우리 학교 can mean the school the speaker attends even when the listener studies elsewhere.
These are familiar patterns for family, home and groups you belong to. They do not make 우리 a replacement for every English “my”. A personal item such as your passport may simply take 제, the polite word for “my”. Choose the expression that fits the relationship rather than replacing possessives mechanically.
The possessive particle 의 is often absent in familiar combinations. 우리 집 is already “our house” or “my home”; you do not need to add 의 for the phrase to work. Keep the space between 우리 and 집. 우리나라 is a lexical exception written together, as the existing comparison shows.
Does 우리 Include the Listener?
우리 does not itself mark whether the listener belongs to the group. In 우리 같이 점심 먹어요, the invitation includes the person being addressed. In 우리 가족, the speaker may be talking to someone outside the family. English translations often make this distinction through the surrounding conversation too.
저희 lowers the speaker’s own group when addressing someone respectfully. A shop employee may use it for the staff or business when speaking to a customer. It is not simply a more polite replacement in every sentence containing “we”: check whose group you are naming and whether the listener is part of it.
Adding 요 to a sentence and choosing 저희 do different jobs. The dialogue uses polite endings with 우리 naturally. Those endings address the listener politely, while the pronoun identifies the group or relationship being discussed.
Where Will You Hear 우리?
Family conversations and dramas use 우리 before relatives’ names or family terms. A character saying 우리 엄마 is usually talking about their own mother. Team members also use 우리 팀 for the team they belong to or support. In these phrases, “our” signals a connection, not legal ownership.
Related Pronouns and Possessives
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 저 | I, humble | Common when introducing yourself politely. |
| 제 | my, humble | A shortened form of 저의. |
| 나 | I, casual | Used with close friends or younger people. |
| 내 | my, casual | A shortened form of 나의. |
| 너희 | you, plural and casual | Addresses the other group rather than naming your own. |
The pronouns lesson teaches these choices together. 우리 is already plural in meaning; you can use it without adding 들 just to translate English “we”.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 우리 엄마 mean the listener and speaker must be siblings?
- Can a polite sentence ending in 요 use 우리?
- Which spelling is correct for “our country”: 우리 나라 or 우리나라?
Show answers
- No. It commonly means the speaker’s own mother.
- Yes. 우리 works with polite endings.
- 우리나라 is written as one word.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say we in Korean?
Say 우리 (uri).
How do I say our house?
Say 우리 집, as in the second example.
When should I use 저희 instead?
Use 저희 as the humble we with elders or customers.
Is 우리나라 two words?
No. It is written together as one word.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: the pronouns word list sets this word beside I, you and others.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add this word to the vocabulary flashcard decks.