Addressing Family Members

In Korea,  family relations are important and family gatherings are regular events.  Unfortunately, the various names and titles used to address family members can be a bit complicated.  When Korean Speak of "family,'  they are most likely referring only to grandparents, parents, and siblings.  In Koran culture, family members are referred to by a title that describes their relation to the speaker,  rather than by their first name.  

For members of the husband's family, the prefix 시 (si) is attached before the title used to refer to the family member, while the prefix  친정 (chin-jeong) is attached when referring to members of the wife's family.

        

For example, the husband's parents would be referred to as 

시아버지 (Si-a-beo-ji) 

시어머니 (Si-eo-meo-ni) 

 his older brother as 시아주버니 (Si-a-ju-beo-ni)

 his younger brother as 시동생 (Si-dong-saeng)

 his sisters as 시누 (Si-nu)

One must be careful when addressing the members of one's husband's family, as the titles used to refer to family members are slightly altered when the speaker actually addresses them directly.  Rather than adding the suffix used to refer to the husband's family members, the speaker must use the title in its original form. 

For example, one's husband's parents would be addressed as 

아버지 (A-beo-ji) 

어머니 (Eo-meo-ni)

 his older brother as 아주버니 (A-ju-beo-ni). 

If the younger brother is married, he is addressed as 서방님 (Seo-bang-nim), 

and if he is not, he should be called 도련님 ( Do-ryeo-nim). 

If the husband's older sister is married, she is addressed as 형님 (Hyeong-nim), but if she is not, she should be called 아가씨(A-ga-ssi). 

The husband's younger sister is also addressed as 아가씨.

In this way, the titles used for family members consider many factors: whether the person is male or female, married or single, and whether you are talking about them, or talking directly to them.  

In addition, when the husband's parents address their son's wife, they will usually call her 

아가야(A-ga-ya).  

The husband's younger brothers will call the wife 형수 ( hyeong-su), while 

the older brothers will use 제수씨 (Je-su-ssi).  

The sisters will address her as 올케 (Ol-ke).