Korean word

부인

Pronunciation

Romanizationpuin

Meaning

  • nounwife

Example

옆집 부인은 아이들을 잘 돌봐요.yeop jjip pu i neun a i deu reul chal tol bwa yo

Our next-door neighbor's wife takes good care of the children.

Illustration for 부인 (wife)

More examples

주말마다 부인과 함께 산책해요.chu mal ma da pu in gwa ham kke san chae kae yo

I take a walk with my wife every weekend.

Core concept

A respectful way to refer to another person's wife, or to a married woman in a formal setting.

Common phrases

  • 부인과 함께pu in gwa ham kke

    with one's wife

  • 부인의 건강pu i nui keon gang

    one's wife's health

  • 우리 부인u ri pu in

    my wife

Similar words

아내anae: A married woman who shares a home and daily life with a spouse.
와이프waipeu: A casual term for a wife, borrowed from English.
배우자paeuja: A formal term for a person joined to another in a legally recognized marriage.

Definition in Korean

타인의 아내를 높여 부르거나 격식 있는 자리에서 결혼한 여성을 지칭할 때 쓰는 명사ta i nui a nae reul no pyeo pu reu geo na kyeok ssik in neun cha ri e seo kyeol hon han yeo seong eul chi ching hal ttae sseu neun myeong sa

Word origin

The word comes from the Sino-Korean term meaning a married woman or a respected wife.

Usage tips

  • It has a more formal tone than the everyday word for a spouse, so it is often better for polite descriptions than casual family talk.

Other meanings

  • Mrsnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word