Ajumma (), sometimes spelled ahjumma or ajoomma, is a

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...

word for a married, or middle-aged woman. It comes from the Korean word ''ajumeoni'' (). Although it is sometimes translated "

aunt An aunt is a woman who is a sibling of a parent or married to a sibling of a parent. Aunts who are related by birth are second-degree relatives. Alternate terms include auntie or aunty. Aunt, auntie, and aunty also may be titles bestowed b ...

", it does not actually refer to a close family relationship. It is most often used to refer to a middle-aged or older woman since referring to an elder by name without a title in Korea is not socially acceptable. 'Ajumma' is a less polite term than 'ajumeoni', which means the same thing but is more respectful. In circumstances where the addressed person is not considerably older than the speaker, or is socially higher than the speaker, it is highly likely that the addressee will be offended when called ''ajumma''. Therefore it is better to use 'ajumeoni', 'eomonim' (a respectful term for someone else's mother), or 'samonim'.

Discussion

An ''ajumma'' is neither a young unmarried woman (''agassi'') or grandmother (''halmoni''). Typically she would be a married woman with children, although not necessarily so. On the other hand, the Korean word samonim was originally interpreted as "wife of mentor" or "wife of superior" and describes a married woman of high social status. The Lonely Planet guide to Seoul describes ''ajumma'' as a term of respect, but it can be used in a mildly pejorative sense as well. An ''ajumma'' is often a restaurant worker, street vendor, or housewife. However, when ''ajumma'' is used in the sense of "aunties", it does not refer to a family relationship, and aunts in the family are not called "''ajumma''" in the Korean language, instead being referred to as "''imo''" (). Korean feminists believe the low status of ''ajumma'' reflects widespread sexism and classism in Korean culture, particularly the idea that a woman's worth can be assessed mainly on the basis of her age, looks and docility. However, ''ajumma'' are Koreans' mothers, who despite their modest social status, ''ajumma'' are significant contributors to Korea's economy and society.

References

{{Reflist, 2 Korean words and phrases Women in Korea