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Korean vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "uncle" in Korean?
삼촌
samchon
In Korean, "uncle" is 삼촌 (samchon).
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Pronunciation
Samchon is even, sam-CHON, the first syllable nasal and short, the second closing firmly like the English name 'John' without the j.
Writing and usage
삼촌 is written using hangul. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
삼촌이 낚시하는 법을 가르쳐 주셨어요.
samchoni naksihaneun beobeul gareuchyeo jusyeosseoyo.
My uncle taught me how to fish.
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How to remember 삼촌
Uncle Samchon sounds a bit like 'Sam' plus 'chon', so picture a specific Uncle Sam at every family dinner.
Related words
- grandfather 할아버지 harabeoji
- grandmother 할머니 halmeoni
- aunt 이모 imo
- nephew 조카 joka
- niece 조카딸 jokattal
- cousin 사촌 sachon
- stepfather 계부 gyebu
- stepmother 계모 gyemo
- godfather 대부 daebu
Browse all Korean words in the glossary.
Questions about 삼촌
How do you pronounce 삼촌?
Samchon is even, sam-CHON, the first syllable nasal and short, the second closing firmly like the English name 'John' without the j.
Is 삼촌 formal or casual?
삼촌 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is 삼촌 written in Korean?
삼촌 is written using hangul. Romanised, it reads as samchon.
Where can I practice Korean words for free?
You can play free Korean minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Korean glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Uncle" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
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