Marriage & Long-Term Relationships: Korean Commitment Vocabulary
Once a relationship moves from dating toward something more permanent, a new layer of vocabulary comes into play — meeting the family, moving in together, engagement, and marriage. Here’s the vocabulary for that whole stage of a relationship.
Meeting the Family
Korean
Romanization
English
부모님께 인사드리다
bumonimkke insadeurida
To formally greet/meet someone’s parents
시댁
sidaek
Husband’s family home/in-laws (used by the wife)
처가
cheoga
Wife’s family home/in-laws (used by the husband)
Cultural note: Korean has separate, specific terms for “in-laws” depending on which side of the family and who is speaking — this reflects how significant and formally recognized the in-law relationship is within Korean family structure, more distinctly than a single catch-all English term like “in-laws” suggests.
Engagement and Proposal Vocabulary
Korean
Romanization
English
청혼
cheonghon
Proposal (marriage)
저와 결혼해 주시겠어요?
jeowa gyeolhonhae jusigesseoyo?
Will you marry me? (polite, formal)
약혼
yakhon
Engagement
약혼자
yakhonja
Fiancé(e)
Marriage Vocabulary
Korean
Romanization
English
결혼
gyeolhon
Marriage
결혼식
gyeolhonsik
Wedding ceremony
남편
nampyeon
Husband
아내
anae
Wife
신혼부부
sinhonbubu
Newlywed couple
Living Together Before Marriage
Historically less common than in many Western countries, cohabitation before marriage (동거, donggeo) has become increasingly common among younger generations in Korea, though attitudes still vary significantly by family and region. It’s a useful cultural note if you’re navigating a real relationship rather than just building vocabulary — expectations here can differ noticeably from Western norms depending on the families involved.
This wraps up the Dating & Relationships cluster — head back to the dating vocabulary pillar guide for links to every post in this series, from falling in love through to this final commitment stage.
Cultural attitudes toward marriage and cohabitation vary significantly by generation, region, and family. Pronunciation audio uses your browser’s built-in text-to-speech.
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