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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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 Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 5:55 am Post subject: Ajossi and Ajuma |
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| What's it mean say if someone calls you a ajossi or ajuma. What does it translate to exactly? How would you feel, as a foreigner, if someone called you that? |
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metalhead
Joined: 18 May 2010
Location: Toilet
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 5:57 am Post subject: |
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| I take it your Korean studies are not going well then? |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 5:58 am Post subject: |
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| metalhead wrote: |
| I take it your Korean studies are not going well then? |
I am taking the second installment tomorrow, as a matter-of-fact. |
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metalhead
Joined: 18 May 2010
Location: Toilet
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 6:03 am Post subject: |
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Ah okay, good luck with it and all. In Korea long-term then?
As for the OP, if a random stranger called me that to get my attention in the street or something, I would not take offense. If one of my students called me an ajeoshi, I would take it as a slight. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 6:09 am Post subject: |
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| metalhead wrote: |
Ah okay, good luck with it and all. In Korea long-term then?
As for the OP, if a random stranger called me that to get my attention in the street or something, I would not take offense. If one of my students called me an ajeoshi, I would take it as a slight. |
This is a university student. I teach at a university and know the person just a little bit and said she can't call me that.
Call me teacher or my name, but calling me that in gest isn't my cup of tea. I hear you about some random person calling me that. I've got no problem with that. I don't know if I am here long-term. I've lived here before. I may renew. I am trying to learn as much as I can, so I can understand the place more, and I like languages. I think you can get a tonne more out of Korea if you get a lot of the lingo down, and that's what I am aiming to do. I've come a long way.
Last edited by Adventurer on Mon Nov 07, 2011 6:30 am; edited 1 time in total |
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The Floating World
Joined: 01 Oct 2011
Location: Here
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 6:25 am Post subject: |
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It all depends on context.
If you're a young man and a young girl is saying it in a mocking voice - its mocking and suggesting you're an old geezer.
If you are over 30 and they're younger than you and it's said in just a generally, addressing way - no big deal and is the same as they would say to a Korean man that age. Hell I've had Korean guys older than me call me it when they needed to get my attention. It's essentially the same as someone in the west calling you 'Mister.' |
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UknowsI
Joined: 16 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 7:35 am Post subject: |
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From my limited understanding, I would guess that she should call you teacher or professor if she is your student, but that it would otherwise not be rude to call you ajossi if you're 30 or above.
Lots of girls also use the word to annoy guys by making them feel old. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 7:48 am Post subject: |
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Adjoshi will simple denote you as "older man" if its used by someone younger outside of a formal setting.
I school, it would be son saeng nim if you are the person's teacher.
Its not rude. |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 8:18 am Post subject: |
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| PatrickGHBusan wrote: |
Adjoshi will simple denote you as "older man" if its used by someone younger outside of a formal setting.
I school, it would be son saeng nim if you are the person's teacher.
Its not rude. |
Right-oh. Good show, old man. |
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shifty
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 8:23 am Post subject: |
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| Adventurer wrote: |
| I've come a long way. |
This means you're an adjoshie big time.
Don't stand on ceremony, just hold out palms and rake in the bucks. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 11:36 am Post subject: |
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Exact dictionary meaning is uncle & aunt. Colloquial meaning is Mr. and Mr. If you don't look like a university student or younger people will call you adjossi or adjumma.
One of your actual students shouldn't be calling you that, but isn't considered outright rude. You might be giving them the standard confusing statements foreigners give by saying call you by your name. When a Korean would say call them 'teacher' or 'professor'. So your students maybe confused. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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My students call me Mr. "Myth"
My colleagues also
From random strangers it's usually "adjosshi"
No biggie. |
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eamo
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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| A man need never feel slighted if called ajeossi.......but many women don't like being called ajumma! |
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chrisinkorea2011
Joined: 16 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 4:31 pm Post subject: |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
Exact dictionary meaning is uncle & aunt. Colloquial meaning is Mr. and Mr. If you don't look like a university student or younger people will call you adjossi or adjumma.
One of your actual students shouldn't be calling you that, but isn't considered outright rude. You might be giving them the standard confusing statements foreigners give by saying call you by your name. When a Korean would say call them 'teacher' or 'professor'. So your students maybe confused. |
Not to bust your chops on that, but the dictionary meaning you gave is wrong, rather your colloquial meaning is correct
아저씨 = sir, mister, mr.
아줌마 = ma'am, madam etc
When someone calls you one of these it can be taken quite a few ways but usually it is for someone who is above a certain age bracket and/or married. Its not uncommon to call a married young guy ahjushi or woman ahjuma. If they are calling you that, correct them and tell them to call you teacher or professor (교사, 교수,강사,선생) one of those lol
just for the record the terms uncle and aunt have TONS of ways to say them. (it depends on which side of your family and if they are older OR younger than your dad/mom) it can get REALLY confusing
Uncle - 이모부, 삼촌, 고모부, 큰아버지, 작은아버지
Aunt - 이모, 고모, 큰어머니, 작은어머니, 숙모 |
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wishfullthinkng
Joined: 05 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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| chrisinkorea2011 wrote: |
| When someone calls you one of these it can be taken quite a few ways but usually it is for someone who is above a certain age bracket and/or married. Its not uncommon to call a married young guy ahjushi or woman ahjuma. If they are calling you that, correct them and tell them to call you teacher or professor (교사, 교수,강사,선생) one of those lol |
chris got it right. adjosshi and adjumma both also have the trait of being married linked to them. in fact many koreans will tell you it means "married man" or "married woman" or "just someone over 30".
foreigners for some twisted reason tend to put a negative connotation with those words when there shouldn't be. just like the words "mr." or "mrs." they can be used to give a younger person a tease but they are not inherently negative. |
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