All About Baby! Baby-Related Korean Vocabulary

안녕 하세요! 

This article will share baby-related Korean vocabulary, from the stages of pregnancy to the early years of the baby, including some medical terms Korean celebrated events for a baby. Whether you are a current or aspiring parent, a child’s relative, or just a person who loves babies, this article will be your go-to guide for talking about babies in Korean.

Pregnancy

Without a doubt, pregnancy brings joy to mothers and fathers around the world. Of course, for some women it comes along with difficulties and even dangers. The experience of pregnancy can be divided into stages, called trimesters. So, let’s dive in from the stage of the first trimester.

First trimester

Korean people from ancient times to the present have believed that a baby in the mother’s womb should have a name different from its given name after being born. This name is locally known as  태명 [taemyeong]. Some even believe that the uglier the name is, the more the baby will strive to be healthy and survive.

And when somebody dreams a sign of pregnancy, such as a dream about a remarkably huge fruit or an animal, especially a dragon, this is considered to be a 태몽 [taemong]. Sometimes this dream comes to the parents or close relatives of the couple having a baby.

* I am pregnant. = 나는 임신이다. [naneun imshinida].

* Parking space for pregnant women =임산부 주차 자리 [imsanboo joocha jari]

A visit to the Doctor

Your doctor will definitely congratulate you with the words “축하합니다 [chookhahamnida]” (congratulations). 

The doctor will also inform you about the conditions of your pregnancy.

Precautions to take

There are of course precautions or 주의 사항 [jooyi sahang] to take all throughout a pregnancy. 

*을/를 are suffixes used in these expressions. 을[eul] is used when the word ends with a consonant and 를[reul] when the word ends with a vowel.

Second trimester maternal changes

* Stillbirth is called 사산[sasan] while abortion is 낙태 [naktae].

Third Trimester maternal changes

Expected Delivery Date

As the days pass by, although there is an expected date announced by your doctor, surprises are also likely. Expecting families must know what to prepare for, both before and after the baby is born.

Postpartum care guidance is considered as a standard service provided by doctors to new mothers. 

Most hospitals are affiliated with 산후조리원[sanhoochooriwon] also known as   Postpartum care facilities which are usually located right next to the hospitals while private clinics offer to provide these services directly. 

But since the fees involved in these services are quite high, many new mothers choose to stay with their biological families during the recuperating period or in some cases, the mother-in-law comes over to help the new mom take good care of the newborn baby. 

Baby’s growth stages and characteristics

From birth

Baby’s characteristics

Korean people have a unique belief that as soon as the baby is born, its age turns to be one year old. The time the baby was inside the mother's womb is considered as a year of age.

That is why someone might say, “I am 10 years old in Korean age, but 9 years old in international age.”

세 [se]  means Korean age and 만 [man] means international age, so the above sentence should be:

나는 10세, 만 9살 [naneun ship se, man ahop sal]. 

And Korean ages add a year every New Year, no matter what month your birth date is in. So if a baby was born in December of a year, as soon as January starts, the baby turns two years old, despite the fact that the baby is only a few weeks old.

Illnesses and Medications

Illness

As babies grow, no matter how careful we are, there are still some unavoidable cases of mild or extreme illnesses. These are some of the common terms a parent or guardian might encounter.

Medications

Some medicines can be bought over the counter, as the pharmacy has certified pharmacists who can give professional advice in terms of mild cases.But they will inform you if your case needs a doctor’s prescription as they cannot issue or sell certain medicines without it.  

Hospital departments and clinics

Doctor is 의사 [euysa] but we address them as 의사 선생님 [euysa seonsaeng nim] while nurse is 간호사 [ganhosa] and we address them as 간호사 님 [ganhosa nim].

Phrases commonly said about a baby

To parents

*As most Korean people have single eyelids, many people seeks the help of aesthetic surgeons to enhance their looks by creating double eyelids. So when a baby is born with natural double eyelids, they cannot help but notice and praise it. 

To baby

Baby items

Clothes

Foods and formula

Carriers and Entertainers

Games and playground

Events

*Korean people celebrate the 100th day since the birth of a baby. It has been a tradition since ancient times when babies often did not survive one hundred days due to poverty and poor medical assistance.

Although Korean lifestyle has improved tremendously since then, it is celebrated as a way to express gratefulness that the baby is alive and healthy. 

Other resources you could check out:

Korean Nursery Rhymes

Conclusion

Baby-related words are a vast topic, and I am hoping we were able to discuss the parts you were expecting from this article.

If there is anything I didn’t cover, please ask away. I would be more than happy to provide a response to your inquiries. And if you want to practice your pronunciation, you can use the phrases to talk with kids or babies around you.

And don’t forget to share on your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram or by email to your friends and family. Thank you.