Ajumma ( ko, 아줌마), sometimes spelled ajoomma, is a

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

word for a married, or middle-aged woman. It comes from the Korean word ''ajumeoni'' ( ko, 아주머니). 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. Known alternate terms include auntie or aunty. Children in other cultures and families may re ...

", it does not actually refer to a close family relationship. It is most often used to refer to 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''.

References

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