Core Words

Essential Korean vocabulary. As a Tamil speaker, some of these are free words — they sound like Tamil. Use the filter to find them.

Showing 16 words

아빠

appa

அப்பா

dad

Free word — sounds like Tamil!

Identical sound and meaning — one of the clearest Tamil-Korean parallels

엄마

eomma

அம்மா

mom

Free word — sounds like Tamil!

Nearly identical — amma/eomma. Both are natural baby-talk words for mother

아들

adeul

மகன்

son

ttal

மகள்

daughter

hyeong

அண்ணன்

older brother (male speaker)

오빠

oppa

அண்ணன்

older brother (female speaker)

누나

nuna

அக்கா

older sister (male speaker)

언니

eonni

அக்கா

older sister (female speaker)

Free word — sounds like Tamil!

Close in sound to அண்ணி (aṇṇi), the Tamil word for a female elder in-law — a related, if not identical, senior-female kinship term

남동생

namdongsaeng

தம்பி

younger brother

여동생

yeodongsaeng

தங்கை

younger sister

할아버지

harabeoji

தாத்தா

grandfather

할머니

halmeoni

பாட்டி

grandmother

남편

nampyeon

கணவன்

husband

아내

anae

மனைவி

wife

친구

chingu

நண்பன்

friend

가족

gajok

குடும்பம்

family