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아버님 vs 아버지

“father”: 아버님 or 아버지?

Source-verified September 7, 2026. AI-assisted and checked against NIKL dictionary sources.

The quick answer

아버님 is honorific; 아버지 is the basic form.

아버님

Honorific form for one's father.

아버님, 더운 날씨에 건강히 잘 지내고 계신지요.
Father, I hope you are staying well in the hot weather.

아버지

Basic form for one's father.

어머니가 돌아가신 후로 나는 아버지와 둘이 산다.
After my mother passed away, I live alone with my father.

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Sources and method

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Source examples are adapted from the National Institute of Korean Language's Korean-English Learners' Dictionary under its Attribution-ShareAlike terms.

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