ajumma

See also: ajúmmá

English

Alternative forms

• ahjumma, ajooma, ajoomma, ajuma, ahjuma

Etymology

Borrowed from Korean 아줌마 (ajumma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈd͡ʒʊmə/, /ɑːˈd͡ʒʊmə/, /ˈɑːd͡ʒʊmə/
• Rhymes: -ʊmə

Noun

ajumma (plural ajummas)

1. (Korea) A married middle-aged Korean woman.

   Coordinate term: ahjussi

   • 2014 February 9, Jodi Kantor, “A Look at Korea’s Culture From the Bathhouse”, in The New York Times‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-06-16:

     We were standing in the heart of the jimjilbang^[sic], or Korean bathhouse, in a steaming, all-female bathing room where scrubs are administered (as they are across the land) by strict middle-aged women, more than a few of them with potbellies, who wear nothing but sexy black lace bras and underwear. Arcadia had whispered to me that the women were ajummas, which means "aunties" and connotes matronly, working-class women known for no-nonsense warmth and authority.

   • 2018 December 7, Julia M. Adler, “I owe a debt of gratitude to Seoul’s no-nonsense guardian angels”, in The Seattle Times‎^[2], Seattle, W.A.: The Seattle Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2020-11-09:

     Knowing that an ajumma would always be within arm's reach, like a Korean fairy godmother, traveling further afield grew less daunting.

   • 2023 March 9, Dakota Kim, “Gorp is fine, but what about kimbap? Savor some food inspiration for your next hike”, in Los Angeles Times‎^[3], Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-08-22:

     Seventy percent of the Korean peninsula is covered in mountains, so hiking, camping and mountain climbing is a big part of my ancestral culture. I remember watching the Korean church ajummas (married, middle-aged women) spread sticky white rice onto sheets of seaweed, expertly rolling them up before our church members embarked on group hikes.

   • 2023 September 14, Lauren Ro, “I Can’t Stop Buying Sparkly Korean Dish Scrubbers”, in New York‎^[4], New York, N.Y.: New York Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-09-20:

     Turns out crocheting these scrubbers is a pastime among certain Korean ajummas, who love to give them away as gifts.

Translations

(Korea) a married middle-aged Korean woman

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 阿珠媽 / 阿珠妈 (aa³ zyu¹ maa¹)

  Mandarin: 阿珠媽 / 阿珠妈 (āzhūmā)

• Japanese: アジュンマ (ajunma), アジュマ (ajuma)
• Korean: 아줌마 (ko) (ajumma), 아주머니 (ko) (ajumeoni) (polite)

Further reading

• ajumma on Wikipedia.Wikipedia