You are standing at your kid’s school festival, snacks in one hand. A parent you don’t know smiles at you. Your mind goes blank. What do you even say? Small talk with other parents in Korean has its own small rules, and once you know a few lines, the silence gets a lot easier to break.
Start With a Quick Self-Introduction
My go-to move is simple. I smile, say hi, then give my kid’s name and class. Something like: 안녕하세요, 저 3반 지우 엄마예요 (an-nyeong-ha-se-yo, jeo sam-ban ji-u eom-ma-ye-yo — hi, I’m Jiu’s mom from class 3). If you’re a dad, you’d swap 엄마 (eom-ma — mom) for 아빠 (a-ppa — dad).
I usually just smile and say ‘안녕하세요~,’ then mention my kid’s name and something like ‘몇 반 누구 엄마(아빠)예요’ (which grade class, whose mom or dad I am). It’s not fancy. It just tells the other parent who I am and gives them something to respond to right away.
Ask About Grade and Use Eomeonim or Abeonim
Say you’re sitting next to a parent at a school meeting. You have no idea whose parent they are. A common opener in Korean is a plain question about the kid: 몇 학년이에요? (myeot hak-nyeon-i-e-yo — what grade is your child in?).
For the eomeonim meaning, it’s a respectful way to say “mother,” used with a parent you don’t personally know, kind of like “ma’am” in English. The male version is 아버님 (a-beo-nim — sir, or literally “father”). I honestly use ‘누구 어머님’ and ‘누구 아버님’ a lot, since I can’t think of a better option. My question is usually ‘얘가 몇 학년이에요?’ (which grade is this child in), or sometimes just ‘지우랑 같은 반이에요?’ (are you in the same class as Jiu?). Both work fine as a first line if you’re wondering how to talk to Korean parents at school event settings without sounding awkward.
Bond Over Kid Struggles Without Giving Advice
The other parent sighs about their kid skipping homework. This is a moment to connect, not to offer a fix. A natural reply is: 저희 애도 그래요 (jeo-hui ae-do geu-rae-yo — mine’s the same). It says “I get it” without sounding like a lecture.
When that happens, I just say ‘저희 애도 그래요ㅋㅋ’ (mine’s the same, lol) or ‘어우 다 똑같아요~’ (ugh, they’re all the same). I don’t jump in with advice. I just show I understand what they’re dealing with. Parents usually aren’t looking for tips in that moment anyway. They just want someone to nod along.
Keep It Going With Short Filler Words
The chat keeps rolling, but you run out of things to say. Short agreement words carry a conversation without much effort. Try 그러니까요 (geu-reo-ni-kka-yo — exactly, I know), or 그러게요 (geu-reo-ge-yo — true, isn’t it). These small words show you’re still listening, even with little left to add.
I use ‘그러니까요’ constantly. Sometimes I just say ‘맞아요 맞아요’ (right, right) instead. I do use ‘그러게요’ too, but that one feels a bit more like genuine surprise to me, a slightly different flavor from ‘그러니까요.’ You don’t need much more than these two or three lines to keep a conversation with other parents in Korean alive for a while.
How to End a Conversation in Korean Politely
After a few minutes, you’ll want to step away without being rude. Koreans often reach for a small, believable excuse. Try 저 잠깐 화장실 좀 다녀올게요 (jeo jam-kkan hwa-jang-sil jom da-nyeo-ol-ge-yo — I’ll just go to the restroom), or simply 다음에 또 봬요 (da-eum-e tto bwae-yo — see you again sometime).
I just say ‘저 잠깐 화장실 좀요~’ (just going to the restroom real quick) and slip away. When I actually want to wrap things up for good, I say ‘네 그럼 이따 봬요~’ (okay, see you later then). Nothing dramatic. If you want more lines for wrapping up a chat smoothly, this guide on ending small talk in Korean has a few more options that work outside school settings too.
Topics to Keep Light Early On
Skip direct personal questions too soon. Things like a parent’s job or income feel too private for a first chat. Even warm, chatty Koreans keep early small talk general and light.
Asking about someone’s job, or where they live, feels a bit much to me. Where you live tends to lead straight into property prices, which gets awkward fast. I mostly just talk about the kids and don’t push much further than that. This is my personal experience. Other Koreans may see it differently, especially in tighter-knit neighborhoods where people already know each other’s basics.
A Quick Cultural Note
Address terms like 어머님 and 아버님 aren’t unique to school settings. Koreans use similar respectful titles with strangers in many everyday situations, from a taxi driver to a store clerk. If you want to read more on how honorific titles work in Korean, the Wikipedia entry on Korean honorifics is a decent starting point in English.
Key Expressions
- 어머님 / 아버님 (eo-meo-nim / a-beo-nim) — Respectful term for another parent, literally “mother/father,” used like “ma’am/sir” with strangers who have kids.
Example: Excuse me, ma’am — what grade is your child in? (저기, 어머님 — 몇 학년이에요?)
- 몇 학년이에요? (myeot hak-nyeon-i-e-yo) — What grade is he/she in? A common opener with unfamiliar parents.
Example: Nice to meet you. What grade is your child in? (반갑습니다. 몇 학년이에요?)
- 저희 애도 그래요 (jeo-hui ae-do geu-rae-yo) — Mine’s the same way. A warm, no-advice way to bond over kid struggles.
Example: My kid never wants to do homework either. Mine’s the same way. (저희 애도 숙제하기 싫어해요. 저희 애도 그래요.)
- 그러니까요 (geu-reo-ni-kka-yo) — Exactly / I know, right. A short filler that keeps a conversation flowing.
Example: “Kids grow up so fast.” “Exactly, I know.” (“애들 진짜 금방 크죠.” “그러니까요.”)
- 저 잠깐 ~ 다녀올게요 (jeo jam-kkan ~ da-nyeo-ol-ge-yo) — I’ll just go do (something) real quick. A polite, low-key way to step away from small talk.
Example: I’ll just go to the restroom real quick, sorry. (저 잠깐 화장실 좀 다녀올게요.)
None of these lines are complicated. What matters more is the order: introduce yourself, ask about the kid, react with a small filler, then leave with a light excuse. Once that rhythm feels natural, small talk with other parents in Korean stops feeling like a test and starts feeling like, well, just talk. If you want to practice more everyday exchanges like this, browse the intermediate Korean phrases category for similar real-life situations.
Written by a native Korean speaker born in Seoul in 1985. This is my personal experience. Other Koreans may see things differently.
