아기 vs 애기 vs 아가: Three Korean Words for Baby
Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers
Published · How we write & review
After this page, you can tell 아기, 애기 and 아가 apart and pick the right one for a baby, a cute grown-up, or a call to a child or daughter-in-law.
10-second answer
The short answer
아기 (agi) is the standard word for a baby or small child, used when you describe one objectively. 애기 (aegi) is the spoken, affectionate version, and the dictionary only points it back to 아기. 아가 (aga) is mainly used to call a baby or child directly, and in-laws also use it for a young daughter-in-law.
Quick check — did that land?
1. Which word is the standard word for a baby?
Three Words, Three Jobs
아기, 애기 and 아가 all point at a young child, so learners often treat them as spelling variants. They are not interchangeable in practice. Each one does a different job: one is the neutral word for talking about a baby, one is the friendly spoken form, and one is mostly a way to call someone.
| Word | Main job | Status in the dictionary |
|---|---|---|
| 아기 (agi) | Standard word; refers to a baby or small child objectively | Standard headword: 어린 젖먹이 아이 (a young nursing child) |
| 애기 (aegi) | Spoken, affectionate or cute; used to describe, not mostly to call | Listed only as a pointer: "→ 아기" |
| 아가 (aga) | Mainly a vocative: calling a baby or child directly; also in-laws calling a young daughter-in-law | Standard headword: a child's word for 아기 |
See also: 애교 (aegyo) meaning
아기: The Neutral Word for a Baby
When you describe a baby or small child from the outside, 아기 (agi) is the safe choice. It is the word to use in writing, in news, and anywhere you want to sound neutral.
평화롭게 잠든 아기의 얼굴을 보고 있으면 마음이 편안해진다.
pyeonghwarope jamdeun agiui eolgureul bogo isseumyeon maeumi pyeonanhaejinda.
Watching the face of a baby sleeping peacefully makes my heart feel at ease.
우리 집 막둥이 아기가 드디어 첫걸음마를 떼기 시작했다.
uri jip makdungi agiga deudieo cheotgeoreumareul tte-gi sijakhaetda.
The baby of our family has finally started taking its first steps.
막둥이 (makdungi) is the youngest child. See also 막내 (maknae).
소아과 대기실에는 예방접종을 맞으러 온 아기들과 부모들이 많았다.
soagwa daegisireneun yebangjeopjongeul majeureo on agideulgwa bomodeuri manatda.
The pediatric waiting room was full of babies and parents who had come for vaccinations.
애기: Spoken, Friendly, Cute
애기 (aegi) is the everyday spoken form of 아기, and it carries more warmth and cuteness. You hear it for real babies, and also as an affectionate way to describe an adult who still seems childlike to you.
Be precise about its status. The Standard Korean Language Dictionary has no full entry for this meaning: 애기 appears only as a cross-reference reading "→ 아기", so the standard form to write is 아기. In everyday speech it is extremely common, so you will hear it constantly, but in formal writing use 아기.
내 동생은 다 자란 성인인데도 내 눈에는 아직도 그냥 애기 같다.
nae dongsaengeun da jaran seonginindedo nae nuneneun ajikdo geunyang aegi gatda.
My younger sibling is a fully grown adult, but to me they still look like a baby.
볼살이 통통한 애기 손을 만져보니 말랑말랑하고 부드러웠다.
bolsari tongtonghan aegi soneul manjyeoboni mallangmallanghago budeureowotda.
I touched the hand of the chubby-cheeked baby, and it was soft and squishy.
연애 초반에 남자친구는 나를 공주나 애기라는 별명으로 부르곤 했다.
yeonae chobane namjachinguneun nareul gongjuna aegiraneun byeolmyeongeuro bureugon haetda.
Early in our relationship, my boyfriend used to call me nicknames like "princess" or "baby."
Here 애기 is a pet name for a partner, so it is about affection, not about age.
아가: Mainly for Calling Someone
아가 (aga) is used mostly as a vocative, a word you say to the person when calling them. The dictionary defines it as a child's word for 아기. The crowd-sourced dictionary 우리말샘 also lists a second use: parents-in-law affectionately calling a young daughter-in-law.
"아가, 이리 와서 맛있는 간식 먹으렴."
"aga, iri waseo masinneun gansik meogeuryeom."
"Come here, sweetie, and have a tasty snack."
-으렴 (-euryeom) is a gentle way for an adult to tell a child to do something.
시어머니께서는 전화를 하실 때마다 항상 "아가, 밥은 챙겨 먹었니?" 하고 다정하게 물으신다.
sieomeonikkeseoneun jeonhwareul hasil ttaemada hangsang "aga, babeun chaenggyeo meogeonni?" hago dajeonghage mureusinda.
Every time my mother-in-law phones, she asks warmly, "Aga, have you been eating properly?"
Here 아가 is the mother-in-law's affectionate word for her son's wife.
울음을 그치지 않는 아이를 달래며 엄마는 "아가, 어디가 아픈 거니?" 하고 걱정스럽게 속삭였다.
ureumeul geuchiji annneun aireul dallaemyeo eommaneun "aga, eodiga apeun geoni?" hago geokjeongseureopge soksagyeotda.
Comforting the child who would not stop crying, the mother whispered anxiously, "Aga, where does it hurt?"
며늘아가, 애비, 애미: Family Calling Words
Related to 아가 is 며늘아가 (myeoneurraga), used for a recently married, young daughter-in-law. It is becoming less common. In the same older style of family speech, a son is called 애비 (aebi) and a daughter-in-law 애미 (aemi). These are old-fashioned too, and today it is very common to simply use the person's name.
A dictionary check explains why these are tricky to look up. 우리말샘 lists 애비 as an informal form of 아비, "father," and the standard dictionary has no entry for 며늘아가 or the family sense of 애미. They are spoken family words, not standard-language vocabulary. For the formal in-law titles used instead, see the in-law titles chart.
Which Should You Use?
| Situation | Choose |
|---|---|
| Writing, news, school essay, formal speech | 아기 |
| Chatting about a baby or cute small child | 아기 (neutral) or 애기 (friendly) |
| Teasing or petting a partner or a grown sibling as childlike | 애기 |
| Calling a baby or child directly | 아가 |
| Parent-in-law speaking warmly to a young daughter-in-law | 아가 (or 며늘아가), though names are now more common |
If you are unsure, 아기 is never wrong. Its warmer relatives are fun to recognize, and they sit alongside other cute-sounding words like 애교 (aegyo).
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1: Writing 애기 in formal text
In an essay or on a form, write 아기. The dictionary only points 애기 back to it.
Mistake #2: Calling a stranger's baby 아가 in a sentence about them
아가 works as a way to call someone, not as a neutral noun in a sentence. Say 아기 when you describe: 저 아기 너무 귀여워요 (jeo agi neomu gwiyeowoyo, "That baby is so cute").
Mini Quiz
3 short questions — about 2 minute
2. A mother whispers to her crying child: "___, 어디가 아픈 거니?" Which word fits best?
3. Your boyfriend calls you "애기" as a nickname. What is this?
4. Which word did parents-in-law traditionally use affectionately for a young daughter-in-law?
Part of Korean Kinship & Address Terms — The Complete Beginner Map
Part of Essential Korean Vocabulary: Numbers, Days, Months & Colors
Related Knowledge
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Learn Next
아가, 애비 and 애미 are part of how in-laws talk; the chart shows the formal titles used instead.
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