Yobo (yo-bo/yuh-bo) means darling, sweetheart or honey in Korean. Growing up I've always heard my parents say or call each other yobo but I never really knew what it meant until about the 6th or 7th grade. But, it is one of the most special words to me and my family.
The reason why my family and I say yobo is because my dad is part Korean. His mom, my
grandma (or halmony as we call her) moved here from Korea when she was in her early 20's. When my dad was growing up he would hear my halmony and grandpa calling each other that all the time. Whether it was my grandpa saying "yuh-bo" to call my halmony for a favor or my halmony saying "yuh-bo" to thank my grandpa for cutting the grass, they commonly used the word daily. So, it was used a lot when my dad was growing up and it eventually caught on to him and his brothers. And from the experience my dad had growing up hearing the word of affection all the time, "yuh-bo" easily carried over to our family. We call each other "yuh-bo" sometimes too. It's just a feel-good word.
The way that my family uses the word yobo is not the same way that other people might use it. They might or would use it as a derogatory term to classify Korean people. But my family uses it how it's supposed to be used. We use it as a word to joke around, to appreciate someone helping another person in times of trouble or when someone is feeling down. We just say "yuh-bo" because we love each other.
This word is still used but not as much as it was used on a daily basis as when my dad and his brothers were growing up. My halmony and grandpa still use it after 52 years of marriage. That's a lot of "yuh-bo's" being said. And, because of them, this is why "yuh-bo" is our family's word from the heart.
The reason why my family and I say yobo is because my dad is part Korean. His mom, my
grandma (or halmony as we call her) moved here from Korea when she was in her early 20's. When my dad was growing up he would hear my halmony and grandpa calling each other that all the time. Whether it was my grandpa saying "yuh-bo" to call my halmony for a favor or my halmony saying "yuh-bo" to thank my grandpa for cutting the grass, they commonly used the word daily. So, it was used a lot when my dad was growing up and it eventually caught on to him and his brothers. And from the experience my dad had growing up hearing the word of affection all the time, "yuh-bo" easily carried over to our family. We call each other "yuh-bo" sometimes too. It's just a feel-good word.
The way that my family uses the word yobo is not the same way that other people might use it. They might or would use it as a derogatory term to classify Korean people. But my family uses it how it's supposed to be used. We use it as a word to joke around, to appreciate someone helping another person in times of trouble or when someone is feeling down. We just say "yuh-bo" because we love each other.
This word is still used but not as much as it was used on a daily basis as when my dad and his brothers were growing up. My halmony and grandpa still use it after 52 years of marriage. That's a lot of "yuh-bo's" being said. And, because of them, this is why "yuh-bo" is our family's word from the heart.
