# 폐하, 전하 Addressing the King



## Flaminius

Hello Korean participants.  

I was watching a rerun of _Dae Jang Geum_ (大長今) with subtitles when I decided to ask this question.  In the drama, Kind Jungjong is addressed as what sounded to me "chounaa."  I am wondering what is the correct Korean word here and what it means.   With the address form used for the Japanese equivalent in mind, I was expecting _pyeha_ (陛下) but I don't recall any instance that Jungjong was addressed as such.

I understand that _Dae Jang Geum_ is a fiction.  It may not necessarily accurately reflect the Korean used in the 16th century court.  I'd better, therefore, concentrate on how modern Koreans understand the two address forms in contrast to each other.  Discussions about historical Korean, should any arise, would be better understood with some basic knowledge of the modern usage.

Thank you in advance.
Flam


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## soupdragon78

Hey Flam. 
I too have always heard 폐하 in dramas like _Hae Shin_ and _Jumong. _Who is addressing the King in that particular scene? Was it a family member or a subordinate? I've searched my dictionaries but without success and not being a native myself, I couldn't say off the top of my head. 
Are there any Hanguk saram in the house?


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## Flaminius

I heard among many others a colleague of Jang Geum address the king as "chounaa."  So, it was a subordinate.


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## soupdragon78

I found something!
It seems to translate into English as "your Highness": 
"Thank you, *your* *Highness*." "감사합니다, *전하*."

See: http://kr.dictionary.search.yahoo.c...eng&prop=&opt=eng&p=your+highness&fr=&x=0&y=0

Now we just need someone who knows what the difference is between these forms of address...


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## Flaminius

Wow, you have a good eye, *soupdragon78*!  ^0^  ...to find out the correct word out of my distorted memory

But the result of your query surprises me immensely.  Using my favourite web service that converts hanja to Latin transcription, I found out that 殿下 (_jeon-ha_) may be the Sino-Korean word you are referring to as "Your Highness".  Both in Chinese, which exported the words into Korean, and in Japanese, which may have imported them from Korean, 殿下 is a less noble title than 陛下 ("Your Majesty," which is usually reserved only for the head of a royal family).

In view of this, I think it is important to consider the fact that Jungjong is not the most prestigious royal family in the drama.  His mother, called _Tēbimāma_, is extant and enjoys great deference from everyone in the court, including her son, the king.  Would that account for the preference of _jeon-ha_ over _pyeha_?


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## Sofia_

Hey there  
Good to see some people taking interest in Korean dramas. 

Let's see 

폐하, pronounced Pye-ha is used when a subordinate calls the _emperor_
전하, which you have been hearing, is actually prounounced as Juhn-ha, and is used when a subordinate is calling the _king_. 

Both, of course, mean "Your Highness/ Majesty," but the former one can be considered a higher title. 



* Just for a reference, an emperor calls himself 짐 (Jim), while a king calls himself 과인 (gwa-in).


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## soupdragon78

Hey Sofia.

Thanks for clearing up the mystery. I'm thoroughly addicted to Korean dramas at the moment. It's a great way to learn although I do worry that with all the historical dramas I watch, I may end up speaking Korean like a time traveller. 

Watching Jumong I have found another term for addressing royalty: Mama/마마
 Do you (or any other forum members for that matter) know if I am right in thinking that this term can be used to show respect to any royal person? Or are there any rules which govern the use of this word?

Thanks in advance.
Soupdragon


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## roymksh23

Hi Soupdragon78,

The word "Mama (마마)" is addressed to:
*Royal Queen Dowager* /_wangdaebi (_왕대비, 王大妃) was the title for a former consort that is more senior than the queen dowager, for instance the current king’s aunt, or grandmother. The style used was ‘Her Royal Highness’ or _mama _(마마, 媽媽). *Grand Royal Queen Dowager* /_daewangdaebi_ (대왕대비, 大王大妃) was the title for a former consort that was senior to two other queen dowagers, or the current king’s great-aunt or great-grandmother. The style was ‘Her Royal Highness’ or _mama _(마마, 媽媽).

This is how the Joseon Dynasty call their Royal Titles. Here is the reference:
Royal Titles and Styles in Joseon Dynasty


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