If you look up \u201csister\u201d in a Korean dictionary, you may be surprised to find more than one answer.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because Korean sibling terms depend on two things: whether the sister is older or younger than you, and your own gender<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The good news is that you only need three common words to handle most everyday situations:<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how each one works.<\/p>\n A woman or girl uses \uc5b8\ub2c8 (eonni)<\/strong> for an older sister.<\/p>\n For example:<\/p>\n \uc6b0\ub9ac \uc5b8\ub2c8\ub294 \uc11c\uc6b8\uc5d0 \uc0b4\uc544\uc694.<\/strong> \uc5b8\ub2c8 is also commonly used for women who are not actually sisters. A younger woman may call an older female friend \uc5b8\ub2c8 when they have a close, familiar relationship.<\/p>\n This is one reason you may hear the word frequently in Korean TV shows, YouTube videos, and everyday conversations.<\/p>\n One important point: male speakers normally do not use \uc5b8\ub2c8<\/strong> for an older sister. They use \ub204\ub098 instead.<\/p>\n A man or boy calls his older sister \ub204\ub098 (nuna)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n For example:<\/p>\n \ub204\ub098, \uc5b4\ub514 \uac00?<\/strong> Like \uc5b8\ub2c8, \ub204\ub098 is not limited to relatives. A younger man may use it with an older woman he knows well.<\/p>\n However, learners should not assume that every older Korean woman should be called \ub204\ub098 or \uc5b8\ub2c8. These words can imply familiarity, so using a name, title, or another form of address may be more appropriate when you do not know someone well.<\/p>\n For a younger sister, the speaker\u2019s gender does not matter.<\/p>\n The usual word is \uc5ec\ub3d9\uc0dd (yeodongsaeng)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n It consists of:<\/p>\n So \uc5ec\ub3d9\uc0dd literally means \u201cyounger female sibling.\u201d<\/p>\n For example:<\/p>\n \uc800\ub294 \uc5ec\ub3d9\uc0dd\uc774 \ud55c \uba85 \uc788\uc5b4\uc694.<\/strong> You can also use \ub3d9\uc0dd (dongsaeng)<\/strong> by itself when the younger sibling\u2019s gender is already clear or is not important.<\/p>\n Usually, no.<\/p>\n \uc5ec\ub3d9\uc0dd is mainly a word used to describe the relationship<\/strong>. When speaking directly to a younger sister, Koreans normally use her name or another familiar way of addressing her.<\/p>\n For example:<\/p>\n \uc9c0\uc218\uc57c, \uc7a0\uae50 \uc640 \ubd10.<\/strong> This is different from \uc5b8\ub2c8 and \ub204\ub098, which are frequently used as direct forms of address.<\/p>\n English focuses mainly on the family relationship: \u201csister.\u201d<\/p>\n Korean also pays attention to age and the relationship between the speakers<\/strong>. That is why an older sister has different names depending on whether the younger sibling is male or female.<\/p>\n The same pattern appears with older brothers:<\/p>\n Learning these four words together can make the system much easier to remember.<\/p>\n Another word you may encounter is \uc790\ub9e4 (jamae)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \uc790\ub9e4 means \u201csisters\u201d or \u201cfemale siblings\u201d as a group. It is useful when discussing the relationship in general rather than addressing one particular sister.<\/p>\n For example:<\/p>\n \uadf8 \ub450 \uc0ac\ub78c\uc740 \uc790\ub9e4\uc608\uc694.<\/strong> For a brother-and-sister pair, Korean also has words such as \ub0a8\ub9e4 (nammae)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Korean has more specific vocabulary for these relationships, but beginners usually do not need to memorize it immediately.<\/p>\n You may see \uc758\ubd93- (uibut-)<\/strong> used for step-family relationships. Half-sibling terminology can vary depending on the exact family relationship, so it is better to learn those expressions when you actually need them rather than treating them as basic sibling vocabulary.<\/p>\n The same is true of \u201csister-in-law.\u201d Korean has several different terms depending on whether the person is your spouse\u2019s sister or your sibling\u2019s wife, as well as age and gender. There is no single Korean word that matches English \u201csister-in-law\u201d in every situation.<\/p>\n If the sister is younger than you<\/strong>, think:<\/p>\n \uc5ec\ub3d9\uc0dd<\/strong><\/p>\n If she is older than you<\/strong>, ask yourself who is speaking:<\/p>\n Female speaker \u2192 \uc5b8\ub2c8<\/strong> That simple rule covers the most common situations.<\/p>\n Yes. They are often used for older female friends or people with whom the speaker has a familiar relationship. They are not automatically appropriate for every older woman, however.<\/p>\n Normally, no. A male speaker uses \ub204\ub098<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Normally, no. A female speaker uses \uc5b8\ub2c8<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Not exactly. \ub3d9\uc0dd<\/strong> means a younger sibling without specifying gender. \uc5ec\ub3d9\uc0dd<\/strong> specifically means a younger sister.<\/p>\n For most beginners, start with these three:<\/p>\n \uc5b8\ub2c8 \u2014 older sister, female speaker<\/strong> Once those feel natural, you can move on to less common family terms.<\/p>\n Korean does not have a single everyday word that works exactly like English \u201csister.\u201d Instead, the right word depends on age and, for an older sister, the gender of the speaker.<\/p>\n At first, this may seem like extra vocabulary to memorize. In practice, the pattern is quite small. Remember \uc5b8\ub2c8, \ub204\ub098, and \uc5ec\ub3d9\uc0dd<\/strong>, and you will already understand the sister terms that appear most often in everyday Korean.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Learn how to say “sister” in Korean, from \uc5b8\ub2c8 and \ub204\ub098 to sister-in-law, step-sister, and half-sister terms, with example sentences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2153,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-korean"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\n
\n Relationship<\/th>\n Korean<\/th>\n Romanization<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Older sister, said by a woman<\/td>\n \uc5b8\ub2c8<\/td>\n eonni<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Older sister, said by a man<\/td>\n \ub204\ub098<\/td>\n nuna<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Younger sister<\/td>\n \uc5ec\ub3d9\uc0dd<\/td>\n yeodongsaeng<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \uc5b8\ub2c8 (Eonni): Older Sister for Female Speakers<\/h2>\n
\nUri eonnineun Seoure sarayo.<\/em>
\n\u201cMy older sister lives in Seoul.\u201d<\/p>\n\ub204\ub098 (Nuna): Older Sister for Male Speakers<\/h2>\n
\nNuna, eodi ga?<\/em>
\n\u201cWhere are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n\uc5ec\ub3d9\uc0dd (Yeodongsaeng): Younger Sister<\/h2>\n
\n
\nJeoneun yeodongsaengi han myeong isseoyo.<\/em>
\n\u201cI have one younger sister.\u201d<\/p>\nDo You Call Your Younger Sister \uc5ec\ub3d9\uc0dd?<\/h3>\n
\nJisu-ya, jamkkan wa bwa.<\/em>
\n\u201cJisu, come here for a second.\u201d<\/p>\nWhy Are There Different Words for Older Sisters?<\/h2>\n
\n
What Does \uc790\ub9e4 (Jamae) Mean?<\/h2>\n
\nGeu du sarameun jamaeyeyo.<\/em>
\n\u201cThose two are sisters.\u201d<\/p>\nWhat About Step-Sisters and Half-Sisters?<\/h2>\n
Quick Way to Remember<\/h2>\n
\nMale speaker \u2192 \ub204\ub098<\/strong><\/p>\nFrequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n
Can \uc5b8\ub2c8 and \ub204\ub098 be used for friends?<\/h3>\n
Can a man call his older sister \uc5b8\ub2c8?<\/h3>\n
Can a woman call her older sister \ub204\ub098?<\/h3>\n
Is \ub3d9\uc0dd the same as \uc5ec\ub3d9\uc0dd?<\/h3>\n
What is the most important vocabulary to memorize?<\/h3>\n
\n\ub204\ub098 \u2014 older sister, male speaker<\/strong>
\n\uc5ec\ub3d9\uc0dd \u2014 younger sister<\/strong><\/p>\nFinal Thoughts<\/h2>\n