Honorifics

The honorific forms of address that are the focus of this post are the most commonly used in everyday life in South Korea. Honorifics in Korea derive from the relative position of each member of a given entity to the other members. Some honorific forms of address are relative and temporary, Some are absolute and permanent. Some honorifics can be both 'forms of address' and 'status.' 'Status' is usually a 'form of address' but not always. However, one of the most important factor you have to keep in mind is that the relationships that define each others' positions are constructed with many layers of life experience throughout various social activities, like personal relationship to school, military and workplace etc., so its complicated nature is unavoidable. I tried to simplify as much as I possibly can.

[Honorifics Dictionary]

	Honorifics	한 글	Gender	Summary
a	a-jeo-ssi	아저씨	male	① Middle age male. ② All age & genders → male. ③ A form of address among strangers (also, to blood relatives).
	a-joom-ma	아줌마	female	① Middle age female. ② All age & genders → female. ③ A form of address among strangers (also, to blood relatives).
d	dong-saeng	동생	both	① All age & gender who is relatively younger. ② This is not a form of address.  Only a status. ③ He/she is usually called by his/her name.
e	eon-ni	언니	female	① Younger female → older female. ② Also a rank in family.
g	goon	군	male	① Young & unmarried male. ② Both gender & older or superior → younger & inferior unmarried male. ③ Among friends.
h	harl-a-beo-ji	할아버지	male	① Senior male. ② All age & gender → male. ③ A form of address among strangers (also, grandfather).
	harl-meo-ni	할머니	female	① Senior female. ② All age & gender → female. ③ A form of address among strangers (also, grandmother).
	hoo-bae	후배	both	① Later arrived group in school, workplace etc.   ② This is not a form of address. Only a status. ③ He/she is usually called by his/her name.
	hyeong	형	male	① Younger male → older male. ② Also a rank in family.
m	maknae	막내	both	① Youngest one in the group no matter how old he/she is. ② It can be used as a form of address.
n	nim	님	both	① The most extreme honorific postposition. ② Commonly used in formal circumstance to all adults for both gender. ③ Add it at the end of name or a ‘honorific form of address.’  [e.g.] ·    Name + nim ·    Seonbae + nim = seobaenim ·    Rank + nim  ·    Hyeong + nim = hyeongnim ·    Noona + nim = noonim
	noo-na	누나	female	① Younger male → older female ② Also a rank in family
o	o-ppa	오빠	male	① Younger female → older male ② Also a rank in family
s	seon-bae	선배	both	① Earlier arrived group in school, workplace etc. ② Casual & close – just ‘seonbae’ without adding ‘nim.’ ③ Not close each other & large age gap – seonbaenim
	ssi	씨	both	① Among adults, both genders → both genders ② Same age or small age gap each other ③ Should avoid using it to a person with a large age gap and with superiors if there’s an alternative forms of address exist.
y	yang	양	female	① Young & unmarried female ② Both gender & older or superior → younger & inferior unmarried female ③ Among friends

 

_________________________________________________________________                                        Honorifics I                                          
hyeong 형, oppa 오빠, noona 누나,  eonni 언니

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▪     Determined by birth order

▪     Gender distinction is clear. 

▪     These are honorific forms of address.

▪     Younger ones are 'dongsaeng' and youngest one is 'maknae.' 

▪     While 'maknae' can be a form of address, 'dongsaeng' is only status.   

1. Members of a family  
2. Among people who have a close, personal relationship  
3. Forms of address among strangers the age under 20s.  

[How to apply]

Older  Male		Older  Female	All Older  Ones	name →	All Younger Ones
hyeong  형	← younger male →	noona  누나	hyeong /  oppa noona / eonni		all younger ones	dongsaeng 동생
oppa  오빠	←younger female→	eonni  언니			youngest one	maknae 막내

[Honorifics I-1 Example: Family]

hyeong, oppa, noona, eonni in family are not only honorific forms of address, but also ranks, which implies the position and role inside of the family. The form of address in family will never change no matter what cause it's a birth order.

*This is a fictional family made by the author 

[Honorifics I-2 Example: People with close relationship ]  

Small groups may be formed for every imaginable reason--from shared interests to neighborhood friends. Just like 'family-'type groups, they also generally use the honorifics 'hyung, oppa, noona, unnee.' In this way, group dynamics are similar to a blood-related family – respect older ones and take care of younger ones. But the degrees of closeness among members vary depending on the unique group itself.  Relationships are not permanent (though it's not impossible), and members are not fixed. If the members do have a very tight relationship, then may closely parallel a real family hierarchy.

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                                         Honorifics II                                       

seonbae 선배, hoobae 후배, ssi 씨, nim 님, goon 군, yang 양

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▪     Determined in order of date of entry

▪     Gender distinction is not much of an issue

▪     General term for division – 'seonbae' / 'hoobae,' otherwise 'earlier group' / 'later group' 

▪     Theses are postpositions added at the end of name or ranks.

▪     'hoobae' is only a status not a form of address 

1. Formal Organization, such as a company, school or the military. Some organizations, such as the military, may have their own, unique honorifics. 
2. Like the military or companies that are more organization–oriented groups use formal honorifics and seldom use personal honorific forms of address.
3. nim, ssi, goon, yang are also used in formal occasions. 

[Common usage in most organizations]

Earlier Arrived Group			Later arrived Group		1. It should be consensus 2. How these would be applied depends on closeness, age and other conditions.
seonbae 선배	·  seonbae or seonbae + nim ·  name + seonbae or seonbae + nim	→ ←	hoobae 후배	·  name ·  name + ssi, goon / yang
superior	·  rank + nim ·  name + rank + nim		inferior	·  name + ssi, goon / yang ·  name + rank

4. Common usage socially among people who know each other but not having a close relationship or no obvious connection to define the relationship.

[How to apply overlook]

honorifics & definition			applied examples
nim	no gender	·  from younger to older ·  lower to higher ·  formal circumstances	full name + ssi, goon/yang & nim	·  formal circumstance ·  among all age & gender
ssi	no gender	·  most commonly used in wide range of age ·  formal & casual	surname + ssi, goon/yang	·  same or small age gap
goon / yang	male / female	·  from older to younger ·  among same age ·  usually refer the age under 20s & unmarried ones	first name + ssi, goon/yang	·  from older  to younger ·  higher rank to lower rank

[How to apply by age]

Same Age	Small Age Gap	Large Age Gap
each other	each other	older	→ ←	Younger
ssi, goon / yang	ssi	nim,  ssi		ssi, goon / yang
씨, 군 / 양	씨	님, 씨		씨, 군 / 양

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 [fun fact] YG stands for Yang Goon. 

The founder and president of YG Entertainment, home of Bigbang, 2ne1 and PSY, and others, is Yang Hyeon Suk. When he was a member of the trio, 'Seotaiji & the Boys' in early 1990s, 'Yang goon' was his nickname. 'Yang' is his surname, 'goon' as a young & unmarried lad. 

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                                        Honorifics III                                      

ajeossi 아저씨, ajoomma 아줌마, harlabeoji 할아버지, harlmeoni 할머니 

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▪     Determined by age and gender with consideration of whether the subject is;
       – a kid or unmarried young person / married or middle–aged / senior

▪     Form of address among strangers

▪     These are honorific forms of address. 
▪     harlabeoji & harlmeoni also means grandfather & grandmother, respectively, and you can use these with your own grandparents.

from		to	Male		Female
~ Early 20s	→	~ Early 20s	hyeong / oppa	형 / 오빠	noona / eonni	누나 / 언니
All Age & Gender	→	20s ~ 60s	ajeossi	아저씨	ajoomma	아줌마
	→	60 ~	harlabeoji	할아버지	harlmeoni	할머니
All Adult	→	kid or looks young & unmarried	equivalent to ‘excuse me’ – kid, miss, mister…

Q: Is PSY, 'Gangnam Style' singer, 'oppa' or 'ajeossi'?

A: PSY is ajeossi to people who don't know him. However, he is still 'oppa' to his younger female siblings and younger female friends who are close to him. (And, he is 'hyeong' to his younger brothers and younger male friends.)

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Honorific – Listen in Google Translation

hyeong – 형 

nuna – 누나

oppa – 오빠  

eonni – 언니 

dongsaeng – 동생

maknaee – 막내

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[Possible forms of address to all age group]

to \ from	~ 20s	20s ~ 40s	40s ~ 60s	60s ~
~ 20s	hyeong/oppa, noona/eonni	-	-	-
	sunbae (nim), position+nim	-	-	-
	ssi , goon / yang	ssi , goon / yang	ssi , goon / yang	ssi , goon / yang
	-	-	-	-
20s ~  40s	hyeong/oppa, noona/eonni	hyeong/oppa, noona/eonni	-	-
	sunbae (nim), position+nim	sunbae (nim), position+nim	-	-
	ssi, nim	ssi , goon / yang, nim	ssi , goon / yang	ssi , goon / yang
	ajeossi, ajoomma	ajeossi, ajoomma	ajeossi, ajoomma	ajeossi, ajoomma
40s ~  60s	hyeong/oppa, noona/eonni	hyeong/oppa, noona/eonni	hyeong/oppa, noona/eonni	-
	sunbae (nim), position+nim	sunbae (nim), position+nim	sunbae (nim), position+nim	-
	ssi, nim	ssi, nim	ssi, nim	ssi , goon / yang
	ajeossi, ajoomma	ajeossi, ajoomma	ajeossi, ajoomma	ajeossi, ajoomma
60s ~	-	-	hyeong/oppa, noona/eonni	hyeong/oppa, noona/eonni
	sunbae (nim), position+nim	sunbae (nim), position+nim	sunbae (nim), position+nim	sunbae (nim), position+nim
	ssi, nim	ssi, nim	ssi, nim	ssi, nim
	harlabeoji, harlmeoni	harlabeoji, harlmeoni	harlabeoji, harlmeoni	harlabeoji, harlmeoni