안녕! 잘 지냈어요? I hope everyone is doing okay during this time. I have come back with a post all about Korean honorifics because, well, let’s be honest, they’re really important when you’re learning Korean. Not only are they a part of the language, but a part of the culture as well. Alright, let’s jump right in! 가자!
First of all: What even is an honorific? An honorific, in short, is a syllable(s) in Korean You attach to the end of a person’s name to show them respect. In English, the equivalent is « sir » or « ma’am ».
Second: When will I ever use an honorific? All. The. Time. Literally, every single day. I use them when talking with my teachers or even my friends. Why? Because honorifics can show one of two things: respect or endearment.
But Sàf, I thought honorifics were only for people older than you
That’s sort of correct. You use honorifics like « Mr/Ms/Mrs » when talking to someone in your workplace/school, just like you use « dear/honey » when talking to someone you adore. Honorifics aren’t just for people older than you, and they aren’t just for strangers.
With all that being said, let’s start talking about formal honorifics (because yes, there are also informal ones)!
This is the most obvious one for most learners. You’ll hear this used practically everywhere. When added to a name, it means « Mr/Mrs/Miss ». It’s a very common honorific. It’s a go-to for anyone who is at an equal social standing as you, even if you don’t know them. You’ll add 씨 to then end of someone’s first name.
Example: 이미래 씨 (Ms. Lee Mi-rae)
Or more casual: 미래 씨 (Ms. Mi-rae)
Note that you shouldn’t attach it to someone’s surname (as in 이 씨) because this is seen as rude, disrespectful, and inappropriate.
I wasn’t very sure about adding these ones into the post just because they aren’t super common anymore and they are more used by the older generations, but, it’s good to include these because you should stray away from them.
군 is used as a term for a younger, unmarried male, and 양 is used for a younger, unmarried female. You would typically hear these at formal events like weddings.
The difference between 군/양 and 씨 is that you can attach 군/양 either after a person’s first name or surname. It isn’t seen as rude if you attach 군/양 after the surname, unlike 씨.
Note that these are used by older generations and that the younger generations now see these as condescending and the listener will think you want them to be submissive and assume to gender roles. These two are a no-no so it’s best to stay away from them.
Going to be honest, this one is one of my favourite honorifics (don’t ask why because I even don’t know). So, if you wanna go the extra mile with respect, definitely use 님. 님 is used when talking to someone with a profession or skill/status in something. 님 is also a step up from 씨.
Examples: 선생님 (teacher), 목사님 (pastor)
형 and 누나 are used if you are a male and you are speaking to someone you are close to taht is older than you. 형 if the older person is a male, and 누나 if the older person is a female
Examples: 아! 형아! 여기에요! (Ah! Hyung-ah! Over here!) 누나는 저녁을 요리했어요. (*Nuna* cooked dinner.
오빠 and 언니 are used if you are a female and you are speaking to someone you are close to that is older than you. 오빠 if thé the other person is a male, and 언니 if the other person is a female.
Examples: 오빠 왜 이렇게 됐을까? (*Oppa* why did this happen?) 언니, 쇼핑하고 갈 거예요? (*Eonnie* are you going to go shopping?)
That’s it for today’s lesson! I hope everyone found these super useful! If anyone ever needs some practice with reading and understanding Korean, you can send in an ask or send me a message! I get back to people as fast as I can. Thank you everyone! I’ll see you in the next post! 안녕!
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