When you started to learn Korean, did you try to teach your family members how to say a few words in Korean? Sometimes the best method of learning Korean is to teach someone else, as it would mean that you have to be an expert on everything you would teach someone. It is also a great review tool for yourself. Today, this Korean word will be able to help you open up a conversation with your family members in Korean by teaching them how to say sister in Korean.
How to Say Sister in Korean
Here is how to say sister in Korean: 누나 [noo-na] for older sister and 여동생 [yeo-dong-seng] for younger sister
If you would like to use the universal term for ‘female sibling’, you can use the term 여자 형제 [yeo-ja hyung-jae] which literally translates to female sibling in Korean. However, it is an less commonly used term when used in speaking.
Sample Sentences Using Sister in Korean
우리 누나를 소개시켜 줄께. [woo-ri noo-na-reul so-ghe-shi-kyeo jul0gge]
I will introduce my sister to you.
*note here that the ‘sister’ is referring to an older sister, so 누나 was used.
내 여동생이 너에게 묻고 싶은게 있데. [ne yeo-dong-seng-ee neo-e-ge mut-go sip-peun-ge it-de]
My younger sister wants to ask you something.
저에게는 여동생이 한명, 누나가 두명 있습니다. [jeo-e-ge-neun yeo-dong-seng-ee han-myung, noo-na-ga han-myung it-seub-ni-da]
I have one younger sister, and two older sisters.
*please note that younger female sibling will call an older female sibling as 언니 [un-ni] instead of 누나
Sister in Korean in the Formal Way
As we have mentioned previously, it is important to address the person in formal way of speaking to show the respect towards the other party. Therefore, you will see many phrases have ‘yo’ attached at the end, which usually helps reforming the word into a formal form of the phrase. However, when describing sister in a formal way, there are couple different ways to describe them.
If you are referring to an older sister in the formal way, you would say 누이 [noo-ee] and that directly puts the 누나 in the most respectful form of the word. Also, you can describe a male and female sibling in the formal term 남매 [nam-mae] or 오누이 [o-noo-ee]. Females and female siblings are also described in the formal term 자매 [ja-mae] in Korean.
Now that you know how to use the word ‘sister’ in various forms in Korean, please go and let your friends know how many 누나 and 여동생 you have!
