Korea Tool Hub

Korean Honorific Finder

Oppa or hyung? Imo or ajumma? Answer a few quick questions and get the title Koreans would actually use.

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Keep reading

🎬Oppa, sunbae, imo, explained→What the titles you hear in K-dramas mean, and who can say them to whom.🎂Who counts as older?→How birth years decide who's older in Korea, and the "early birthday" exception.

How Koreans Decide What to Call Someone

Age comes first. Calling someone older by their name alone is rude, so Koreans work out who's older right away, usually by birth year. Our Korean age guide covers how that works.

Then gender, on both sides. The sibling words depend on who's speaking as well as who's listening. Only women say oppa and unni; only men say hyung and noona.

Then the relationship. At school and in clubs, seniority goes by who joined first, so a sunbae can be younger than you. With strangers and staff, Koreans reach for a job title (sajangnim, gisanim) or skip titles and say jeogiyo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is "same age" in Korea based on birthdays?

Usually on birth year. Koreans born in the same calendar year generally treat each other as the same age, even if one birthday is in January and the other in December. A few people born in January or February grew up with the year above them at school, which is the "early birthday" exception our Korean age guide explains.

Can a foreigner call a Korean friend oppa or unni?

Yes, if the gender and age fit and your friend is comfortable with it. It usually comes across as friendly. The same rule applies as for Koreans: wait until they suggest it, or just ask, "Can I call you unni?"

What do Koreans call someone younger than them?

Just their name, with -ya or -a added among friends: Jiwoo-ya, Minjun-a. The younger person is a dongsaeng, but nobody uses that word to address someone.

Do I need a title for Koreans I've just met?

No. With someone you've just met, jeogiyo ("excuse me") gets their attention politely, and a name plus -ssi works for people around your age. Titles like oppa and unni come later, once you're friends.

Why doesn't the finder suggest ajumma or ajeossi?

They're real words, and Koreans use them to talk about middle-aged strangers, but saying them to someone's face can sound rude. Jeogiyo, imo, and sajangnim do the same job without the risk.