Korean · People & Family
"Sister" in Korean: 언니 / 누나 / 여동생
언니 / 누나 / 여동생eonni / nuna / yeodongsaeng
Note: 언니: female speaker, older sister; 누나: male speaker, older sister; 여동생: younger sister.
Sister in Korean is 언니 / 누나 / 여동생 (eonni / nuna / yeodongsaeng). A woman calls her older sister 언니 and a man calls his 누나; 여동생 is a younger sister.
Talking about family
제 언니가 집에 있어요.je eonniga jibe isseoyo.
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How to pronounce 언니 / 누나 / 여동생
Say it
eonni
/ʌnni/
언니 (eonni) has 2 Hangul syllables. 언니 ends in a vowel; do not add a final English consonant.
"Sister" in Korean: quick reference
| Korean | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| 언니eonni | Sister Basic dictionary noun. | Basic dictionary noun. |
| 제 언니je eonni | my sister A useful combination with 언니. | A useful combination with 언니. |
| 언니를eonnireul | Sister (as an object) Use 를 when 언니 is the object of an action. | Use 를 when 언니 is the object of an action. |
| 누나nuna | Sister An alternative shown alongside 언니; choose according to the meaning. | An alternative shown alongside 언니; choose according to the meaning. |
| 여동생yeodongsaeng | Sister An alternative shown alongside 언니; choose according to the meaning. | An alternative shown alongside 언니; choose according to the meaning. |
How to use 언니 / 누나 / 여동생 in real life
- 1Talking about family
제 언니가 집에 있어요.
je eonniga jibe isseoyo.
My sister is at home.
언니가 marks 언니 as the subject.
- 2Explaining who came
언니와 같이 왔어요.
eonniwa gachi wasseoyo.
I came with my sister.
언니 appears in a complete sentence for sister.
- 3Making family plans
오늘 언니를 만나요.
oneul eonnireul mannayo.
I am meeting my sister today.
언니를 uses 를 to mark an object.
Mistakes English speakers make with 언니 / 누나 / 여동생
Incorrect: 제 언니이 집에 있어요.
Correct: 제 언니가 집에 있어요.
When practicing sister, use the correct particle or copula after 언니; the final sound determines whether a linking consonant is needed.
Incorrect: 언니이에요.
Correct: 언니예요.
When practicing sister, when identifying something as 언니, use 언니예요. The vowel-final noun takes 예요 directly.
Good to know
A woman calls her older sister 언니 and a man calls his 누나; 여동생 is a younger sister. The combination 제 언니 (je eonni) means my sister.
Read this practice conversation aloud
Tutor-led people and family study exercise: two sentences with 언니 / 누나 / 여동생
Partner
이 표현을 사용해서 한 문장 말해 볼까요?
i pyohyeoneul sayonghaeseo han munjang malhae bolkkayo?
Shall we say a sentence using this expression?
You
제 언니가 집에 있어요.
je eonniga jibe isseoyo.
My sister is at home.
Partner
좋아요. 다른 문장으로도 연습해 볼까요?
joayo. dareun munjangeurodo yeonseupae bolkkayo?
Good. Shall we practice with another sentence too?
You
언니와 같이 왔어요.
eonniwa gachi wasseoyo.
I came with my sister.
This is a sample dialogue for reading aloud. Try both parts, then replace a detail with one from your own life.
Explore ChatPal"Sister" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Sister" in Korean
What does 언니 mean in Korean?
Sister in Korean is 언니 / 누나 / 여동생 (eonni / nuna / yeodongsaeng). A woman calls her older sister 언니 and a man calls his 누나; 여동생 is a younger sister.
How do I use 제 언니?
제 언니 (je eonni) means my sister. A woman calls her older sister 언니 and a man calls his 누나; 여동생 is a younger sister.
Which object particle goes after 언니?
The object form is 언니를 because 언니 ends in a vowel.
How is 언니 pronounced?
언니 (eonni) has 2 Hangul syllables. 언니 ends in a vowel; do not add a final English consonant.
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