Due to a long history of Confucianism, being polite to someone older than you is a very important manner in Korea. Calling someone properly is a good start to learning this manner! Let's learn how to address someone in Korean at different levels of politeness.
<Table of Contents>
1. Korean names
Unlike English, in Korean, you say the family name first and then add the given name. Korean names usually consist of three syllables. The family name is usually in one syllable and the given name is usually in two syllables in Korean.
However, rarely some family names are two syllables. Last names can be just one or more than two syllables as well. You don't have to add any space in the name. Check the examples below.
김민지 [gim-min-ji] Min-ji Kim
김 [gim] is the most common Korean family name. It is usually known as Kim in English. 민지 is a common female name.
박지수 [bak-ji-su] Ji-Su Park
박 [bak] is know as Park in English. But the actual pronunciation is with "b." 지수 is usually a female name.
최영철 [chwae-yeong-cheol] Yeong-Chul Choi
최 [chwae] is somehow known as Choi in English. The proper pronunciation is "chwae" in one syllable. 영철 is a male name.
2. How to call your friends
Let's check out the not-polite version of calling way. If you call someone who is the same age or younger than you, you usually don't have to be polite.
When you call those people you attach the calling word 아 or 야 to their names. It depends on the last syllable of the name. If the name ends with a final consonant, you will add 야. If the name ends with a vowel, you will add 아. Look at the examples below.
받침 Final Consonant | Calling Word | Example |
O | 야 | |
X | 아 |
However, when you call a non-Korean name, you don't have to attach those calling words. You can just call them by their names, just like you do in English. If you want to, you can try to attach it, but it sounds not that natural.
마이클! Hey, Michael!
마이클아! - It sounds not that natural.
3. Somewhat polite version
To address someone of similar age or similar social status (like co-workers) or younger people politely, you can attach the word "씨 [ssi]". 씨 works as Mr., Mrs., in English.
However, unlike English, you have to add 씨 in their given name or full name. If you attach 씨 to their family name, it sounds a little rude. When you write, you have to put a space between the name and 씨.
Given name + 씨 | |
Full name + 씨: It has a more sense of distant vibe. | |
(X) 김 씨 | Attaching 씨 to the family name sounds rude. |
4. Very polite version
Adding 씨 is a polite way but not a super polite way. 씨 is still for someone of similar age or social status!
If you call your boss by his or her name with 씨, you will be in big trouble! Then, how can we call people who are older than you or who have a higher social status like bosses, teachers, or parents?
To call someone politely, you must use their titles, not their names. It's very important! Usually, those titles have the word "님 [nim]" at the end. 님 is a politer version of 씨. Here are some examples.
teacher | |
boss, CEO | |
chief/head of department | |
team leader |
Here are some useful titles you should know related to family! You'll have a chance to know more details about family-related words in the future.
mom | |
mother | |
dad | |
father |
엄마 is "mom" and 어머니 is "mother". So 엄마 is a more friendly and childish term than 어머니. 아빠 is "dad" and 아버지 is "father." 아버지 is a politer than 아빠.
Tips: To call the other person's mother and father.
You just saw the word "님" is polite. There are words 어머님 and 아버님 in Korean as well. They are similar to 어머니 and 아버지, right? 어머님 and 아버님 are used to call other people's mom and dad. So, you are being super polite to other people's parents! Especially when you call mother-in-law or father-in-law, you have to use these versions!
5. "You" in Korean
dad | |
mom |
The second-person pronoun "you" is an interesting matter in Korean. There are many terms, but they are not commonly used. The only one that is still usually used is the unpolite version word, 너.
The other "you" that was used as an honorific way a long time ago is not considered polite anymore. Many versions of terms exist but are not commonly used. Usually, in Korean conversations, people omit to say "I" or "you" because it is implied in context.
So, you don't have to worry about the second-person pronoun "you." However, if you are curious here is more information you can read.
As I mentioned, the only thing that is still used is 너. It is not a polite version. That means you can use it to speak to your friend, the same age, or someone younger than you.
There is a word, 당신. 당신 is a bit interesting second-person pronoun. It was a somewhat polite word. Well, it is politer than 너 but still not appropriate to use in daily life.
It can be used as a calling word between couples like darling or honey. It still has a tone that being polite to a spouse. It can be also used when speaking to the other person slightly while maintaining distance. You can also use it when you refer to an unfamiliar person in a belittling manner when fighting against that person.
Again, in daily life, you don't have to use these "you" words. You can just call others by their name or titles and just say the sentence without "you."
Here is one example. "학생이에요?" The proper translation will be "Are you a student?" However, if you translate this sentence directly, it will be "a student/are?" You can't find the word that is relevant to "you" in that sentence.
It is because "you" is implied in the sentence itself. If person A asks this to person B, the listener can tell A is asking directly to him or her. So, adding "you" in a Korean sentence is not a real thing and it can be a confusing matter to English speakers. If you keep practicing you'll get used to it!
6. Wrap-up: How to address someone in Korean?
In this lesson, you learned how to address someone in Korean. Politeness is highly valued in Korean culture, making it crucial to use the correct terms when addressing others. Let's review some key points to remember!
Depending on the politeness, there are many ways you can call someone.
Not polite: given name + 아/야
Somewhat polite: given name + 씨
Super polite: Use appropriate titles+님