Key Facts
- Hangul: 형; Revised Romanization: hyeong
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 兄 (兄 elder brother)
- Register: Casual-warm; used by males toward an older brother or a close older male. Females use 오빠.
Older Brother in Korean: What Does 형 Mean?
형 means an older brother said by a male, and it extends to a close older male friend or senior. The register is casual and warm. Women use 오빠 instead, so the same person has two names depending on who is talking.
How Do You Pronounce 형?
A single syllable, hyeong, ending in the nasal sound you hear at the end of English 'sing'. The vowel starts with a y glide.
Example Sentences with 형
형은 회사에 다녀요.
hyeongeun hoesa-e danyeoyo.
My older brother works at a company.
형은 is the topic, and 다녀요 says he goes there regularly, which is how Korean says he works at a company.
형, 도와줘요.
hyeong, dowajwoyo.
Brother, please help me.
Direct address with a request. The word stands alone before the comma, as a name would.
저는 형이 한 명 있어요.
jeoneun hyeongi han myeong isseoyo.
I have one older brother.
A family-count sentence: 한 명 means one person, so the speaker has exactly one.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Useful patterns are 친형 (biological older brother), 형 같다 (to be like an older brother) and 사촌 형 (older male cousin).
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 친형 | biological older brother |
| 형 같다 | to be like an older brother |
| 사촌 형 | older male cousin |
The Mistake to Avoid
Mistake: choosing the word by the brother rather than by the speaker, so a woman says 형 or a man says 오빠.
Right: males say 형, females say 오빠, for siblings and for close older males alike.
형 Compared with 오빠 and 누나
The two relatives to compare are the female-speaker equivalent and the sister word for men.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 형 | older brother (said by a male), older male friend/senior (said by a male, close) | This page's word |
| 오빠 | older brother (female speaker) | 오빠 is used by women; 형 is used by men. |
| 누나 | older sister (male speaker) | 누나 is the older sister for a man. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
The word is Sino-Korean, from 兄, which means elder brother.
A Younger Brother Needs Help Moving a Desk
A younger brother asks his older brother to move a desk with him. They use polite 요 endings here; the family word 형 stays the same.
Younger brother
형, 지금 바빠요?
Hyeong, jigeum bappayo?
Are you busy right now?
Older brother
아니요. 왜요?
Aniyo. Waeyo?
No. Why?
Younger brother
책상 좀 같이 옮겨 주세요.
Chaeksang jom gachi omgyeo juseyo.
Please help me move the desk.
Older brother
네, 같이 해요.
Ne, gachi haeyo.
Sure, let’s do it together.
형 calls the older brother’s attention before the question. The younger brother then leaves the address word out of his next turn because the listener is already clear. 좀 literally means a little, but in this request it softens the appeal for help rather than measuring how far to move the desk.
When Does 형 Mean a Relative?
친형 explicitly means a biological older brother. It is useful if a listener might otherwise understand 형 as a close older friend. 사촌 형 identifies an older male cousin from a male speaker’s point of view. The added word tells you the family relationship; 형 still tells you the age direction and the speaker’s relationship to him.
형 같다 means to be like an older brother. The comparison often describes how someone treats you, such as offering help or looking out for you. It does not establish a blood relationship. If a drama character describes another man this way, the point can be brotherly closeness rather than shared parents.
우리 형 commonly means “my older brother” in a family introduction. Although 우리 literally means “our”, the phrase does not require the listener to share that brother. Korean often presents family relationships through 우리. You can understand the phrase as a familiar way of referring to the speaker’s brother.
Where Will You Hear 형 outside the Family?
In a drama, a younger man may call a close older male friend 형. The address tells you about their familiarity as well as their relative ages. An English subtitle might use the person’s name, so the Korean dialogue can carry relationship information that disappears from the translation.
At a club or university, being older does not automatically make someone your 형. A senior you do not know well may be 선배님 instead. That word refers to seniority in a shared school, organisation or field. Let the relationship develop before treating an unfamiliar older man as a close friend through your choice of address.
형님 is a more respectful form you may hear between men. Depending on the setting, it can sound deferential, affectionate or stylised. Drama dialogue sometimes emphasises it, but the word alone does not establish anyone’s job or social group. For a beginner describing an actual sibling, plain 형 with an appropriate sentence ending is the starting point.
Words around an Older Brother
| Korean | Meaning | How it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 남동생 | younger brother | The younger male sibling, from an older sibling’s viewpoint. |
| 형제 | brothers; siblings | A group word rather than a call to one older brother. |
| 친형 | biological older brother | Makes the family connection explicit. |
| 선배님 | respected senior | Useful in a shared institution without assuming closeness. |
The relationships vocabulary lesson shows how family words change with age and speaker. The two brothers in the dialogue have different labels for each other: the younger one says 형, while the older one can describe him as a 남동생. In direct conversation, the older brother will often use the younger brother’s name.
Quick Self-Test
- A man introduces his biological older brother. Which is more explicit: 형 or 친형?
- Does 우리 형 require the listener to have the same brother?
- Would every older male stranger be called 형?
Show answers
- 친형 makes the blood relationship explicit.
- No. It commonly means “my older brother”.
- No. 형 outside the family implies familiarity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say older brother in Korean for a boy?
A male speaker says 형 (hyeong).
Can a woman say 형?
Normally no. Women say 오빠.
What does a man call his older sister?
He says 누나.
Can 형 be used for a friend?
Yes, for a close older male friend or senior, said by a male.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: people relationships vocabulary groups 형 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Continue with 누나, the female-speaker form older brother (female speaker), and the phrase page hyung in Korean.