Key Facts
- Hangul: 언니; Revised Romanization: eonni
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: Casual-warm; used by females toward an older sister or close older woman. Males use 누나.
Older Sister Female Speaker in Korean: What Does 언니 Mean?
언니 means an older sister said by a female, and it also names a close older female friend. The tone is casual and warm. Men do not use it; they say 누나 instead.
How Do You Pronounce 언니?
Two syllables, eon-ni. The first syllable ends in ㄴ and the second starts with ㄴ, so you hear a long n at the join.
Example Sentences with 언니
언니는 대학생이에요.
eonnineun daehaksaengieyo.
My older sister is a university student.
언니는 makes the sister the topic, and 대학생이에요 says she is a university student.
언니, 이거 예뻐요.
eonni, igeo yeppeoyo.
Sister, this is pretty.
Direct address with a compliment: 언니 calls to her, and 이거 예뻐요 means "this is pretty".
저는 언니가 한 명 있어요.
jeoneun eonniga han myeong isseoyo.
I have one older sister.
A family-count sentence using 한 명, which gives one person.
Common Phrases and Collocations
친언니 stresses a blood sister, 사촌 언니 is an older female cousin, and 우리 언니 is the everyday way to say "my older sister".
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 친언니 | biological older sister |
| 사촌 언니 | older female cousin |
| 우리 언니 | my older sister |
The Mistake to Avoid
Mistake: a man calling his older sister 언니. Correct: men say 누나; only women say 언니. Also keep both ㄴ sounds: say eon-ni, not eo-ni.
언니 Compared with 누나 and 선배
The word to pair it with is the male version, plus a school or work word.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 언니 | older sister (said by a female), older female friend (said by a female, close) | This page's word |
| 누나 | older sister (male speaker) | 누나 is used by men; 언니 is used by women. |
| 선배 | senior | 선배 is a school or work senior. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
언니 is a native Korean word, so it has no hanja.
Two Sisters Choose a Jacket
A younger sister is shopping with her older sister. She asks for an opinion before trying on a jacket. Both use polite 요 endings in this scene.
Younger sister
언니, 이 재킷 어때요?
Eonni, i jaekit eottaeyo?
What do you think of this jacket?
Older sister
예뻐요. 한번 입어 봐요.
Yeppeoyo. Hanbeon ibeo bwayo.
It’s pretty. Try it on.
Younger sister
파란색도 있어요?
Paransaekdo isseoyo?
Is there a blue one too?
Older sister
네, 여기 있어요.
Ne, yeogi isseoyo.
Yes, here it is.
The younger sister uses 언니 to call her companion’s attention before asking for an opinion. 어때요 asks how something seems, and 입어 봐요 suggests trying it on. The scene makes the relationship clear: 언니 refers to the older sister shopping with her, rather than to a member of the shop staff.
친언니, 사촌 언니 and 우리 언니
친언니 specifies a biological older sister. It helps when 언니 could otherwise refer to a close older female friend. If someone asks whether the woman beside you is family, 친언니 gives a clear answer about the relationship. It does not add a different level of politeness.
사촌 언니 is an older female cousin from a woman’s viewpoint. The first word identifies the cousin relationship; 언니 adds the older-female link to the speaker. A male cousin talking about the same older woman would normally say 사촌 누나. The person being described has not changed, but the speaker has.
우리 언니 is commonly translated as “my older sister”. The literal word 우리 means “our”, but the listener does not need to share that sister. Korean often uses 우리 when referring warmly to family. In an introduction to a friend, the natural English meaning can therefore be “my sister”.
Where Will You Hear 언니 beyond Family Talk?
Among friends, a woman may use 언니 for a close older woman who has no family connection to her. A younger woman in a drama can use it to show familiarity and trust. The word offers a clue about the relationship, but it does not tell you how the two people first met.
In shopping or beauty-service conversations, you may hear women use 언니 as a familiar address for another woman. This depends on the shop, the people and the tone. Some welcome the warmth; others prefer a more professional form of address. If you simply need to get a staff member’s attention, 저기요 is a useful “excuse me” that does not assume a sister-like relationship.
At university or work, 선배님 identifies a senior respectfully. 언니 instead presents the relationship as personal and familiar. Two women can be both friends and colleagues, so the address may change with the setting. Listen to how they address each other in that situation before copying the familiar term.
Does 언니 Make the Whole Sentence Casual?
언니 can appear with polite 요 endings, as it does in the dialogue. Close sisters may also use casual endings with each other, depending on their family habits. The relationship word and the sentence ending do different jobs: one identifies the older woman’s relationship to the speaker, and the other shapes the tone of the utterance.
In the earlier example 언니는 대학생이에요, the speaker is talking about her sister. In 언니, 이거 예뻐요, she is speaking to her. English may translate the second sentence without “sister”, because directly addressing a sibling that way is less usual in English. Keep the relationship word when reading the Korean.
Words to Add to Your Family Vocabulary
| Korean | Meaning | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 친언니 | biological older sister | Makes the blood relationship clear. |
| 여동생 | younger sister | Describes the younger sister from the older sister’s viewpoint. |
| 사촌 | cousin | Combines with 언니 for an older female cousin. |
| 선배님 | respected senior | Refers to institutional seniority without assuming friendship. |
The relationships vocabulary lesson groups family and social labels. To choose between 여동생 and 언니, first establish which woman is speaking and who is older. To choose between 언니 and 선배님 outside the family, consider the relationship as well as age.
Quick Self-Test
- What does 친언니 clarify?
- Can 언니 be followed by polite 요 endings?
- Which can get a shop assistant’s attention without assuming closeness: 언니 or 저기요?
Show answers
- That the woman is the speaker’s biological older sister.
- Yes. The relationship word does not force casual sentence endings.
- 저기요 means “excuse me” without using a family address.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say older sister in Korean for a girl?
A female speaker says 언니 (eonni).
Can a man say 언니?
No. Men say 누나.
Is 언니 only for blood relatives?
No. It also covers a close older female friend.
What is 선배?
선배 is a school or work senior, a separate word from 언니.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: people relationships vocabulary groups 언니 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- See also 선배, 누나 and the phrase page unnie in Korean.