Key Facts
- Hangul: 누나; Revised Romanization: nuna
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: Casual-warm; used by males toward an older sister or close older woman. Females use 언니.
Older Sister in Korean: What Does 누나 Mean?
누나 means an older sister said by a male, and a close older woman too. The tone is casual and warm. Women use 언니 for the same person.
How Do You Pronounce 누나?
Two open syllables, nu-na, each with a clear vowel and no final consonant.
Example Sentences with 누나
누나는 대학생이에요.
nunaneun daehaksaengieyo.
My older sister is a university student.
누나는 is the topic, and 대학생이에요 says she is a university student.
누나, 이거 먹어요.
nuna, igeo meogeoyo.
Sister, eat this.
Direct address with an offer of food. The word works as a call before the comma.
저는 누나가 한 명 있어요.
jeoneun nunaga han myeong isseoyo.
I have one older sister.
A family-count sentence with 한 명, saying you have exactly one.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Useful patterns are 친누나 (biological older sister), 사촌 누나 (older female cousin) and 우리 누나 (my older sister).
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 친누나 | biological older sister |
| 사촌 누나 | older female cousin |
| 우리 누나 | my older sister |
The Mistake to Avoid
Mistake: a woman saying 누나, or a man saying 언니, for an older sister.
Right: males say 누나, females say 언니.
누나 Compared with 언니 and 형
The two matches are the female-speaker word and the male older-brother word.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 누나 | older sister (said by a male), older female friend (said by a male, close) | This page's word |
| 언니 | older sister (female speaker) | 언니 is used by women; 누나 is used by men. |
| 형 | older brother (male speaker) | 형 is the male counterpart. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
누나 is a native Korean word, so it has no hanja.
A Brother Offers His Sister Some Bread
A younger brother is at home with his older sister. He offers her bread and asks about something to drink. The conversation uses polite 요 endings.
Younger brother
누나, 빵 먹어요.
Nuna, ppang meogeoyo.
Have some bread.
Older sister
고마워요. 맛있어요.
Gomawoyo. Masisseoyo.
Thanks. It’s delicious.
Younger brother
우유도 줄까요?
Uyudo julkkayo?
Shall I get you some milk too?
Older sister
네, 조금만 주세요.
Ne, jogeumman juseyo.
Yes, just a little, please.
누나 identifies the older sister being addressed. The food offer does not need a separate Korean word for “you”. 우유도 adds milk to what is already being offered, while 조금만 limits the amount to just a little. The sister answers the offer directly without repeating her brother’s name or family label.
How Do You Make the Family Relationship Clear?
친누나 means a biological older sister. A man can use it when he wants to distinguish his actual sister from a close older female friend. The word adds family information to 누나 rather than changing the age relationship. It is especially helpful when introducing someone to people who know neither of you.
사촌 누나 is an older female cousin from a male speaker’s viewpoint. Keep the space between 사촌 and 누나. The cousin word explains the family link, and 누나 supplies the older-female relationship. A female speaker would use 사촌 언니 for that same cousin if she is older than the speaker.
우리 누나 commonly means “my older sister”. 우리 literally means “our”, but this family phrase does not require a shared sister. If a man tells a friend about 우리 누나, the friend can understand it as the speaker’s sister. 친누나 is more explicit if the biological connection is the point of the conversation.
Where Will You Hear 누나?
At home, 누나 is a normal call from a younger brother. In the example 누나는 대학생이에요, it instead refers to her while describing her to someone else. The difference is visible in the sentence: a call can stand before a comma, while 누나는 carries a topic marker and introduces information about her.
In a drama or a group of friends, a man may call a close older woman 누나 even when they are unrelated. Sometimes the relationship is affectionate or romantic; sometimes it is simply friendly. The word tells you that the speaker presents her as an older, familiar woman. It does not by itself mean “girlfriend”.
At school or work, 누나 can feel too personal if the relationship has not reached that level. 선배님 is useful for a senior in a shared institution. Age and institutional seniority are separate: someone can be older than you without being your school or workplace senior. Use the role or name that fits the actual setting.
Describing an Older Sister and a Younger Sibling
| Korean | Meaning | Which relationship it describes |
|---|---|---|
| 친누나 | biological older sister | A man explicitly identifies his own sister. |
| 여동생 | younger sister | The sister is younger than the person speaking. |
| 남동생 | younger brother | This describes the brother in the dialogue from his sister’s viewpoint. |
| 여자 친구 | girlfriend | Names a romantic partner rather than an age relationship. |
The relationships vocabulary lesson helps you choose the word from the speaker’s viewpoint. The older sister can describe the boy as her 남동생, but in direct conversation she will often use his name. Calling her 누나 gives him a natural address word; that does not mean she replies with the literal label “younger brother”.
The romanization nuna is a reading aid. You may also see “noona” in subtitles or fan writing, but the Hangul remains 누나. Both spellings point to the same family word; they do not identify different kinds of older sister.
Quick Self-Test
- Who normally calls an older sister 누나: a younger brother or a younger sister?
- Does 사촌 누나 mean an older female cousin or a younger sister?
- Does 누나 alone establish a romantic relationship?
Show answers
- A younger brother. A younger sister normally says 언니.
- An older female cousin, from a male speaker’s viewpoint.
- No. Family and close friendship are also common uses.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say older sister in Korean for a boy?
A male speaker says 누나 (nuna).
Can a woman say 누나?
Normally no. A woman says 언니.
What is the male older-brother word?
형 is the male counterpart.
Does 누나 cover friends?
Yes, a close older woman said by a male.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: people relationships vocabulary groups 누나 with its neighbours.
- Index: find the other family words in Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: pair 누나 with 언니 on a card in the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Related: older brother (female speaker), older sister (female speaker), 형 and the phrase page noona in Korean.