Key Facts
- Hangul: 동생; Revised Romanization: dongsaeng
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, from the hanja 同生
- Register: neutral; also used for any younger person you are on friendly terms with
- Gender: not marked; add 남 or 여 to specify
Younger Sibling in Korean: What Does 동생 Mean?
동생 means any younger sibling, with no information about gender. Its hanja 同生 combines 同 "same" and 生 "born". Two longer words add the gender: 남동생 for a younger brother and 여동생 for a younger sister. A third, 막냇동생, picks out the youngest sibling in a family. Its linking ㅅ tenses the next sound, so it sounds like mangnae-ttongsaeng (RR mangnaetdongsaeng).
The register is neutral, so 동생 fits a family conversation, a chat at school and small talk at work equally. Outside the family it can reach a younger friend, which is why the word also appears in friendly speech between people who are not related.
How Is 동생 Pronounced?
Two syllables: dong-saeng. The first syllable ends in the nasal ㅇ, the sound at the end of English "song", and the last syllable has the open vowel ㅐ. Say both beats evenly.
Example Sentences with 동생
제 동생은 학생이에요.
je dongsaengeun haksaengieyo.
My younger sibling is a student.
제 is "my", and 은 marks 동생 as the topic. The English translation says "sibling" because the Korean does not reveal gender.
동생과 같이 놀아요.
dongsaenggwa gachi norayo.
I play with my younger sibling.
과 means "with" and 같이 means "together". The pair describes sharing an activity with a younger brother or sister.
동생이 하나 있어요.
dongsaengi hana isseoyo.
I have one younger sibling.
하나 is the native number "one", placed before 있어요 to give the count. If you have two, the number changes and the rest stays.
Phrases with 동생
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 남동생 | younger brother |
| 여동생 | younger sister |
| 막냇동생 | youngest sibling |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: assuming 동생 can only mean a younger brother, or only a younger sister.
Correct: 동생 is gender-neutral and means any younger sibling. Add 남 (남동생) or 여 (여동생) in front when your listener needs to know which.
동생 Compared with 형제 and 남동생
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 동생 | younger sibling | Any younger sibling, either gender |
| 형제 | siblings | Can mean brothers or siblings in general, with no pointer to a younger one |
| 남동생 | younger brother | Specifies a younger brother |
Where Does the Word Come From?
동생 is Sino-Korean, from the hanja 同生. You do not need the characters to use the word.
Getting to Know a Classmate’s Family
Two adult classmates talk about family during a break. One begins with the broad word 동생; the other asks for more detail. Both speakers keep polite endings.
Classmate
동생이 있어요?
Dongsaengi isseoyo?
Do you have a younger sibling?
Mina
네. 동생이 두 명 있어요.
Ne. Dongsaengi du myeong isseoyo.
Yes. I have two younger siblings.
Classmate
남동생이에요, 여동생이에요?
Namdongsaengieyo, yeodongsaengieyo?
Are they younger brothers or younger sisters?
Mina
남동생 한 명하고 여동생 한 명이에요.
Namdongsaeng han myeonghago yeodongsaeng han myeongieyo.
One younger brother and one younger sister.
The first question leaves gender open. Mina uses 명, the counter for people, after the number: 두 명 means “two people”. In the last line 한 명 means “one person”, and 하고 joins the two siblings. The native numbers 하나 and 둘 shorten to 한 and 두 before 명.
How Do You Count Younger Siblings?
동생이 있어요 says that you have a younger sibling without giving an exact count. 동생이 한 명 있어요 gives the count as one. The noun 동생 does not need a plural ending before a number. 동생들 can mean “younger siblings”, but adding 들 is unnecessary when 두 명 already makes the number clear.
A sibling question also has an age direction. Someone can have no 동생 and still have older siblings. If the question is specifically about 동생, answering with a count of all your brothers and sisters would change the meaning. The wider question is about 형제자매, “brothers and sisters”.
막내 means the youngest member of a family or group. 막냇동생 picks out the youngest younger sibling. A person can be your 동생 without being the 막내 if there is another sibling younger still. In an entertainment group, 막내 can name the youngest member even when none of the members are related.
When Does 동생 Refer to a Friend?
동생 can describe a younger friend with whom the speaker has a close relationship. In an introduction, 아는 동생 means a younger person the speaker knows. 친한 동생 adds that the relationship is close. Neither phrase alone says that the person is a blood relative.
친동생 makes the family relationship explicit when the listener might otherwise assume a friend. Context often does the work without this extra word. If the story is about growing up with the same parents, 동생 will normally be understood as a sibling; if it is about meeting through a hobby, a younger friend may be intended.
This friendly extension is not an invitation to label every younger stranger 동생. Age and closeness work together. When speaking directly to a younger friend, a name is often the natural choice. When telling a third person about that friend, 동생 explains the relationship from your point of view.
Where Will You Hear or Read 동생?
동생 appears in family small talk, introductions and captions on family photographs. In dramas and variety shows, it may explain why two unrelated characters use sibling-style titles with each other. Listen for words such as 친한 or 사촌 before deciding exactly how the people are connected.
A subtitle may translate 동생 as “brother” or “sister” when the scene has already established gender. The Korean word itself still leaves gender unspecified. If you are translating an isolated sentence, “younger sibling” keeps the information that is actually present.
Useful Relationship Words
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 형제자매 | brothers and sisters | Includes older and younger siblings. |
| 막내 | youngest member | Can describe a family member or a group member. |
| 친동생 | one's own younger sibling | Clarifies a sibling relationship rather than a friendship. |
| 사촌 동생 | younger cousin | Names a cousin younger than the person used as the reference. |
The family vocabulary lesson places these terms beside the older-sibling titles.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 동생이 두 명 있어요 tell you the siblings' genders?
- Must every 동생 also be the 막내?
- In 아는 동생, must the person be a relative?
Show answers
- No. It says there are two younger siblings.
- No. Another sibling may be younger still.
- No. It can refer to a younger acquaintance or friend.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "younger sibling" in Korean?
Say 동생 (dongsaeng). It means any younger brother or sister and does not show gender. Add 남 for a younger brother (남동생) or 여 for a younger sister (여동생) when the listener needs to know which.
Does 동생 mean a younger brother or a younger sister?
Both. 동생 is gender-neutral, so it can be either. Learners often assume it means only one of them, which is a mistake. Use 남동생 or 여동생 when you want to say which sibling you mean.
How is 동생 different from 형제?
동생 means a younger sibling, with a clear age direction. 형제 can mean brothers or siblings in general and does not point to a younger one. Use 동생 to talk about one younger sibling.
How do you say the youngest sibling in Korean?
Say 막냇동생. It joins the word for the youngest child of a family and the plain word 동생 you already know, with a linking ㅅ written between them.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: family words groups 동생 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Compare with younger brother in Korean.
- Next in the list: younger sister in Korean.
- Greeting and address use of the word: the page on dongsaeng as a form of address.
- Practice: add 동생 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
Younger sibling in Korean is 동생, and the two prefixes 남 and 여 are the only change you need when gender matters.