Various Titles Used by Koreans

Have you ever wondered how to call someone by his/her title while living in Korea? Today, we will learn about the various titles used in Korea!

[Titles at office]

People usually call each other by their professional title at work, but if they don’t have a title, the most commonly used way to call someone is “-ssi” following their name. Koreans use honorifics, “ssi” to show respect for others; for example, “John-ssi.” This is used not only in the office, but also at private meetings. Aside from “-ssi,” “-nim” is also commonly added after the name. This is more often used when dealing with customers by service sectors such as beauty salons and hospitals.

[Titles at home]

At home, most people call their father “abeoji” and mother “eomeoni.” Women call their older sister “eonni” and men call their older sister “nuna.” Women call their older brother “oppa” and men call them “hyeong.” In addition, people call their younger sister or brother by their name.

Then what are some titles related to your Korean spouse and his/her family? First, you can call your Korean husband’s father “abeonim” and mother “eomeonim.” You should call your Korean husband’s younger sister “agassi,” older sister “hyeongnim,” younger brother, “doryeonnim or seobangnim” and older brother “ajubeonim.”

For your Korean wife’s father, you would call him “jangineoreun” and mother “jangmonim.” To the younger sister of your Korean wife, you would say “cheoje,” older sister “cheohyeong,” older brother “hyeongnim,” and younger brother “cheonam.”

[Titles for friends]

When calling your friend, you can add “ya (or ah)” after their name (ex. Pyeongtaekah).

[Titles in everyday life]

Then what are some common titles used at stores? The most common word used is “jeogiyo.” It’s bit like ‘hey’ in English. In addition, many people also call for service by saying “Sajangnim (boss).”

Today we learned about the various titles used by Koreans! If you have any more questions related to titles, please leave a comment!