This used to be a family term, but now the usage is such that someone can call a guy oppa who is a stranger in a flirtatious way. This different word is used based on the superiority of the person. If someone was born in December 2000 and someone else was bork in January 2001, she can call him oppa.

There must be year differences – in Korean ages, the birth year is very important. If someone is only a few months older than you and born in the same year, they are not oppa and you would not use the honorific form of oppa orabeoni (오라버니) or orabeonim (오라버님). Unique individuals use honorific titles out of respect, whether that is a young woman addressing Korean men, or someone she has a close relationship with like an older male cousin, colleague, or younger brothers.įor these terms, and older person who was born in an earlier year of birth to you. Korean girls and Korean guys call each other honorifics just like the English word boss, bro, or other terms of endearment.

Sunbae (선배 or senior) is gender neutral to call an older male. Dongsaeng is what the older person calls the younger person, regardless of gender. Unnie (언니) also means older sister and is used by younger females to address an older woman in the Korean language. This is used by males speaking to older females. Another word, noona (누나), is used to mean older sister. However, this is used when men are talking to older males. There are a couple of related words that relate to age and gender, including hyung (형) or hyeong which also means older brother. In Korea and Korean culture, oppa can be used to refer to someone’s own brother or their older boyfriend. Some people mistakenly think the definition of oppa is daddy but this is not the case. In Korean, the word oppa is written as 오빠. While this can be used to refer to a female’s older brother, it can also indicate an older male friend, love interest or romantic interest. This word is used by females to refer to older males.

This word is used frequently in k-dramas (Korean dramas) as well as in normal Korean life. According to 90 Day Korean and Linguaholic, the word oppa means older brother.

Gangnam style lyrics korean