Korean has four words for calling someone older than you. They are 형, 오빠, 누나, and 언니. A foreign student asked me. "In English there's just one, 'big brother,' so why does Korean have four?" ## It depends on who is calling These words are determined by the gender of the person speaking. Men call an older man '형 (hyung)' and an older woman '누나 (noona)'. Women call an older man '오빠 (oppa)' and an older woman '언니 (unnie)'. So even for the same person, the title changes depending on whether the speaker is a man or a woman. ## Why Are They Divided This Way? In Korean, relationships are often built into the words themselves. In traditional Korean families, the order and roles among siblings were very important. So the fact that "you're my younger brother and I'm your older brother" went straight into the term of address. This word also spread beyond the family. People call a close older friend from the neighborhood or school '형' or '언니'. Because the moment you use it instead of a name, it means "we're close." ## Be careful in these situations If you suddenly call someone you've just met or your boss at work '형' or '오빠', it can feel too familiar. At this point, first ask, "What should I call you?" Ask that first. Koreans find this question polite. Once you两人 are comfortable with each other, they'll say, "Just call me hyung."