How to address someone in Korean
- My Korean Lesson
- Jan 17, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 26, 2025
Due to a long history of Confucianism, being polite to someone older than you is a very important matter in Korea. Calling someone properly is a good start to learning this manner! Let's learn how to address someone in Korean at different levels of politeness.
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1. Korean names
Unlike English, in Korean, you say the family name first and then add the given name. Korean names usually consist of three syllables. The family name is usually in one syllable, and the given name is usually in two syllables in Korean.
However, rarely some family names are two syllables. Last names can be just one or more than two syllables as well. You don't have to add any space in the name. Check the examples below.
김민지 [gim-min-ji] Min-ji Kim
김 [gim] is the most common Korean family name. It is usually known as Kim in English. 민지 is a common female name.
박지수 [bak-ji-su] Ji-Su Park
박 [bak] is known as Park in English. But the actual pronunciation is "b." 지수 is usually a female name.
최영철 [chwae-yeong-cheol] Yeong-Chul Choi
최 [chwae] is somehow known as Choi in English. The proper pronunciation is "chwae" in one syllable. 영철 is a male name.
2. How to call your friends
Let's check out the not polite version of calling. If you call someone who is the same age or younger than you, you usually don't have to be polite.
In this case, you attach 아 or 야 to the person’s given name. Which one you use depends on the final sound of the name. If the name ends with a vowel, you add 아. If the name ends with a final consonant, you add 야. Take a look at the examples below.
받침 Final Consonant | Calling Word | Example |
O | 야 | |
X | 아 |
However, when you call a non-Korean name, you don't have to attach those calling words. You can just call them by their names, just like you do in English. If you want to, you can try to attach it, but it sounds not that natural.
마이클! Hey, Michael!
마이클아! - It does not sound natural.
3. Somewhat polite version
To address someone of similar age or similar social status (like co-workers) or younger people politely, you can attach the word "씨 [ssi]". 씨 works as Mr., Mrs., in English.
However, unlike English, you must add 씨 to their given name or full name. If you attach 씨 to their family name, it sounds a little rude. When writing, make sure to leave a space between the name and 씨.
Given name + 씨 | |
Full name + 씨: It has a more distant vibe. | |
(X) 김 씨 | Attaching 씨 to the family name sounds rude. |
4. Very polite version
Adding 씨 is a polite way, but not a super polite way. 씨 is still for someone of a similar age or social status!
If you call your boss by his or her name with 씨, you will be in big trouble! Then, how can we call people who are older than you or who have a higher social status, like bosses, teachers, or parents?
To call someone politely, you must use their titles, not their names. It's very important! Usually, those titles have the word "님 [nim]" at the end. 님 is a polite version of 씨. Here are some examples.
teacher | |
boss, CEO, the owner of a store | |
chief/head of department | |
team leader |
Here are some useful titles you should know related to family! If you want to know more family-related words, please click here to read my post.
mom | |
mother | |
dad | |
father |
엄마 is "mom," and 어머니 is "mother." So 엄마 is a more friendly and childish term than 어머니. 아빠 is "dad," and 아버지 is "father." 아버지 is a politer than 아빠.
Tips: To call the other person's mother and father.
You just saw that the word "님" is polite. There are words 어머님 and 아버님 in Korean as well. They are similar to 어머니 and 아버지, right? 어머님 and 아버님 are used to call other people's mom and dad. So, you are being super polite to other people's parents! Especially when you call mother-in-law or father-in-law, you have to use these versions!
5. Someone in Online
When communicating online in Korean — such as in forums, chat rooms, or social media — people often use “님” after a name or username to address others politely. The word 님 is an honorific suffix that shows respect and friendliness at the same time.
This expression is commonly used when: you don’t know the person well, you are meeting someone online for the first time, or you want to sound polite and considerate.
For example:
민수님 (Mr./Ms. Minsoo)
Hana님
KoreanLearner님
Even if the person is the same age or younger, using 님 online is a polite and natural way to address them. In short, “님” works like a respectful title in online communication in Korean.
6. "You" in Korean
you, casual non-polite | |
you |
The second-person pronoun “you” is a particularly interesting topic in Korean. Although there are several words that technically correspond to “you,” most of them are not commonly used in everyday conversation. Instead, Korean speakers usually address others by name or title — or simply omit “I” and “you” because they are understood from context.
In casual speech, the form 너 is the second-person pronoun that is most commonly used today. However, it is not polite and is only appropriate when speaking to close friends, people of the same age, or someone younger than you.
There is also the word 당신, which has a more complicated usage. Historically, it was used as a somewhat polite pronoun, and it is still used in some formal or written contexts — such as books, surveys, and public notices — as a neutral second-person reference.
However, in spoken conversation, 당신 can sound distant or even confrontational, except in certain situations between married couples, where it may function like “honey” or “darling.” Because of these nuances, learners should be careful when using it in everyday speech.
For this reason, most Korean speakers do not actively use dedicated “you” pronouns in daily conversation. It is usually more natural to call someone by their name, title, or role, or simply leave the subject unstated when the meaning is clear.
Here’s an example:
“학생이에요?”(student are?)
The natural English translation is “Are you a student?”
Literally, the sentence does not contain a word meaning “you,” but the listener can easily understand that the question is directed at them. In Korean, the subject is often implied through context rather than stated explicitly. This may feel unusual at first for English speakers, but with practice, it becomes natural.
7. Wrap-up: How to address someone in Korean?
In this lesson, you learned how to address someone in Korean. Politeness is highly valued in Korean culture, making it crucial to use the correct terms when addressing others. Let's review some key points to remember!
Depending on the politeness, there are many ways you can call someone.
Not polite: given name + 아/야
Somewhat polite: given name + 씨
Super polite: Use appropriate titles+님
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