FAMILY · SPEAKER TERMS
언니 (unnie): older sister, from a woman's side of the conversation
언니 is what a woman calls an older woman — an older sister, an older female friend, or an older female colleague she is close with. It is the counterpart to 누나, and the choice between them tells you something about the relationship rather than about the person being addressed.
Hangul
언니
Romanization
unnie
Literal
older sister (female speaker)
Also used for
an older female colleague or close friend
Contrast
누나 (male speaker) · 누이 (neutral/written)
Spoken by
a woman
언니 is a relationship word, not just a family word
A woman calling another woman 언니 is the most common use, and it extends well past siblings. In offices, studios, universities, and any close group of women, an older female colleague is 언니 and the younger woman is 동생. The same pairing works with 오빠 and 형 between younger and older men.
What makes it work is the combination of age difference and closeness. You cannot call a random woman in a shop 언니 — but if she is clearly older and you already know her, it is a term of warmth rather than distance.
Choosing between 언니, 누나, and 누이
Your own gender decides between 언니 and 누나. 누이 is the third option, and it is the one you reach for when you want to describe the relationship rather than perform it — in writing, in a textbook, or when speaking about someone rather than to them.
At work, the same rule holds but with a wrapper. If you are not yet comfortable with 반말, use 선배 (senior) or 누나님/언니님, or simply their name followed by 님. Once a colleague has invited you to drop the formal register, 언니 is the word that fits.
- 언니 — a woman to an older woman, informal and warm
- 누나 — a man to an older woman, informal and warm
- 누이 — anyone, written and formal, describes the relationship
- 선배 — anyone to an older colleague, safe in every register
- 누나님 / 언니님 — the same warmth, with respect added
Short forms and casual speech
Among close friends, 언니 shortens to 언 — 언니야 becomes 언이야 — and in fast speech the double ㄴ collapses entirely. 오빠 similarly becomes 오, and 누나 becomes 누.
K-drama and K-pop are the reason so many learners meet 언니 first. It appears constantly in song titles, fan nicknames, and variety-show banter, which is useful exposure but also gives a slightly exaggerated picture of how often the word appears in ordinary speech — where it is common, but not constant.
Phrases you will actually say
언니, 이거 좀 봐
unnie, igeo jom bwa
Unnie, take a look at this.
우리 언니가 알려줬어
uri unniga allyeojwosseo
My older sister told me.
언니한테 물어볼게
un-ni-hante mureobolge
I'll ask my older sister.
저는 언니가 한 명 있어요
jeoneun unniga han myeong isseoyo
I have one older sister.
언니 생일 축하해
unnie saengil chukahae
Happy birthday, unnie.
우리 언니는 의사가 있어요
uri unnineun uisa-ga isseoyo
My older sister is a doctor.
Questions people actually ask
Can I call an older female friend 언니 if I am a man?
You would use 누나. The word follows the speaker's gender, so a man calls her 누나 and a woman calls her 언니 — the same relationship, different word. Korean speakers notice this immediately, so use the form that matches you.
Is it weird to call a female colleague 언니?
It is common and friendly, provided there is a real age gap and you already speak informally. If the other person is only a couple of years older, or if you are still exchanging polite greetings, use 선배 or her name instead — it avoids the awkwardness of a term that implies intimacy you have not established.
How does 언니 compare with older sister in English?
They are the same relationship, but English does not mark the speaker's gender, so English is vague where Korean is precise. 언니 also carries a warmth that "older sister" does not — it is closer to the way an English speaker might call a much older friend or a favourite cousin.