노인
noin[ˈno̞(ː)in]
The Korean word for 'elderly' is 노인 (noin).
노인 is used as a noun to refer to an elderly person or an old person.
Meaning: old (adj)
Which one should you use?
노인 is a neutral and somewhat clinical or formal noun. In contrast, using this word to refer to someone directly in conversation can sound blunt or even rude depending on the context.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While 노인 is a standard noun, if you want to be much more polite and respectful when referring to an elderly person in conversation, you should use 어르신, which means 'elder' or 'respected senior'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural 'elderly people', you can add the suffix 들 to the word to form 노인들.
How do you pronounce it?
noin
Did you know?
- While 노인 is the standard term for 'elderly person', the phrase 실버 (silver) is frequently used in modern Korean marketing for products and services aimed at seniors.
- In many Korean social settings, instead of using a noun like 노인, people will often refer to an elderly person by their specific social role, such as 'Grandmother' or 'Grandfather'.
- The characters in 노인 are shared with many other East Asian languages, meaning a Chinese speaker would recognize the individual components of the word immediately.
Examples in context
- 나의 할머니는 건강해 보여요.My grandmother looks healthy.
- 노인은 공원에서 쉬고 있어요.noineun gongwoneseo swigo isseoyo.The elderly person is resting in the park.
- 노인을 위해 자리를 양보하세요.noineul wihae jarireul yangboyohaseyo.Please give up your seat for the elderly.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Seoyeon are looking at a bus seat.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo여기는 노인 전용 좌석이에요.yeogineun noin jeonyong jwaseogieyo.This is a seat for the elderly.
- 서연 Seo-yeon아, 정말 몰랐어요.a, jeongmal mollasseoyo.Oh, I really didn't know.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo빨리 일어나 주세요.ppalli ireona juseyo.Please stand up quickly.
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 바로 일어날게요.ne, baro ireonalkeyo.Yes, I will stand up right now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 노인, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 노인, CC BY-SA 4.0.
