소녀
sonyeo[ˈsʰo̞(ː)ɲʌ̹]
The Korean word for girl is 소녀 (sonyeo). Wiktionary also lists 여자(女子)아이 (yeojaai) and 녀자(女子)아이 (nyeojaai).
Meaning: young female person (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 소녀 | sonyeo | [ˈsʰo̞(ː)ɲʌ̹] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 여자(女子)아이 | yeojaai | ||
| 녀자(女子)아이 | nyeojaai | North Korea |
The term refers to a young female person.
What does it mean word for word?
The standard term 여자아이 is a compound of 여자, meaning woman or female and 아이, meaning child.
Which one should you use?
소녀 is a more literary or poetic term often found in song titles or books. In contrast, 여자아이 is the standard way to refer to a girl in everyday conversation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
녀자아이 is the North Korean spelling and pronunciation for girl, following a regional tendency to use the 'ny' initial for certain words.
How does it change in a sentence?
소녀 is a noun that does not change its form to indicate number. Context will determine whether you are referring to one girl or multiple girls.
How do you pronounce it?
sonyeo
Did you know?
- In very formal or historical settings, a young woman might refer to herself as 소녀 to show extreme humility to an elder, regardless of her actual age.
- While 소녀 means 'girl', in modern Korean pop culture, the term is often used to evoke a sense of 'innocence' or a 'pure' image rather than just a specific age.
- The word 아이, used in 여자아이, is frequently shortened to 애 in spoken Korean, so you will often hear 'girl' pronounced as 여자애.
Examples in context
- 저는 단순한 소녀에요.I'm a simple girl.Tatoeba #5526752 by raining211, translation #3824433 by CK
- 그 금발 소녀는 정말 멋진 가슴 골을 가지고 있다.The blonde girl has a really nice cleavage.Tatoeba #1533015 by mysonhs, translation #1506211 by marco87
- 저 소녀는 누구예요?jeo sonyeoneun nuguyeyo?Who is that girl?
Example conversation
Minjun and Minji are looking at a photo album.
- 민준 Min-jun민지 씨, 이 사진 속의 소녀는 누구예요?Minji ssi, i sajin sogui sonyeoneun nuguyeyo?Minji, who is the girl in this photo?
- 민지 Min-ji그건 제 어린 시절 모습이에요.Geugeon je eorin sijeol moseubieyo.That is me when I was young.
- 민준 Min-jun정말 귀여운 소녀였네요!Jeongmal gwiyeoun sonyeoyeotneyo!You were such a cute girl!
- 민지 Min-ji고마워요, 민준 씨.Gomawoyo, Minjun ssi.Thank you, Minjun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girl” translations and entries 소녀, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
