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 form 여자아이 is a compound word where 여자 means 'female' and 아이 means 'child'.
Which one should you use?
소녀 is more literary, poetic or formal than the more common everyday term.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form 녀자아이 is the North Korean spelling and pronunciation of the word for girl.
How do you pronounce it?
sonyeo
Did you know?
- Adult women in very formal or historical contexts might have referred to themselves as 소녀 to show extreme humility toward a superior.
- While 소녀 is the direct translation for 'girl', Koreans often use 언니 ('older sister') or 동생 ('younger sibling') to refer to girls within a social group to define their relative age and status.
- A person might use the word 소녀 to describe someone's 'inner child' or a sense of youthful spirit, even if the person is no longer a girl.
Examples in context
- 저는 단순한 소녀에요.I'm a simple girl.This sentence is useful for using the form 소녀.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
- 이 책의 주인공은 소녀입니다.The protagonist of this book is a girl.
- 오늘 너랑 데이트할 여자애가 보여?Do you see any girl you want to go on a date with today?
- 저 여자아이는 정말 예쁘다.That girl is really beautiful.
- 지민이 내 여동생처럼 귀여워.Jimin is cute like my little sister.
- 그 소녀는 아주 용감해요.geu sonyeoneun aju yonggamhaeyo.That girl is very brave.
Example conversation
Subin and Jihun are looking at a photo of a child.
- 수빈 Su-bin이 소녀는 누구예요?i sonyeon-eun nugu-yeyo?Who is this girl?
- 지훈 Ji-hun제 조카예요.je joka-yeyo.She is my niece.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말 귀여운 소녀네요.jeongmal gwiyeoun sonyeon-neyo.She is such a cute girl.
- 지훈 Ji-hun감사합니다, 수빈 씨.gamsahamnida, Subin ssi.Thank you, Subin.
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.
