소녀
sonyeo[ˈsʰo̞(ː)ɲʌ̹]
In Korean, 'little girl' is 소녀 (sonyeo). Wiktionary also lists 여자아이 (yeojaai) and 녀자아이 (nyeojaai).
Meaning: a female child (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 소녀 | sonyeo | [ˈsʰo̞(ː)ɲʌ̹] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 여자아이 | yeojaai | [jʌ̹d͡ʑa̠a̠i] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 녀자아이 | nyeojaai | North Korea |
The term refers to a female child. You might use the word 어린 alongside other terms to specify that a child is 'young' or 'little'.
What does it mean word for word?
The common 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 formal writing or titles. In contrast, 여자아이 is the standard way to refer to a female child in daily speech.
How do you pronounce it?
sonyeo
Did you know?
- In historical Korean contexts, 소녀 was sometimes used as a humble first-person pronoun by young women when addressing their elders.
- While 소녀 means 'little girl', it is also used in the term 소녀만화, which refers to a specific genre of 'shoujo' manga and comics targeted at young female audiences.
- While 소녀 means 'little girl', the character 少 also means 'few' or 'less', showing a linguistic connection between 'smallness' and 'scarcity'.
Examples in context
- 이 여자애는 정말 재미있어요!This little girl is so fun!
- 그 소녀는 정말 예뻐요.geu sonyeoneun jeongmal yeppeoyo.That little girl is really pretty.
- 그 소녀는 그림을 잘 그려요.geu sonyeoneun geurimeul jal geuryeoyo.That little girl draws well.
Example conversation
A man and a woman are walking in a park.
- 수빈 Su-bin저 소녀가 정말 귀엽네요.jeo sonyeoga jeongmal gwiyeopneyo.That little girl is so cute.
- 도현 Do-hyeon맞아요, 정말 사랑스러워요.majayo, jeongmal sarangseureowoyo.You're right, she is lovely.
- 수빈 Su-bin도현 씨는 저 소녀를 본 적 있어요?Dohyeon ssineun jeo sonyeoreul bon jeok isseoyo?Dohyeon, have you seen that little girl before?
- 도현 Do-hyeon아니요, 처음 봐요.aniyo, cheoeum bwayo.No, it's my first time seeing her.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “little girl” translations and entries 소녀, 여자아이, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 소녀, 여자아이, CC BY-SA 4.0.
