여동생
yeodongsaeng[jʌ̹do̞ŋsʰɛŋ]
The English phrase "little sister" is translated into Korean as 여동생 (yeodongsaeng).
여동생 is used to refer to a female sibling who is younger than the speaker. While this is the standard term for a biological little sister, it is rarely used as a direct way to address her. Instead, you would typically use her name or a nickname.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 여동생 is composed of 여 (female), 동 (same) and 생 (birth/born), literally meaning 'female same-born sibling'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The term 여동생 is a noun and does not change based on the speaker's gender.
How do you pronounce it?
yeodongsaeng
Did you know?
- If you are talking about a younger female friend who is not a blood relative, you would still use the term 여동생 to describe the social closeness of your relationship.
- The word 여동생 consists of 여 for female and 동생 for younger sibling, but the term for 'older sister' changes completely depending on if the speaker is male or female.
- The term is composed of three distinct Hanja characters, making it a Sino-Korean word rather than a purely native Korean construction.
Examples in context
- 제 여동생은 학생이에요.je yeodongsaengeun haksaengieyo.My little sister is a student.
- 여동생이 한 명 있어요.yeodongsaengi han myeong isseoyo.I have one little sister.
- 여동생이랑 쇼핑하러 가요.yeodongsaeng-irang syopinghareo gayo.I am going shopping with my little sister.
Example conversation
Minjun and Seoyeon are talking about their families.
- 민준 Min-jun서연 씨는 형제나 자매가 있어요?Seoyeon ssineun hyeongjena jamaega isseoyo?Seoyeon, do you have any siblings?
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 저는 여동생이 있어요.ne, jeoneun yeodongsaengi isseoyo.Yes, I have a little sister.
- 민준 Min-jun정말요? 여동생은 몇 살이에요?jeongmalyo? yeodongsaengeun myeot sarieyo?Really? How old is your little sister?
- 서연 Seo-yeon열두 살이에요.yeoldu sarieyo.She is twelve years old.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 여동생, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 여동생, CC BY-SA 4.0.
