-씨
-ssi[ɕ͈i]
The closest Korean match for Mrs is the title -씨 (-ssi), placed after a person's name. If unsure, use -씨. Wiktionary also lists -님 (-nim) and 미시스 (misiseu).
Meaning: title before a woman's name (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| -씨 | -ssi | [ɕ͈i] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| -님 | -nim | |
| 미시스 | misiseu |
-씨 follows a name to address someone politely, much like Mr, Mrs or Ms. It is not limited to married women.
Which one should you use?
-님 (-nim) is a more respectful honorific suffix. 여사님 is a formal way to address a married woman. 미시스 is a transliteration of the English Mrs used mainly in the media or when discussing Western culture, not as a normal way to address a Korean woman.
How do you pronounce it?
It is written in Latin letters as -ssi.
Did you know?
- In modern Korean society, the transliterated word 미시스 is often used as a slang adjective to describe a stylish or sophisticated married woman.
- While -씨 is intended for politeness, using it to address a teacher or a social superior can actually be perceived as rude or condescending.
- The suffix -씨 shares the same spelling and pronunciation as the Chinese character 氏, which literally means 'surname' or 'clan'.
Examples in context
- 형수씨Mrs. older sister-in-law씨 is attached directly to the family term for an older brother's wife.
- 김씨 부인Mrs. Kim김씨 부인 combines the surname with 씨 and a word for wife, matching Mrs Kim.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mrs” translations and entries -씨, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries -씨, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
