씨
ssi[ɕ͈i]
The Korean term for Ms. is 씨 (ssi).
씨 is a gender-neutral title used to address both men and women.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
씨 is a polite term, but it should not be used to address someone with significantly higher social status or seniority, such as a boss or a teacher. For addressing a teacher or a woman respectfully, the term 선생님 is more appropriate.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Korean, the title 씨 is placed after the surname or the full name, rather than before it, such as in 김 씨.
How do you pronounce it?
ssi
Did you know?
- In certain contexts, the word 씨 can be a shortened version of the extremely vulgar slang term 씨발.
- If you use 씨 with someone much older than you, it can actually sound condescending rather than polite.
- While 씨 is gender-neutral, using it to refer to a spouse in a third-person conversation can sometimes be viewed as distancing or overly formal.
Examples in context
- 수빈 씨는 어디에 있어요?Subin ssi-neun eodi-e isseoyo?Where is Ms. Subin?
- 그분은 김 씨입니다.Geubun-eun Kim ssi-imnida.She is Ms. Kim.
Example conversation
Minjun is looking for Subin in the office.
- 민준 Min-jun수빈 씨, 지금 바빠요?Subin ssi, jigeum bappayo?Ms. Subin, are you busy now?
- 수빈 Su-bin아니요, 민준 씨. 무슨 일이에요?Aniyo, Minjun ssi. Museun irieyo?No, Minjun. What is the matter?
- 민준 Min-jun서류 좀 도와줄 수 있어요?Seoryu jom dowajul su isseoyo?Can you help me with some documents?
- 수빈 Su-bin네, 제가 도와줄게요.Ne, jega dowajulgeyo.Yes, I will help you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 씨, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 씨, CC BY-SA 4.0.
