여왕
yeowang[jʌ̹wa̠ŋ]
The English word "queen" is translated into Korean as 여왕 (yeowang).
여왕 is used to refer to a female monarch.
Meaning: female monarch (noun)
Which one should you use?
여왕 is the standard form for "queen", while 여왕님 is a version that incorporates an honorific suffix to demonstrate higher levels of respect.
How do you pronounce it?
yeowang
Did you know?
- The honorific suffix 님 in 여왕님 is so powerful that it can be used sarcastically to mock someone acting superior, even if they have no royal status.
- Historically, Korea did not have a native tradition of female monarchs, so 여왕 is most often associated with foreign rulers or the rare cases of female leaders in ancient Korean kingdoms like Silla.
- If you were addressing a queen directly in a historical drama, you would likely use the term 중전 (Jungjeon) rather than 여왕, as it refers to the 'middle palace'.
Examples in context
- 여왕께서는 이번 행사에 참석하십니다.The queen will attend this event.
- 오늘 여왕님 생일이에요!Today is the queen's birthday!
- 그녀는 영국의 여왕이었다.geunyeoneun yeonggugui yeowang-iyeotda.She was the queen of the United Kingdom.
- 동화 속에 여왕이 나와요.donghwa soge yeowangi nawayo.A queen appears in the fairy tale.
- 여왕은 매우 아름다웠습니다.yeowangeun maeu areumdawotseumnida.The queen was very beautiful.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a movie they just watched.
- 도현 Do-hyeon그 영화에서 여왕이 누구였지?geu yeonghwageseo yeowangi nuguyeotji?Who was the queen in that movie?
- 수빈 Su-bin배우가 연기한 여왕은 정말 멋졌어.baeuga yeongihan yeowangeun jeongmal meotjyeosseo.The queen played by the actress was really cool.
- 도현 Do-hyeon수빈아, 너도 그 여왕이 좋았니?subina, neodo geu yeowangi joatni?Subin, did you like that queen too?
- 수빈 Su-bin응, 아주 인상적이었어.eung, aju insangjeogieosseo.Yes, she was very impressive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “queen” translations and entries 여왕, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
