그녀는 내 여동생이에요
geunyeoneun nae yeodongsaeng-ieyo
In Korean, the phrase "she is my sister" is expressed as 그녀는 내 여동생이에요 (geunyeoneun nae yeodongsaeng-ieyo).
This phrase is used to identify a female sibling who is younger than the speaker.
What does it mean word for word?
The term for younger sister, 여동생, is composed of 여 (female) and 동생 (younger sibling).
Which one should you use?
While the term 여동생 is used by anyone to refer to a younger sister, Korean uses different words for an older sister depending on the gender of the speaker, such as 언니 or 누나.
How does it change in a sentence?
The ending 이에요 is the polite form of the copula "to be" used when the preceding noun ends in a consonant. In an informal context, the word 내 is used for "my", whereas using 제 before a noun like 여동생 would express "my" while showing more respect and politeness.
How do you pronounce it?
geunyeoneun nae yeodongsaeng-ieyo
Did you know?
- The pronoun 그녀 for 'she' is a relatively modern invention in Korean, often used in translations rather than natural speech.
- While 여동생 refers to a biological younger sister, it is also used to describe a younger female friend who is treated like a sister.
- The word 내 for 'my' is actually a contraction of the first-person pronoun 나 and the nominative particle 이.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo is showing a photo of his family to Seoyeon.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo이 사람은 누구예요?i sarameun nuguyeyo?Who is this person?
- 서연 Seo-yeon그녀는 내 여동생이에요.geunyeoneun nae yeodongsaeng-ieyo.She is my younger sister.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo정말 닮았네요!jeongmal dalmatneyo!You really look alike!
- 서연 Seo-yeon감사합니다.gamsahamnida.Thank you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 내, CC BY-SA 4.0.
