아우
au[a̠u]
The Korean phrase for "younger brother" is 아우 (au). Wiktionary also lists 동생 (dongsaeng).
Meaning: single-word translations (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 아우 | au | [a̠u] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 동생 | dongsaeng | [to̞ŋsʰɛŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [to̞ŋsʰe̞ŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
feminine, masculine |
In everyday spoken Korean, to specify that a younger sibling is male, people typically use the compound word 남동생.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
아우 is a more formal or literary term for a younger brother and is less common in everyday spoken conversation than 동생.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is au.
Did you know?
- The word 동생 is a Sino-Korean term combining the characters for 'same' and 'life'. It literally describes two people who shared the same life in the womb.
- The term 동생 is often used for people who are not biologically related but are younger than you in a social hierarchy.
- In traditional Korean society, the relationship between a brother and his 아우 was strictly hierarchical, involving specific honorifics that the younger brother had to use.
Example sentences for Korean are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Minjun introduces his sibling to Minji.
- 민준 Min-jun이쪽은 제 아우예요.itteog-eun je au-yeyo.This is my younger brother.
- 민지 Min-ji정말 반가워요.jeongmal bangawoyo.It is very nice to meet him.
- 민준 Min-jun제 아우는 학생이에요.je auneun haksaeng-ieyo.My younger brother is a student.
- 민지 Min-ji그렇군요, 멋지네요.geureokunyo, meotjineyo.I see, that's cool.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “younger brother” translations and entries 아우, 동생, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 동생, 아우, CC BY-SA 4.0.
