What Does "Oppa" Mean? (And When You Can Actually Say It)

Oppa literally means older brother

In Korean, the word for a sibling changes depending on who is speaking. A younger sister calls her older brother 오빠 (oppa), while a younger brother calls him 형 (hyung). The same split exists for older sisters: a girl says 언니 (unnie) and a boy says 누나 (noona).

Koreans rarely call each other "you" or use first names with older people, so these family words spread far beyond family. They become the natural way to address someone older whom you feel close to.

• 우리 오빠는 대학생이에요.

  Uri oppaneun daehaksaeng-ieyo.

  My older brother is a college student.

• 오빠, 어디야?

  Oppa, eodiya?

  Oppa, where are you?

The 4 sibling words at a glance

Who is speaking matters as much as who is being called.

• 오빠

  oppa

  older male, called by a female

• 형

  hyeong (hyung)

  older male, called by a male

• 언니

  eonni (unnie)

  older female, called by a female

• 누나

  nuna (noona)

  older female, called by a male

Oppa outside the family

• Friends and seniors: a woman calls a slightly older male friend or school senior oppa once they are close. You often hear it attached to a name, like 민수 오빠 (Minsu oppa).
• Boyfriends: many women call their older boyfriend oppa, which is why the word sounds romantic in K-dramas.
• K-pop: fans call male idols who are older than them oppa, as a sign of affection.
• Pop culture: in "Gangnam Style," 오빤 (oppan) is a short form of 오빠는, so "Oppan Gangnam Style" means "Oppa is Gangnam style."

Can you say oppa? A quick checklist

You can say oppa if you are female, the man is older than you, and you are close enough that he is comfortable with it. Calling a stranger or your boss oppa would feel overly familiar, and in some situations even flirtatious.

If you are male, use 형 (hyung) instead. Men do sometimes say oppa as a joke, but it is not the normal word.

• 오빠, 같이 밥 먹을래?

  Oppa, gachi bap meogeullae?

  Oppa, want to grab a meal together?

• 오빠 사랑해!

  Oppa saranghae!

  Oppa, I love you! (common from fans and couples)

How to pronounce oppa

The ㅃ in 오빠 is a tense consonant: say a sharp "p" with no puff of air, and hold the double sound briefly, "op-pa." It is not "oh-pah" with a soft b.

Questions people ask