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형님

hyeongnim[형님]Intermediate · TOPIK IIFamily members

older brother

NounSino-Korean: 兄 님

  1. 1

    older brother

    (honorific) A word used only by a male to refer to or address his male siblings or cousins older than himself.

    Korean definition: (높임말로) 남자가 형제나 친척 형제들 중에서 자기보다 나이가 많은 남자를 이르거나 부르는 말.

    • After my older brother got married, I began calling him 'hyungnim'.

    • My parents always compare me with my older brother, asking how brothers can be so different.

  2. 2

    big brother

    (honorific) A word used chiefly among men to refer to or address a person who is older than oneself.

    Korean definition: (높임말로) 주로 남자들 사이에서 나이가 아래인 사람이 나이가 위인 사람을 이르거나 부르는 말.

    • I used to follow him around calling him 'big brother', but now we've grown apart.

    • Senior Kim and I are close, treating each other as big brother and little brother.

  3. 3

    brother-in-law

    A word used to refer to or address one's wife's elder brother, who is older than oneself.

    Korean definition: 아내의 오빠를 이르거나 부르는 말.

    • I felt very awkward calling my wife's older brother, who is younger than me, 'hyungnim'.

    • My wife has three older brothers, so as soon as I got married I gained three brothers-in-law.

  4. 4

    sister-in-law

    A word used to refer to or address the elder sister of one's husband.

    Korean definition: 남편의 누나를 이르거나 부르는 말.

    • I was very displeased that my younger sister-in-law acted like my elder.

    • I don't get along with my husband's family, especially my husband's older sister.