The names and terms used to refer to others are influenced by the tradition of each country. In Korea, forms of address for relatives are particularly complex. Here is a simple introduction to the kinds of personal designations that one comes across in everyday life.

[edit] Family Relationships 가족 관계

• Father : Called abeoji (아버지) in formal speech.

Also called appa (아빠) by young children.

• Mother : Called eomeoni (어머

니) in formal speech or just eomma (엄마) when young.

• Brothers : A male individual calls his elder brother hyeong (형), while a

younger sibling is called by name and referred to as au (아우) or dongsaeng (동생).

• Elder sister among female siblings : A female individual calls her elder sister

eonni (언니).

• Elder brother to female siblings : A female individual calls her elder brother

oppa (오빠). In formal speech he is called orabeoni (오라버니).

[edit] Social Relationships 사회 생활

• Ajeossi (아저씨) : A form of address for an adult male individual to whom one

is not related but is familar. You can call men ajeossi at the workplace if you work with them directly, but it is considered inappropriate for men in positions of higher responsibility within the company.

• Ajumma (아줌마) : A form of address for an adult female individual with who

one is familiar. It is used in the same social context as ajeossi.

• Hyeong (형) : In countries everywhere, human relationships eventually grow

to resemble fraternal relations in many ways. When men become close they sometimes call each other hyeong or hyeongnim (형님).

[edit] At The Workplace 직장

• -nim (님) : At places of work the sajang (사장), or the president of the company,

is called sajangnim (사장님) when spoken to. A sangmu (상무), or executive director, is addressed as sangmunim (상무님). The suffix -nim is always attached to the end of the official titles of persons of higher rank. When attached to the end of names or other forms of address as well, it is an expression of honorific speech.

• -ssi (씨) : Used as a suffix to names to express respect. It is used for both male

and female names, as in Yeong-cheolssi (영철씨) and Sun-jassi (순자씨). It is usually used by people of relatively the same age.

• -gun (군) : Used at the end of the surname and or personal name of a young

male individual of the same or younger rank.

• -yang (양) : Attached to the end of the surname and or personal name of a

young and unmarried woman as an expression of respect.