Oppa, daebak, aigoo, jagiya… These are the Korean words you hear in almost every K-drama and K-pop video. Learn what they really mean, who can say them, and tap each word to hear the pronunciation.
Oppa, unnie, hyung, noona: who says what?
Koreans rarely call older friends by their name. Instead they use family words, and the word depends on your own gender and the other person's gender.
To an older male
To an older female
Said by a woman
오빠 (oppa)
언니 (eonni / unnie)
Said by a man
형 (hyeong / hyung)
누나 (nuna / noona)
Reactions you hear in every drama
Love and romance words
K-pop fandom words and compliments
How people are called in K-dramas
Most drama dialogue is casual speech (반말) between friends, couples and family. With strangers, teachers or anyone older, add -요 to be polite: 진짜요?, 괜찮아요?, 보고 싶어요.
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