[smylies]

im not korean, but i only use 'oppa' to annoy one of my friends
because he tells me im so korean obsessed.
ha;

[Hi im ken]

hah, i dont find it annoying or weird at at. i think its cute.

[miramashimaro]

i don't really know how i'd feel about it because i haven't really heard it in person before (non-koreans using those terms...) a lot of asian (non-korean) people where i live are really into korean dramas and music though. i think it's cool that they're into it, but when they start trying to ACT like they're korean (like giving each other korean names, etc) then i start to feel like they're trying too hard to be something they're not. i went to a hmong new year here a few years back, and there was a girl wearing a hanbok. i was very annoyed by that because it was a cultural event for HER culture, yet she was choosing to represent another culture that was not hers. if she was at a korean cultural event, then i would think it was cool and appropriate for her to wear the hanbok. but in this situation i felt like she was just trying to show off to any other korean wannabes that may have been there.

i posted a question regarding the use of oppa/unni/hyung/nuna in the language section, but i think i'll try for an answer here too since it's relevant...

*copy and pasting from my other post...*
hi. i'm new here (well, i was on soompi years ago...but i'm back again!)

i'm korean, but i'm adopted. so i'm hoping to get some help from fluent korean speakers.

i know the basics of using the proper "respectful" terms when speaking to someone that's older than you. i'm specifically looking for info on the "etiquette" (for lack of a better term, i suppose) of using oppa/unni/hyung/noona. i know that:
oppa = what a girl calls a guy who's older (older brother)
unni = what a girl calls another girl who's older (older sister)
hyung = what a guy calls another guy who's older (older bro)
noona = what a guy calls a girl who's older (older sis)

BUT...

is there an age limit as to when you should STOP using these terms? like say you're a 25 year old girl, and you have a guy friend/girl friend who is 27. would you still call him/her oppa/unni?

OR...

say you're a 23 year old girl, you have a guy friend who is 26/girl friend who is 26, but you're married or in a relationship. would you still call your guy friend oppa or your girl friend unni (assuming they are both single/un-married)?

thanks for any help. and nice to "meet" you all

hehe...sorry for the lengthy response up there...i talk a lot

[jeehyun.kim]

lololol ahhahaha and she's not even korean..

well i think it is nookie heh in general... so yeah.. i don't use it... unless i'm trying to be stupid

[dancingbymyself]

*copy and pasting from my other post...*
hi. i'm new here (well, i was on soompi years ago...but i'm back again!)

i'm korean, but i'm adopted. so i'm hoping to get some help from fluent korean speakers.

i know the basics of using the proper "respectful" terms when speaking to someone that's older than you. i'm specifically looking for info on the "etiquette" (for lack of a better term, i suppose) of using oppa/unni/hyung/noona. i know that:
oppa = what a girl calls a guy who's older (older brother)
unni = what a girl calls another girl who's older (older sister)
hyung = what a guy calls another guy who's older (older bro)
noona = what a guy calls a girl who's older (older sis)

BUT...

is there an age limit as to when you should STOP using these terms? like say you're a 25 year old girl, and you have a guy friend/girl friend who is 27. would you still call him/her oppa/unni?

OR...

say you're a 23 year old girl, you have a guy friend who is 26/girl friend who is 26, but you're married or in a relationship. would you still call your guy friend oppa or your girl friend unni (assuming they are both single/un-married)?

thanks for any help. and nice to "meet" you all

hehe...sorry for the lengthy response up there...i talk a lot

There's no real age limit, but it's kind of weird to hear people use them after 30 somthing because then they're usually married and have jobs and kids and stuff. (You could call them, name-ajusshi, name-umma, name-doctor, name-teacher, etc, or just use name-shii) This one ajusshi always calls my mom Noona, and it's kind of creepy because they're both in their late forties.

[영원한 사랑]

i don't really know how i'd feel about it because i haven't really heard it in person before (non-koreans using those terms...) a lot of asian (non-korean) people where i live are really into korean dramas and music though. i think it's cool that they're into it, but when they start trying to ACT like they're korean (like giving each other korean names, etc) then i start to feel like they're trying too hard to be something they're not. i went to a hmong new year here a few years back, and there was a girl wearing a hanbok. i was very annoyed by that because it was a cultural event for HER culture, yet she was choosing to represent another culture that was not hers. if she was at a korean cultural event, then i would think it was cool and appropriate for her to wear the hanbok. but in this situation i felt like she was just trying to show off to any other korean wannabes that may have been there.

i posted a question regarding the use of oppa/unni/hyung/nuna in the language section, but i think i'll try for an answer here too since it's relevant...

*copy and pasting from my other post...*
hi. i'm new here (well, i was on soompi years ago...but i'm back again!)

i'm korean, but i'm adopted. so i'm hoping to get some help from fluent korean speakers.

i know the basics of using the proper "respectful" terms when speaking to someone that's older than you. i'm specifically looking for info on the "etiquette" (for lack of a better term, i suppose) of using oppa/unni/hyung/noona. i know that:
oppa = what a girl calls a guy who's older (older brother)
unni = what a girl calls another girl who's older (older sister)
hyung = what a guy calls another guy who's older (older bro)
noona = what a guy calls a girl who's older (older sis)

BUT...

is there an age limit as to when you should STOP using these terms? like say you're a 25 year old girl, and you have a guy friend/girl friend who is 27. would you still call him/her oppa/unni?

OR...

say you're a 23 year old girl, you have a guy friend who is 26/girl friend who is 26, but you're married or in a relationship. would you still call your guy friend oppa or your girl friend unni (assuming they are both single/un-married)?

thanks for any help. and nice to "meet" you all

hehe...sorry for the lengthy response up there...i talk a lot

there isn't an age limit of using "unni", "oppa", etc ....
whether you're 5 years old or 30, its absolutely necessary to use those terms if the person you know is older than you.
also you use "unni", "oppa" to anyone who's older
basically anyone you know who is older than you, you use the terms to address them
however if the person is like your dad/mom's age or something, you address them as "ajushee" or "ajumma"
so you just have to make your best judgement
you definitely don't wanna call someone old enough to be your uncle or dad, by "oppa" LOL

[miramashimaro]

There's no real age limit, but it's kind of weird to hear people use them after 30 somthing because then they're usually married and have jobs and kids and stuff. (You could call them, name-ajusshi, name-umma, name-doctor, name-teacher, etc, or just use name-shii) This one ajusshi always calls my mom Noona, and it's kind of creepy because they're both in their late forties.

lol...yeah that does sound sort of creepy

there isn't an age limit of using "unni", "oppa", etc ....
whether you're 5 years old or 30, its absolutely necessary to use those terms if the person you know is older than you.
also you use "unni", "oppa" to anyone who's older
basically anyone you know who is older than you, you use the terms to address them
however if the person is like your dad/mom's age or something, you address them as "ajushee" or "ajumma"
so you just have to make your best judgement
you definitely don't wanna call someone old enough to be your uncle or dad, by "oppa" LOL

thanx for the info! ^^ yeah i know about the other terms as well (ahjuhshi/ahjumma)...

and lol at your last comment!

[Limerence;]

LOL, I totally understand what you mean. It`s exceptional in my case -____-
my bestbuddy`s korean, and yeah sure he`s pretty hot. but omfg, hearing the word "Oppa!" consequently makes me detest using it.

so i dont use it. at all. besides, it just feels weird, even to my best guyfriends.
i use sunbae though, at times. mostly unni, when they`re older and close to me.

[tchuu<33]

i think it's sorta funny how others will imitate another language only if it's not in an offensive way. if they intend it to be funny and they know you're okay with it, it's alright(?) some of my non cambodian friends will shout out things in cambodian just to be funny and i laugh at their pronunciation. i think the korean language is becoming a sort of trend? i have other friends who will use oppa or unnie and they're not korean. i even called one of my friends oppa once but it wasn't intended. it just came out but he knows i'm studying the language and so are my other friends so the outbursts are understandable but i do understand how it can get annoying if the term gets overused especially if they're not of the same nationality as the language.

[ygchixzta1177]

I can understand why it's annoying to Koreans, but i'm not Korean
& i just like 'Oppa' better than what it is in my language, which is literally pronounced "I".
I'm sorry it's a bother but ya know, people are gonna say, use whutever they want.

[repeat_on_echo]

Ah, I hate those. It's just annoying, especially when they overuse it. Why not just call you by your name, respectfully? I don't know, but especially if they can't pronounce it well. It just bothers me.

[dankyung]

well no one really calls me unnie or nuna. just family
but since i was born here, my mom never really told me that
you call someone older than you unnie, oppa, so like
i never knew and A LOT of people get mad at me
cause it's apprently disrespectful and i was so confused
cause i thought you only used it for your blood relatives.
i never called anyone oppa but this guy in my class
made me cause he got mad and so i got scared and called him
oppa. ROFL. and i've never called anyone older than me unnie.
haha man, when i discovered that in like junior high i was like
OHHHHH.... LOL

[twinkle_l0ve]

If someone is a year older than me AND in the same grade.. screw that, I'm not calling them oppa/unni
I only call someone unni/oppa if they are someone I actually reespect and look upto (my brother is an exception lol)
and I find it weird if I address someone as "unni" or "oppa" if they arent korean

[sky.blue]

yuppp so annoying
esp when its like "name-of-gasoo + OPPA"
= = like umm...do you even know him?

[dancingbymyself]

yuppp so annoying
esp when its like "name-of-gasoo + OPPA"
= = like umm...do you even know him?

Again. That's what you're SUPPOSED to call them.

[robokiddd]

i use the terms...only when i've known the person for a WHILE. or if they tell me that its okay to call them by oppa or unnie.
i usually call them by their english name if i don't know them that well.

[daxeun]

The only people that I call "unnie" or "oppa" to are my older sister and the unnies and oppas that I grew up with.
Other than that, I don't call them "unnie" or "oppa" even if they're fairly older than me.
And it's not that I don't respect them. I just don't think it's THAT necessary.
I also think it's annoying when people abuse it too...

[rufflezz]

People think that they can just go and use it because they know what it means and wants to feel 'special' using the words. I barely even use it, usually to my older siblings or so. And I don't even speak Korean XD

[KCfan_1314]

sometimes i don't like it when people call me unnie.
xDD i don't like feeling old, but i like calling xD my guy friends
oppa. xD and sometimes it annoy them xD HAHAS

[kimahnna]

I use it online when I'm chatting with my online friends who are also fans of Korean stuff. However, I don't use it a lot unless I am referring to someone since among the tsmates (fans of tvxq who I'm close with), I'm not the oldest nor the youngest, so I don't really call the older friends unni, or the younger ones, dongsengs.

I have only used these words when I'm talking to a friend of mines and my sister in person. My sister thought that I was swearing at her in Korean (she doesn't like Asian stuff), and she finally figured out what it meant after our mini-Korean lesson that I taught her (lmao* she sounds so funny when she says "stupid").

As for my friend, I call him my unni on person (he's older than me by a few months, so it should be oppa). I'm just teasing him, as well as the fact that he has a girlfriend, and I don't want to give off the wrong impression if someone understands Korean LOL