Read on to learn more than 40 of the best Korean terms of endearment, with audio pronunciation and an explanation of how to use each term correctly.<\/p>\n
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Terms of Endearment for Both Men and Women<\/h2>\n
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This first section includes terms of endearment that aren’t gender-specific.<\/strong> You can use them for a male or female flame. Just remember that these are highly informal utterances and expressions<\/a> and are reserved only for your love:<\/p>\n You\u2019re hopelessly head-over-heels for this person, and you want the world to know that he or she is yours. You might want the world to hear you call him\/her \uc560\uc778<\/strong>, which is an equivalent of the English word “sweetheart.”<\/p>\n \uc560<\/strong> means \u201clove\u201d and \uc778<\/strong>\u00a0means \u201cperson.\u201d Put them together? You get someone who makes your world go round.<\/p>\n A little caveat, though: the term is for unmarried couples.<\/strong> Don\u2019t use this one to refer to your husband or wife. (They might think the two of you are having an affair on the side.)<\/p>\n Before we continue, let’s get some vocabulary terms straight. “Wife” in Korean is \uc544\ub0b4<\/strong>.<\/em> “Husband,” on the other hand, is \ub0a8\ud3b8.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n This one\u2019s good for both married and unmarried couples, although more young people use it these days.<\/p>\n Speaking of “ja-gi,”<\/em> the 90\u2019s R&B mainstay Kim Jo Han has a song called \u201c\uc790\uae30 (Honey)<\/a>,\u201d which is a pretty catchy tune. You might want to check it out and move to the beat with your honey.<\/p>\n \uc790\uae30<\/strong> is an interesting term because the word can also be used to refer to \u201coneself.\u201d<\/strong> So it might speak to the level of closeness and intimacy you have with your partner. If the person is called your better \u201chalf,\u201d then it’d be perfectly fine to use the same word you’d use to refer to yourself.<\/p>\n Adding \uc57c<\/strong> to the term so it becomes \uc790\uae30\uc57c<\/strong>\u00a0makes it even more informal.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been married for a while, like if you\u2019re in your late 40\u2019s and up, \uc5ec\ubcf4\u00a0might be the term for you.<\/strong> For example, this is the affectionate term used by the Kim husband-and-wife tandem in the Netflix comedy<\/a> series \u201cKim\u2019s Convenience\u201d\u2014about a Korean-Canadian family who runs a convenience store in Toronto.<\/p>\n But really, older couples don\u2019t have a patent on \uc5ec\ubcf4. It can also be used by young couples in a flirty and cutesy way. With the right tone and attitude, you two lovebirds can be the envy of other couples.<\/p>\n If you’ve been with someone for a while and it truly feels right, you might want to call them your soulmate.<\/p>\n If you want to tell your partner you feel this way, you can say:<\/p>\n \ub108\ub294 \ub098\uc758 \uc601\ud63c\uc758 \ubc18\ucabd\uc774\uc57c\u00a0 \u2014 You’re my soulmate.<\/p>\n Most people only have one “love of their life,” so if you call someone this term of affection, you better mean it!<\/p>\n Here’s how you say this to someone:<\/p>\n \ub108\ub294 \ub098\uc758 \uc778\uc0dd\uc758 \uc0ac\ub791\uc774\uc57c \u2014 You’re the love of my life<\/p>\n This one’s a bit more unusual, but you’ll hear it on K-dramas for sure. If you’re lucky, you’ll be hearing it from someone you love one day, too.<\/p>\n This slightly risque term can be used to refer to both boyfriends and girlfriends in a relationship.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMy love\u201d is a romantic term that can be used by both partners to express their affection for one another.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For example, you could ask your boyfriend or girlfriend:<\/p>\n \ub0b4 \uc0ac\ub791, \uc624\ub298 \ud558\ub8e8 \uc5b4\ub560\uc5b4\uc694?<\/strong> \u2014 How was your day, my love?<\/p>\n This slightly formal term can be used to address your significant other to make them feel loved.<\/p>\n As everyone knows, love is wonderful, but first love is even better because it’s so fresh and new.<\/p>\n If you have a boyfriend or girlfriend for the first time, you could say:<\/p>\n \ub108\ub294 \ub098\uc758 \uccab\uc0ac\ub791\uc774\uc57c\u00a0 \u2014 You’re my first love.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a guy looking for nicknames to call your sweet and pretty SO, here are some Korean terms of endearment you might use:<\/p>\n It’s not really a nickname, but just in case you wanted to know the Korean word for \u201cgirlfriend,\u201d here it is.<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s the combination of \uc5ec\uc790 <\/strong>which means woman, and \uce5c\uad6c<\/strong>\u00a0which means friend.<\/p>\n For a woman who\u2019s really just a friend, you might use \uc5ec\uc790 \uc0ac\ub78c \uce5c\uad6c<\/strong>,<\/em> which is literally translated as \u201cfemale person friend.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s too special, so you name her after royalty. You’d do everything for her, including pawn your grandmother\u2019s dentures just to give her everything she deserves.<\/p>\n She can be your precious princess, and you, her dashing prince.<\/strong><\/p>\n If that’s the kind of love you’re looking for, this is the term of endearment for you!<\/p>\n She\u2019s so clumsy, naive and innocent. And it\u2019s all so cute! She\u2019s like a little girl, untouched by the realities of life. \uadc0\uc694\ubbf8<\/strong> might be a fitting appellation. (There was even a Kiyomi Song<\/a> a few years back.)<\/p>\n You might as well use and enjoy this while you\u2019re both young and unmarried.<\/strong> Because when the kids come, labels drastically change. Well, first of all, she might not be that cute and innocent anymore. And when she becomes somebody\u2019s mother, in Korean culture, you now call her by \u201cname of child + omma.”<\/em> So when she becomes a mom, it’d now be common to call her \u201cJeffrey omma,” <\/em>for example.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a girl, you might be searching for a suitable nickname for your man since \u201cboo,\u201d \u201cbae\u201d and \u201cbabe\u201d have already been taken. Here are some you might use instead:<\/p>\n Again, not really a term of endearment, but this is the standard Korean word for “boyfriend.”<\/strong><\/p>\n \ub0a8\uc790<\/strong> means “man,” and \uce5c\uad6c<\/strong> means “friend.” The whole term can be contracted as \ub0a8\uce5c<\/strong>,<\/em> where you just take the first syllables of \u201c<\/em>na<\/em><\/strong>mja\u201d<\/em> and \u201c<\/em>chin<\/em><\/strong>gu.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n For a guy who\u2019s really just a friend, you can call him a \ub0a8\uc790 \uc0ac\ub78c \uce5c\uad6c<\/strong>,<\/em> which is literally translated as \u201cmale person friend.\u201d<\/p>\n The world has been \u201coppa\u201d<\/em>-ing since the Korean wave reached Western shores. You always hear it in Korean dramas<\/a>. It\u2019s been commonly used, and truth be told, some guys don\u2019t really want to be called an \u201c<\/em>oppa<\/em><\/a>\u201d<\/em>\u2014probably because of how it\u2019s often been depicted in dramas.<\/p>\n The term actually means older brother (of a female). But it’s also used to refer to a friend who\u2019s older than you<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In Korean culture, society looks with favor on romantic relationships where the male is a bit older than the female. During the get-to-know-you \u201cfriendly\u201d stage, girls call these men their \u201coppa,\u201d<\/em> because they’re generally older than them. When they do eventually become a couple, this term, out of habit, is brought into the relationship. And that\u2019s why you have loads of women who are calling their boyfriends \u201coppa.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n If ladies are princesses, then a frog can dream and be a prince. At least in name. If your relationship feels like a fairy tale, you can use this term of endearment to tell your partner that he’s your prince.<\/p>\n Hey, did you know that Korea has a modern-day prince…and he\u2019s American?!<\/strong> It\u2019s no Korean drama, but here\u2019s the royal tale<\/a>.<\/p>\n Obviously, in English (or any other language really!), you wouldn’t want to call your lover a “poop dog,” but every language has its strange and humorous sayings, right?<\/p>\n This playful term of endearment is used a lot by the younger generations.<\/p>\n I hope you’re not allergic to bees if your significant other starts calling you this funny term of affection.<\/p>\n Here’s another unexpected funny term of endearment. “Hey dummy, I love you so much.”<\/p>\n If you really love him or her, you’ll call them a crazy cat. Hey, you can’t say it’s not creative!<\/p>\n We use this term of endearment in English, too. It’s often used to affectionately address a young person.<\/p>\n Here’s an example of this word in a sentence:<\/p>\n \uc560\uae30\uc57c, \uc798 \uc790 \u2014 Goodnight, baby.<\/p>\n You know those days when your son or daughter is just perfect\u2014no temper tantrums, just sweet smiles? Those are the days you’ll call them a “precious treasure.”<\/p>\n Sometimes you look at your child and you realize that you love them so much, they’re your “little star.” That’s when you use this affectionate term.<\/p>\n We use this one in English, too. Sometimes when you’re looking at your little child, you can’t help but call them “little one.”<\/p>\n This is a cute one that’s used especially for girls in Korean.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a fan of K-dramas, you\u2019ve probably noticed that Korean terms of endearment are often used by the characters. These terms are commonly used in Korean dramas and can add depth to the relationships between characters:<\/p>\n This one is used by females to address an older male. It can be used for a biological brother, a friend or a boyfriend.<\/p>\n This common term is used by females to address an older female. It can be used for a biological sister, a friend or a girlfriend.<\/p>\n This common Korean term is used by males to address an older male, often a close friend or brother.<\/p>\n This one is used by males to address an older female, often a close friend or sister.<\/p>\n This term is used by females to refer to an older man. It can be used in a friendly or affectionate way.<\/p>\n This term is used by males to refer to an older woman. It can be used in a friendly or affectionate way.<\/p>\n This popular term of endearment is used between romantic partners.<\/p>\n This is a cute and affectionate way of saying “my love” or “darling.”<\/p>\n This is playfully used to call someone a fool or silly, often in a teasing and affectionate manner.<\/p>\n This means “baby” or “baby-like.” It’s used to refer to someone cute or adorable.<\/p>\n This beautiful word is used to describe someone as delicate or beautiful<\/a>.<\/p>\n Used in a cute and playful way, this is similar to calling someone a “silly goose.”<\/p>\n This cute term of endearment is often used between couples, meaning “baby” or “sweetheart.”<\/p>\n This term combines “\ud559\uc6d0”, which means “cram school” with “\uac00” meaning “person.” It’s a cute and colloquial way for teenagers to refer to each other, implying a connection through shared experiences at private academies or cram schools.<\/p>\n Learning words like the ones on this list is a great way to bring your language skills beyond “textbook Korean” and into the realm of real-world Korean speaking.<\/p>\n As you see, each of these words has its own unique usage within Korean culture.<\/strong> These words may seem difficult at first, but luckily, there are a ton of great internet resources<\/a> to help you learn when and how to use each one.<\/p>\n If you ever feel confused about usage, the WordReference Korean Forum<\/a> can be a great place to look for an answer. Or, you can always reach out to a Korean language exchange partner<\/a> or Korean-speaking friend for clarification.<\/p>\n It’d also be a good idea to see how these terms are used in Korean pop culture. Some online immersion programs make the process more efficient. FluentU<\/a>, for example, enables you to search its library of authentic Korean web videos for clips that contain a specific nickname.<\/p>\n FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\uc560\uc778 \u2014 Sweetheart<\/h3>\n
\uc790\uae30 \u2014 Honey<\/h3>\n
\uc5ec\ubcf4 \u2014 Darling<\/h3>\n
\uc601\ud63c\uc758 \ubc18\ucabd<\/strong> \u2014 Soulmate<\/h3>\n
\uc778\uc0dd\uc758 \uc0ac\ub791 \u2014 Love of my life<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\uc18c\uc911\ud55c \uc0ac\ub78c<\/strong> \u2014 Precious person<\/h3>\n
\uc5f0\uc778<\/strong> \u2014 Lover<\/h3>\n
\ub0b4 \uc0ac\ub791<\/strong> \u2014 My love<\/h3>\n
\uc0ac\ub791\ud558\ub294 \uc0ac\ub78c<\/strong> \u2014 Loving person<\/h3>\n
\uccab\uc0ac\ub791<\/strong> \u2014 First love<\/h3>\n
Terms of Endearment for Women<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n\uc5ec\uc790\uce5c\uad6c \u2014 Girlfriend<\/h3>\n
\uacf5\uc8fc\ub2d8 \u2014 Princess<\/h3>\n
\uadc0\uc694\ubbf8 \u2014 Cutie<\/h3>\n
Terms of Endearment for Men<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n\ub0a8\uc790\uce5c\uad6c \u2014 Boyfriend<\/h3>\n
\uc624\ube60 \u2014 Older brother<\/h3>\n
\uc655\uc790\ub2d8 <\/i>\u2014 Prince<\/h3>\n
Funny and Cute Korean Terms of Endearment<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n\ub625\uac1c<\/strong> \u2014 Poop dog<\/h3>\n
\ub3fc\uc9c0<\/strong> \u2014 Pig<\/h3>\n
\uafc0\ubc8c<\/strong> \u2014 Honeybee<\/h3>\n
\ubc14\ubcf4<\/strong> \u2014 Dummy, idiot<\/h3>\n
\ubbf8\uce5c \uace0\uc591\uc774<\/strong> \u2014 Crazy cat<\/h3>\n
Korean Terms of Endearment for Children<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n\uc560\uae30<\/strong> \u2014 Baby<\/h3>\n
\uc18c\uc911\ud55c \ubcf4\ubb3c<\/strong> \u2014 Precious treasure<\/h3>\n
\ub0b4 \uc791\uc740 \ubcc4<\/strong> \u2014 My little star<\/h3>\n
\uaf2c\ub9c8<\/strong> \u2014 Little one<\/h3>\n
\uc544\uae30 \ucc9c\uc0ac<\/strong> \u2014 Baby angel<\/h3>\n
Korean Terms of Endearment You’ll Hear a Lot in K-dramas<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n\uc624\ube60 \u2014 Older brother<\/h3>\n
\uc5b8\ub2c8 \u2014 Older sister<\/h3>\n
\ud615 \u2014 Older brother<\/h3>\n
\ub204\ub098 \u2014 Older sister<\/h3>\n
\uc544\uc800\uc528 \u2014 Older brother<\/h3>\n
\uc544\uc90c\ub9c8 \u2014 Older sister<\/h3>\n
\uc0ac\ub791 \u2014 Love<\/h3>\n
\uc790\uae30\uc57c \u2014 My love, darling<\/h3>\n
\ubc14\ubcf4 \u2014 Dummy, idiot<\/h3>\n
\uc560\uae30 \u2014 Baby<\/h3>\n
\uaf43 \u2014 Flower<\/h3>\n
\ub625 \u2014 Poop<\/h3>\n
\uc090\ucb48 \u2014 Baby, sweetheart<\/h3>\n
\ud559\uc6d0\uac00<\/strong> \u2014 School mate<\/h3>\n
Using Korean Terms of Endearment and Nicknames<\/h2>\n
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