Korean

Alternative forms

• North Korean: 량반 (ryangban)

Noun

양반 • ‎(yangban) ‎(hanja 兩班)

1. (historical) civil nobility and military nobility [10th-13th c.]
2. (historical) yangban class in Korea [from 14th c.]
3. appellation to call a man
4. husband

Usage notes

appellation

• Be used with adjective: 점잖으신 양반 (decent guy), 바쁘신 양반 (busy man)
• Be used with noun: 신사양반 (gentleman), 의사양반 (doctor)

Derived terms

• 바깥양반 (bakkatyangban, “husband”)
• 우리집 양반 (urijip yangban, “my old man”)
• 양반다리 (yangbandari, “crossed-leg”)

Antonyms

historical class

• 상놈 (sangnom, “a vulgar man”)
• 천민 (cheonmin, “lowest class”)

spouse

• 안 사람 (an saram, “wife”)
• 집 사람 (jip saram, “wife”)