Korean

Syllable

형 • ‎(hyeong)

1. A Hangul syllabic block made up of ㅎ, ㅕ, and ㅇ.

Etymology 2

Sino-Korean word from 兄

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /çjʌ̹ŋ/
• Phonetic hangeul: 형

Noun

형 • ‎(hyeong) ‎(hanja 兄)

1. elder brother of a male; (by extension, spoken by a male) unrelated elder male

Usage notes

The term 형 is often used by a male to address an elder male as a polite replacement for a second person singular pronoun (너 or 당신).

Alternative forms

• honorific: 형님 (hyeongnim)

Related terms

• 누나 (nuna) - elder sister of a male
• 오빠 (oppa) - elder brother of a female
• 아저씨 (ajeossi) - middle aged man
• 할아버지 (harabeoji) - grandfather