형 (hyung) in Korean — what it means and how idols actually say it
· 2 min read
형 (hyung) means older brother (said by a male). It is how a man addresses an older man he is close to — bandmates use it constantly. In the 102 idol clips we have scripted, it appears 148 times — here is how it sounds in real speech, not a textbook.
What hyung means
형 = older brother (said by a male). The forms you will hear most: 형!, 형이 만든, 형 잘 먹을게.
형 in real lines
그리고 3등 상혁이 형, 리우 형 geurigo 3deung sanghyeogi hyeong, riu hyeong And 3rd place, Sanghyuk hyung and Riwoo hyung. — BOYNEXTDOOR, The maknae takes the top rank? · hear this line
형님과 함께 멘보샤를 만들어보기를 hyeongnimgwa hamkke menbosyareul mandeureobogireul how to make menbosha from a great hyung I'm friends with — BTS, [BTS VLOG] Jin — COOKING VLOG · hear this line
자, 수빈이 형 끌리는 게 있어요? ja, subini hyeong kkeullineun ge isseoyo? So, Soobin hyung, is there anything you're drawn to? — TXT, TO DO X TXT EP.94 — HUENINGKAI's Day 1 · hear this line
아 형도 나가요 뭐하는 거예요! a hyeongdo nagayo mwohaneun geoyeyo! Ah, hyung, get out too, what are you doing! — Running Man, Happy Kwangsoo Day + Revenge Maze — legend cuts · hear this line
How to say it
The ㅕ is "yuh", and the final ㅇ is "ng": hyung, not "hyoong". Often fused into the name: 진형, 민호형. Check any line with the pronunciation tool.
Casual or polite?
It is a title, not a register. Men use it for older men they are close to. Staff and fans do not.
What it pairs with in our clips
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