언니 (unnie) in Korean — what it means and how idols actually say it
· 1 min read
언니 (unnie) means older sister (said by a female). It is how a woman addresses an older woman she is close to. In the 102 idol clips we have scripted, it appears 31 times — here is how it sounds in real speech, not a textbook.
What unnie means
언니 = older sister (said by a female). The forms you will hear most: 언니!, 언니 이거, 언니가.
언니 in real lines
언니 최면 안 걸리는 거 아니야? eonni choemyeon an geollineun geo aniya? Unnie, what if the hypnosis just doesn't work on you? — IVE, ARCH·IVE EP.1 · hear this line
언니들 그런 느낌 있어서 좋았어요 eonnideul geureon neukkim isseoseo joasseoyo but they felt like older sisters, which I liked. — MEOVV, 살롱드립2 EP.87 — MEOVV · hear this line
이제 시작이야! -윤진 언니는? ije sijagiya! -yunjin eonnineun? It's just starting! -Where's Yunjin unnie? — LE SSERAFIM, DAY OFF Season 3 VACANCE EP.3 · hear this line
친언니랑은 친해요? - 네!!! chineonnirangeun chinhaeyo? - ne!!! Are you close with your older sister? - Yes! — aespa, 살롱드립2 EP.27 — 에스파 카리나 · hear this line
How to say it
The ㄴ doubles across the syllables: eon-ni, with a clear pause on the n. The ㅓ is "uh", not "oh". Check any line with the pronunciation tool.
Casual or polite?
A title women use for older women. Shop staff also use it for female customers.
What it pairs with in our clips
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