Korean Expressions You Can Use Right Away When a Korean Friend Asks About Siblings

Hello, this is Vijob.
Have you ever been asked by a Korean friend, “형제 있어요?” and then been unable to say a word for 3 seconds?

You may have clearly learned the Korean words, but when you actually get asked a question, you suddenly can’t think of how to answer.

In particular, Korean has expressions like 형, 오빠, 언니, 누나 that change depending on who is speaking.

Today, we’ll learn words and sentences you can use right away when introducing your family to a Korean friend.

1. 형제가 몇 명이에요?

Imagine a Korean friend asked you this.

“형제가 몇 명이에요?” (How many siblings do you have?)

This question asks how many brothers and sisters you have.

Shall we look at the following words first?

You can answer like this.

• 저는 세 남매 중 첫째예요. (I'm the eldest of three siblings.)

• 저는 형제가 없어요. 외동이에요. (I don't have any siblings. I'm an only child.)

• 저는 여동생이 한 명 있어요. (I have one younger sister.)

💡 Korean TIP

• 남매: siblings with both a boy and a girl

• 자매: a relationship between sisters

• 형제: a relationship between brothers, or siblings in a broader sense

When introducing your family, try using the expressions that match your siblings’ makeup.

2. 형, 오빠, 언니, 누나: Are you still confused?

In Korean, the words used to address older siblings change depending on the speaker’s gender.

Then how do we call younger siblings?

You can use “younger brother” and “younger sister” regardless of the speaker’s gender.

Shall we learn with example sentences?

• 저는 형이 한 명 있어요. (I have one older brother.)

• 우리 오빠는 서울에서 일해요. (My older brother works in Seoul.)

• 누나가 한국어 공부를 도와줘요. (My older sister helps me study Korean.)

• 저는 언니와 같이 살아요. (I live with my older sister.)

• 제 남동생은 고등학생이에요. (My younger brother is a high school student.)

• 여동생은 지금 대학교에 다녀요. (My younger sister is currently attending university.)

💡 Remember!

'형' and '오빠' both mean an older male sibling, but they differ depending on whether the speaker is male or female.

You can use these terms even with close people, but you should choose the right expression depending on your relationship with the other person.

3. Shall we talk with a Korean friend?

Situation: Talking about family with a friend you meet for the first time at university

Minji: 형제가 몇 명이에요?
(How many siblings do you have?)

Rin: 언니가 한 명 있고 남동생이 한 명 있어요.
(I have one older sister and one younger brother.)

Minji: 그럼 형제 중에 둘째예요?
(So, are you the second-born among your siblings?)

Rin: 네, 맞아요. 저는 둘째예요.
(Yes, that's right. I'm the second-born.)

Minji: 가족은 모두 베트남에 있어요?
(Is your whole family in Vietnam?)

Rin: 네. 저는 지금 한국에서 혼자 살고 있어요.
(Yes. I'm currently living alone in Korea.)

Three useful sentences to remember

① 형제가 몇 명이에요?
(How many siblings do you have?)