Korean Kinship & Address Terms — The Complete Beginner Map

Korean doesn't just have words for family — it runs everyday social life on them. Friends become 'older brothers' and 'older sisters,' coworkers become 'seniors,' and choosing the wrong word can turn a compliment into an insult.

This page organizes every address term a beginner needs into one system. Start with the 2×2 sibling grid, then expand outward to school, work, and strangers.

Use this as a map, not a memorization list — once you know roughly where a term sits (older/younger, family/social), click through to that specific term's page for the full nuance and examples before you actually use it on someone.