Language/Korean/Grammar/Gender

Korean Grammar - Gender

Hi Korean learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will be talking about gender in the Korean language. Gender can be a tricky topic for non-native speakers, but don't worry, we will make it easy for you!

Introduction

Unlike many Western languages, Korean does not have grammatical gender. There are no separate words for "he" or "she." However, genders are often implied through context and honorifics. In this lesson, we'll cover how genders are indicated in Korean and give you some cultural context for understanding them.

Honorifics

In Korean, honorifics play a large role in indicating gender. Honorifics are a system of titles and suffixes that show respect and hierarchy. They are used to address people according to their social status or relative age.

One honorific system is called "존댓말" (jondaetmal), which is used to address people of higher social status or older age. Another system, called "반말" (banmal), is used to speak informally to people of lower status or younger age.

While honorifics do not explicitly indicate gender, they can help you infer gender. For example, a woman may be referred to as "선생님" (seonsaengnim), which means "teacher," while a man may be referred to as "선생" (seonsaeng).

Pronouns

As we mentioned earlier, Korean does not have gendered pronouns like "he" or "she." Instead, the third-person pronouns can be replaced with the person's name or title, which can help indicate their gender. For example, "우리 선생님" (uri seonsaengnim) would mean "our teacher" and using this phrase could indicate that the teacher is female.

Verbs

As with pronouns, Korean verbs do not change based on gender. However, there are some verbs that have different forms for men and women. For example, the verb "to eat" is "먹다" (meokda) for men and "드시다" (deusida) for women. But for the most part, you can use the same verbs regardless of the subject's gender.

Culture Corner

In Korean culture, gender roles are still quite traditional. For example, it is typical for men to be the primary breadwinners and women to take care of the home and children. However, this is slowly changing as more women enter the workforce and society becomes more progressive.

Korea is also known for its strict beauty standards for both men and women. While the Western world is more accepting of diverse body types and appearances, Korean society values a very specific look, which can put pressure on individuals to conform to these standards.

Dialogue

Person 1: 안녕, 지금 뭐해? (Annyeong, jigeum mwohae?) (Hello, what are you doing now?) Person 2: 영화를 보고 있어. 너는? (Yeonghwaleul bogo isseo. Neoneun?) (I'm watching a movie. How about you?)

Examples

Here are some examples of Korean phrases that may indicate gender:

Korean	Pronunciation	English
오빠	oppa	Older brother (used by females to address their older male siblings or close older male friends)
누나	nuna	Older sister (used by males to address their older female siblings or close older female friends)
형	hyeong	Older brother (used by males to address their older male siblings or close older male friends)
언니	eonni	Older sister (used by females to address their older female siblings or close older female friends)

Conclusion

In conclusion, while Korean does not have grammatical gender, it does imply gender through context and honorifics. We hope this lesson has helped you understand how gender works in Korean and provided some cultural context for you to better understand Korean society. Remember, to improve your Korean Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

---

➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Korean honorifics
• Gender roles in South Korea
• Korean beauty standards