Korean for older sister, used by males.
Korean for older sister, used by males. In fan culture, a male idol calling a fan noona or a male fan referring to an older female idol as his noona carries warm, slightly flirty energy.
He called a 30-year-old fan noona during the fan sign and she literally started crying.
"noona" means korean for older sister, used by males. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Korean for "older sister" (언니), used by younger women. Adopted by K-pop fans to refer affectionately to older female idols.
Korean for "older brother" (오빠), used by younger women toward older men. In K-pop fan English, used affectionately for male idols and sometimes ironically by Western fans.
Younger sibling or junior in Korean. Fans use it when talking about younger idols they feel protective of, or when older members affectionately reference their younger groupmates.
A male idol revered by a younger female fan.
"noona" means korean for older sister, used by males. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"noona" is informal English meaning korean for older sister, used by males. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "korean for older sister" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "noona" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
“It has a population of 21 people as of 2021.[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noona,_New_South_Wales#cite_note-2) ## Geography The topography is flat with a [Köppen climate classification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification "Köppen climate classification") of BsK (Hot semi arid).”
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An older female member of an idol group.