# 오빠
## Korean
### Etymology

Probably contracted from 오라비 (orabi, “brother of a female”) +‎ 아 (-a, “hey”, vocative particle), compare 누나 (nuna, “elder sister of a male”). For more on the etymology, see 오라비 (orabi).

### Pronunciation

* (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [o̞p͈a̠]
* Phonetic hangul: [오빠]

### Noun

오빠 • (oppa)
* elder brother of a female
    Synonym: (honorific, dated) 오라버니 (orabeoni)
    Coordinate term: 언니 (eonni)
    우리 오빠는 아버지를 빼닮았다.Uri oppa-neun abeoji-reul ppaedalmatda.My older brother takes after my father.
* (women's speech, in informal friendly settings) somewhat older male
    오빠랑 사귄 지 얼마 됐지?Oppa-rang sagwin ji eolma dwaetji?How long has it been since I started going out with him?

#### Usage notes

This term is used as a de facto second-person pronoun by women to address both older brothers and unrelated men of somewhat older age. This is because Korean does not permit the use of true second-person pronouns towards a social superior. See 너#Usage notes for more.
Usage of this term is discouraged in North Korea due to the country's official ideology and this word is thought to represent South Korea's cultural influence.
* This section or entry lacks references or sources. Please help verify this information by adding appropriate citations. You can also discuss it at the Tea Room. Particularly: “Sources needed for the above statement on North Korean usage.”

#### Synonyms

Historical and regional synonyms of 오빠 (oppa, “older brother of a female”) :
| view map; ||||
| Group | Region | Location | Words |
| Standardised forms | South Korean Standard Language | South Korean Standard Language | 오빠 (oppa), 오라버니 (orabeoni) (hon.), 오라비 (orabi) (also y.) |
| Standardised forms | North Korean Cultured Language | North Korean Cultured Language | 오빠 (oppa), 오라버니 (orabeoni) (hon.), 오래비 (oraebi) (also y.) |
| Historical forms | Middle Korean | Middle Korean | 오〮라비〮 (wólàpí) (also y.) |
| Historical forms | Early Modern Seoul Korean | Early Modern Seoul Korean | 오라비 (orabi) (also y.), 오래비 (oraebi) (also y.) |
| Central Korean | Gyeonggi | Modern colloquial Seoul | 오빠 (oppa) (other traditional Seoul forms are not used) |
| Central Korean | Gyeonggi | Traditional Seoul | 오빠 (oppa), 오라버니 (orabeoni) (hon.), 오라비 (orabi) (also y.), 오래비 (oraebi) (also y.) |
| Central Korean | Yeongdong | Samcheok | 오빠 (óppà), 오라버니 (órábèonì), 오라바이 (órábàì) |
| Central Korean | Yeongdong | Jeongseon | 오빠 (oppa), 오라버니 (orabeoni), 오라버이 (orabeoi) |
| Central Korean | North Chungcheong | Cheongju | 오빠 (oppa), 오라버니 (orabeoni) |
| Central Korean | North Chungcheong | Goesan | 오라버니 (orabeoni) |
| Central Korean | North Chungcheong | Boeun | 오빠 (oppa), 오라버이 (orabeoi) |
| Central Korean | North Chungcheong | Okcheon | 오빠 (oppa), 오라버니 (orabeoni) |
| Central Korean | North Chungcheong | Yeongdong | 오빠 (oppa), 오라버니 (orabeoni) |
| Central Korean | South Chungcheong | Cheonan | 오라버니 (orabeoni) |
| Central Korean | South Chungcheong | Cheongyang | 오라버니 (orabeoni) |
| Central Korean | South Chungcheong | Buyeo | 오라버니 (orabeoni) |
| Central Korean | South Chungcheong | Seocheon | 오빠 (oppa) |
| Central Korean | South Chungcheong | Nonsan | 오라버니 (orabeoni) |
| Central Korean | South Hwanghae | Anak | 오빠 (oppa) |
| Central Korean | North Hwanghae | Pongsan | 오라바이 (orabai) |
| Gyeongsang Korean | North Gyeongsang | Daegu | 올배 (ólbè) |
| Gyeongsang Korean | North Gyeongsang | Mungyeong | '오빠 ( oppa) |
| Gyeongsang Korean | North Gyeongsang | Andong | 오라배 (órábè) |
| Gyeongsang Korean | North Gyeongsang | Pohang | '오'라바시 ( o rabasi) |
| Gyeongsang Korean | South Gyeongsang | Busan | 오라배 (órábè), '오'라부이 ( o rabu'i) (hon.), 오래비 (órébì) (deprec.), '오'라바이 ( o rabai) (deprec.) |
| Gyeongsang Korean | South Gyeongsang | Ulsan | 오라배 (órábè) |
| Gyeongsang Korean | South Gyeongsang | Geochang | 오라배 (órábè), 오라버니 (órábèunì), '오'라바이 ( o rabai) |
| Gyeongsang Korean | South Gyeongsang | Hamyang | '오'라바이 ( o rabai) |
| Gyeongsang Korean | South Gyeongsang | Jinju | '오'라배 ( o rabae) |
| Gyeongsang Korean | South Gyeongsang | Yangsan | 오래배 (órébè) |
| Gyeongsang Korean | South Gyeongsang | Goseong | '오'라배 ( o rabae) |
| Gyeongsang Korean | South Gyeongsang | Geoje | 오랍세 (órápsè) |
| Jeolla Korean | North Jeolla | Gunsan | 오라바니 (orabani) |
| Jeolla Korean | North Jeolla | Iksan | 오라바니 (orabani) |
| Jeolla Korean | North Jeolla | Wanju | 오랍씨 (orapssi), 오라바니 (orabani) (hon.) |
| Jeolla Korean | North Jeolla | Gimje | 오라바니 (orabani) |
| Jeolla Korean | North Jeolla | Jeongeup | 오래비 (oraebi) |
| Jeolla Korean | North Jeolla | Imsil | 오래비 (oraebi), 오라바이 (orabai) (hon.), 오라바니 (orabani) (hon.) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Yeonggwang | 오빠 (oppa), 오랍씨 (orapssi) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Jangseong | 오라버니 (orabeoni) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Gokseong | 오빠 (oppa), 오라부니 (orabuni), 오라부지 (orabuji) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Sinan | 오랍씨 (orapssi), 오람 (oram) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Muan | 오빠 (oppa), 오라비 (orabi), 오라부 (orabu) (voc.), 오라부님 (orabunim) (voc.) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Naju | 오라버니 (orabeoni) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Hwasun | 오라버니 (orabeoni) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Suncheon | 오랍씨 (orapssi) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Gwangyang | 오랍씨 (orapssi), 오래비 (oraebi) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Yeongam | 오라버니 (orabeoni) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Jindo | 오빠 (oppa), 오라부 (orabu), 오라부님 (orabunim), 오람씨 (oramssi) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Haenam | 오라버니 (orabeoni) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Gangjin | 오라버니 (orabeoni) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Wando | 오랍씨 (orapssi), 오람 (oram) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Boseong | 오라부니 (orabuni) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Goheung | 오라비 (orabi) |
| Jeolla Korean | South Jeolla | Yeosu | 오랍쎄 (orapsse) |
| Pyongan Korean | South Pyongan | Ryonggang | 오래비 (oraebi) (if unmarried), 오라바니 (orabani) (if married), 오라반 (oraban) (if married) |
| Pyongan Korean | South Pyongan | Songchon | 오래비 (oraebi) |
| Pyongan Korean | South Pyongan | Mundok | 오래비 (oraebi), 오라버니 (orabeoni) (if brother is over 50 years old), 오라버님 (orabeonim) (if brother is over 50 years old) |
| Pyongan Korean | North Pyongan | Ryongchon | 오래비 (oraebi) (children use personal names to address older brothers) |
| Pyongan Korean | Diaspora | Dandong | 오르바니 (oreubani) |
| Hamgyong Korean | South Hamgyong | Tanchon | '오래비 ( oraebi) |
| Yukjin Korean | Diaspora | Hunchun | 오래비 (óràebì) (as children), 오라바니 (óràbànì) (as adults) |
| Jeju | Jeju | Jeju City | 오라방 (orabang) (also y.), 오라바님 (orabanim), 오라뱀 (orabaem) |
| Jeju | Jeju | Seogwipo | 오라방 (orabang) (also y.), 오라바님 (orabanim), 오라뱀 (orabaem) |
| hon.: honorific / deprec.: deprecatory / voc.: vocative also y.: refers to any brother of a female, regardless of relative age ||||
| This table is an amalgamation of surveys of speakers mostly born before 1950 and may not reflect the language of younger speakers, which has lexically converged towards the standard Seoul dialect in both North and South Koreas. ||||

#### Derived terms

(kinship terms)
* 맏오빠 (madoppa)
* 사촌오빠 (sachonoppa)
* 오빠부대 (oppabudae)
* 작은오빠 (jageunoppa)
* 친오빠 (chinoppa)
* 큰오빠 (keunoppa)
(other)
* 빠 (ppa, “stan (obsessive fan”)

#### Descendants

* → English: oppa
* → Japanese: オッパ (oppa)
* → Indonesian: oppa
* → Mandarin: 歐巴 / 欧巴 (ōubā), 偶巴 (ǒubā)

#### See also

* 누나 (nuna, “older sister of a male”)
* 동생 (dongsaeng, “younger sibling”)
* 형 (hyeong, “older brother of a male”)