Oppa Meaning in Korea : 3 Contextual Cases

I. Oppa Meaning 1:
The Literal Meaning

Oppa(오빠), in a literal sense, is a term of address used by a younger female to refer to an older male sibling or cousin. Originally, it was “orabeoni(오라버니)” or “orabi(오라비)”, yet gradually, the term changed into “oppa(오빠).” If you watch Korean historical dramas, you will find that younger sisters refer to older male siblings as “orabeoni” or “orabi” instead of “oppa”. However, as everyone is well aware, oppa meaning in Korea is no longer confined to used within the family. Its usage has expanded beyond that context, as described below.

II. Oppa Meaning 2:
Expanded

1. To the Man She Has Feelings for

The term “oppa” originally has been used for centuries to refer to older men within the family or (neighborhood) relatives. If the husband was older, he was called “(seobangnim)서방님”. As time passed, it became evident that the meaning and usage of the term had also expanded, in conjunction with the increasing participation of women in society.

A. Older Boyfriend + Older Husband

Older husbands or older boyfriends, regardless of age difference, began to be called “oppa” by their wives or girlfriends. Within a romantic relationship, a girlfriend might affectionately call her boyfriend “oppa.” Therefore, after marriage, it is quite natural for a wife to continue using the term “oppa” to refer to her husband. However, in contemporary South Korea, the elderly generation generally does not view the practice of referring to one’s husband as “oppa” in a positive light.

B. To My Idol

Additionally, favorite male celebrities, considered virtual boyfriends or future husbands in dreams, also started being referred to as “oppa” by many girls. They call their bias “우리 오빠” meaning our oppa. Back in the 70s to 90s, numerous groups of female fans who passionately supported specific male celebrities or male athletes were referred to as “oppa boodae(오빠 부대)”, which means oppa brigade.

Nowadays, the term “오빠 부대” has become a nostalgic word known only to Koreans born before the 1990s. In a strict sense, however, fandoms of each K-Pop groups, whose names reflect the individuality of each group (i.e. ARMY) are 오빠 부대. As an additional note, during the time when the term “오빠 부대” was commonly used, the term “nuna boodae(누나 부대)” meaning nuna brigade was used to refer to boy fandoms of girl idols.

2. In the University

A. Older Male with the Same Academic Year

In Korea, once individuals become adults, they mostly belong to the group of college students. Within the university, it is common for women to naturally refer to older male students who are in the same academic year as “oppa”. This is because, regardless of whether they are close or not, there are not other options given to women besides calling older male students in the same academic year “oppa.” The only other option is to address them by their name without any title, but in Korean society, that is considered impolite behavior.

B. To Male Senior

If there is a male senior, you might initially address him as “seonbaenim”(선배님), but if he is older than you, it is natural for you to start calling him “oppa”. However, if the male senior holds a significant authority or you are not very close yet, you could continue using “선배님.” In such a case, if the male senior has even the slightest interest in the female junior, he might suggest her to call him “오빠” instead of “선배님.” This often indicates a higher probability of romantic interest from the man’s side.

3. In the Workplace

After entering a company or a specific organization, women do not use the term “oppa” to refer to older male colleagues. Instead, they address each other by their respective last names + job titles + “nim”(i.e. Kim Manager-nim). If they are in a romantic relationship or have known each other from before, they might use “oppa” in private settings, but it is not appropriate to do so in formal work-related situations.

4. Older Male Acquaintances Met in Social Life

Situations can arise beyond the scenarios mentioned above, such as in i.e., book clubs or religious gatherings. In such cases, the age difference between men and women may not be as narrow as in a university setting (1 to 6 years), nor are there defined hierarchical positions like in a workplace. In this case, how should a woman address an older man?

In Korea, people mostly address each other using “~ssi(~씨)” (Mr./Ms.). In higher social circles, the possibility of exceptions to this is minimal. In casual gathering, however, as the level of familiarity increases, using “~씨” can sometimes create a sense of setting boundaries and maintaining a certain distance. Looking at it the other way around, therefore, for single women, there is ample room to use different titles, including “oppa,” instead of “ssi.”

A. From a Woman’s Perspective

Under the assumption of being very close, it is not awkward at all for a woman to call a male friend with a single-digit age difference “oppa.” However, even if the age difference is only 1 or 2 years, if the closeness is not there, they would not use “oppa.” If the age difference is over 10 years, it is highly unlikely to use “oppa” unless both individuals feel mutual affection or they are lovers or have known each other since childhood.

For instance, in the TV show “Reply 1988,” there is a scene where Kim Sun-young refers to Choi Moo-sung as “oppa.” This was possible because they had spent their childhood together in the same hometown. However, it was a term used only when they were alone together. By the way, in cases where there is a couple with a more than 10-year age difference in Korea, people often jokingly refer to the man as “you, thief!”

B. From a Man’s Perspective

If a woman calls a man “oppa” in such a situation where they have recently gotten to know each other and not friendly enough yet, from a man’s perspective, it is often interpreted as a signal that she wants to have a very close relationship with him or as a signal that she might have some interest in him as a man. Hence, if you have not known a guy for long and you are not particularly interested in the guy, do not start calling him “oppa” just because you have become a little friendly! If you are interested in a guy, however, then go ahead and make good use of this Korean custom!

III. Oppa Meaning 3:
Oppan Gangnam Style

A. Man’s Perspective

On the contrary, in workplaces or social settings, there are instances where a man may refer to himself as “oppa” when addressing a woman. This is often done when a man wants to express familiarity or playfully interact with the woman. In general, men tend not to refer to themselves as “oppa” or encourage a woman to call them “오빠” if they are not already on friendly terms.

Therefore, if a man engages in such behavior, there is a considerable likelihood that he is interested in the woman. Such men, when interested in younger women, often request them to call them “oppa” instead of “ajusshi(아저씨)”, meaning Mr. However, this may not be considered the most appropriate or respectful way to express interest.

B. To a Random Group of Women

If a man refers to himself as “oppa” to a random group of women, however, it may not be perceived as unusual. Psy’s “Gangnam Style” is an example where he enthusiastically declares himself as “oppa” to unidentified women, saying “Me Psy oppa, and I am Gangnam style!”