Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
nuna

nuna

6 9.9
A woman older than a younger man, used by men to show respect in Korean
  • noun
  • /nuːnɑː/
: nuna
  • Lee Min Ho revealed, "On our first day of filming, there was a scene in which I had to carry Kim Hee Sun nuna."
  • nuna, it's Tae
  • nuna - Okay, Tae-sung
  • See you, nuna

Examples

  • And then I don't know where Miss Nuna comes up and it's like, hold up, step aside.

  • I always look up to my older sister; she is my nuna and my role model.

  • When I need advice, I often turn to my nuna, who always knows what to say.

  • My friend introduced me to his nuna, and I was impressed by how kind she was.

Synonyms

didi
vsnuna
  • Indian
1 9.7

A respectful name for an older sister or older woman

is the Korean male address form rather than the South Asian usage
noona
vsnuna
1 9.9

An older sister or older woman a man calls in Korean

is the same Korean male address form but spelled differently

Surface Forms

nuna singular
nunas plural

Etymology

Nuna comes from Korean and means 'older sister' or an older woman a younger man respects. You hear it a lot in Korean dramas, so a helpful way to remember it is to think of a younger man politely calling an older sister or close older woman 'nuna'.