Yu-Na Kim

[ks777]

No. Name-chan is uniquely Japanese, not something Koreans do in their own language.

Sometimes -ah or -ya gets added at the end of Korean name if you're close, but whether you add -ah or -ya depends on the final syllable of the name. For example, Yuna's mom may call her "Yuna-ya" because it'd be weird to add "-ah" at the end of Yuna. But for Kwak Min-Jung, you'll say, "Min-Jung-ah".

I hope this makes sense. I've never really thought of it one way or the other, so I may not have thought of exceptions. :-)

Thanks!!

[Lightbulb]

Wait, what about Oppa, Unni, Hyung, Noona?

I'm pretty sure I heard Min-Jung call Yuna unni and I also heard Kim Min-Seok call Yuna noona.

when you are a girl, you call an older girl unni, and an older guy oppa.
when you are a boy, you call an older guy hyung, and an older girl noona.

that's why girl min jung calls yuna unni, while guy min-seok calls yuna noona.

aaaah, the stuff you learn from watching korean dramas.

[Nadia01]

Wait, what about Oppa, Unni, Hyung, Noona?

I'm pretty sure I heard Min-Jung call Yuna unni and I also heard Kim Min-Seok call Yuna noona.

It's only used between someone who's younger & older than you.

Mao & Yuna are the same age, so they wouldn't use those.

[Lilith11]

yeah you're right! it was at the 2008 GP finals in Korea

Yuna was imitating Mao's shoulder wiggling which she did in her Czardas FS here-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5G3Ns2i86U @ ~1:50

Awww, that's adorable. I really do believe Yu-na and Mao could be, if they aren't already, close friends. Like other posters have said, they're very similar in certain regards; age, height, interests, but have enough differences that they're very distinct individuals w/their own unique personalities and perspectives.

[Ren]

when you are a girl, you call an older girl unni, and an older guy oppa.
when you are a boy, you call an older guy hyung, and an older girl noona.

that's why girl min jung calls yuna unni, while guy min-seok calls yuna noona.

aaaah, the stuff you learn from watching korean dramas.

I'm curious. What do you call a girl who's younger than you (if you're both female)?

[tommyk75]

I hope this will help. Going back to the "unni, oppa, hyung, noona" words, all of them literally mean "older brother" or "older sister" (unni=older sister of a girl, oppa=older brother of a girl, hyung=older brother of a boy, noona=older sister of a boy). In Korea, people consider "friends" to be people you are close to AND are the same age as you. People you are close to that are older than you are going to be considered your "older brothers" or "older sisters," even though they're not really related to you. They're pretty much terms of endearment.

As for people who are younger than you, the word for that is "dongsaeng" (younger sibling). However, you actually don't use that to directly call people, unlike the other previously mentioned words. What you'd do is to add the "-ah" or "-yah" ending that Nadia01 explained very well (the same endings are used between people who are the same age).

So Minjung would likely address Yu-Na as "Yu-Na (actually pronounced Yuhn-Ah) unni," while Yu-Na would likely answer with "Minjung-ah."

[100yen]

I think they could be really really good friends, Yuna and Mao that is. They are very similar in many ways. The same age, height, etc. I am sure they have so much respect for each others.

That would be one of my greatest skating dreams come true
Can you imagine if Mao and Yu-Na become friends and then....*gasp* their fans follow suit?
I bet they would have so much to talk about--victories, dissapointments, silly things that they remeber. Aww man, why don't they just cut to the chase and invite Mao to festa on Ice or Yu-Na to SOI Japan!?
I can totally picture it...the ultimate SOI duo.

[alfoalfo]

I'm curious. What do you call a girl who's younger than you (if you're both female)?

my korean buddies who are a year above me call me name-dongseng even though im not korean.
they told me dongseng applies to anybody (both gal and guy) who's younger.

new news-

Kim Yu-na Falls Behind at University
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/...031600869.html

I guess you win some and you lose some.
after Worlds and after FOI this April, Yuna should have some free time now yeah?
i guess she can go back to her studies then, and now that she can transfer to a uni in toronto, it would be less of a hassle, unless she wants to go back to korea

[silverlake22]

my korean buddies who are a year above me call me name-dongseng even though im not korean.
they told me dongseng applies to anybody (both gal and guy) who's younger.

new news-

Kim Yu-na Falls Behind at University
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/...031600869.html

I guess you win some and you lose some.
after Worlds and after FOI this April, Yuna should have some free time now yeah?
i guess she can go back to her studies then, and now that she can transfer to a uni in toronto, it would be less of a hassle, unless she wants to go back to korea

Is that article serious? It seemed like it was kind of joking. From what I hear Yuna is very intelligent, and don't physical education majors not have to take classes? I know Mao is in University and I don't think she takes academic classes as she skates all day.

[100yen]

Is that article serious? It seemed like it was kind of joking. From what I hear Yuna is very intelligent, and don't physical education majors not have to take classes? I know Mao is in University and I don't think she takes academic classes as she skates all day.

PE majors have to take classes, just like any other major. Granted, there's almost defnitely some exceptions like the article said, such as sending assignments by e-mail and attending online classes.
Anyway, the Chosun-Ilbo is notorious for their over-exaggerating things and "streching" the truth :P

[aurora100]

Is that article serious? It seemed like it was kind of joking. From what I hear Yuna is very intelligent, and don't physical education majors not have to take classes? I know Mao is in University and I don't think she takes academic classes as she skates all day.

I agree this is a strange article. I remember seeing Yuna's bio in her younger years (in middle school) where she was doing well academically in spite all the criss crossing across the City in Seoul she and her mom were doing to find ice time early morning and at late nights, as late as midnight. Can't imagine anyone at the uni is expecting her to show up in classes. She would be doing her courses by long distance. Korean university students routinely take leave of absence once they are admitted (eg. military service for men).

[ryoko]

I'm curious. What do you call a girl who's younger than you (if you're both female)?

just by their names.

[miki88]

I think in Japan, you use "chan" if you're friends or close to that person. For colleagues or classmates, you use the more respectful "san" at the end. This is what I learned from watching Japanese dramas . I think it's more likely "san" that would be used between Mao and Yuna.

[Lilith11]

I think in Japan, you use "chan" if you're friends or close to that person. For colleagues or classmates, you use the more respectful "san" at the end. This is what I learned from watching Japanese dramas . I think it's more likely "san" that would be used between Mao and Yuna.

From what I've heard (and this is by hearsay so I'm not 100% sure), Yu-na calls Mao, Mao-chan which is pretty major if you think about it. "Chan" is something that's a term of affection added to the end of a female's name normally; you would put "-kun" on the end of male names (i.e. Daisuke-kun). Ah manga/anime, how much you've taught me XD

[alfoalfo]

my theory is, if you take a sticker photo with someone, you're definitely friends :D
one can take photos with anybody, but one cant take sticker photos with just anybody.
and these two have taken sticker photos together haha

if Yuna calls Mao, Mao-Chan..
then Mao can call Yuna, Yuna-ya~~~~~~~~~ right?
cos thats what my korean buddies call me, name-ya~~~~~ and they realllly extend the "a" in "ya"