Korean Honorifics
Just introduced myself to Korean honorifics.
When I watch dramas I usually hear them add something like "ya" to the names.
In High Kick Through the Roof, one of the characters is named Shin Ae. Her friend about her age, calls her Shin Ae but her older sister and other people add the "ya" to the end.

I deduced that this "ya" sound was Yang honorific which is used on unmarried female minors. But I got kind of confused because in Unstoppable High Kick, this guy's father also adds this "ya" sound to his name when he is a married middle-aged guy.

Can someone clear this up for my please?

Question

Korean Honorifics
Just introduced myself to Korean honorifics.
When I watch dramas I usually hear them add something like "ya" to the names.
In High Kick Through the Roof, one of the characters is named Shin Ae. Her friend about her age, calls her Shin Ae but her older sister and other people add the "ya" to the end.

I deduced that this "ya" sound was Yang honorific which is used on unmarried female minors. But I got kind of confused because in Unstoppable High Kick, this guy's father also adds this "ya" sound to his name when he is a married middle-aged guy.

Can someone clear this up for my please?

Answer

It's a question about how to address a Korean person by name. 

When you address Thomas, you may call him Tommy.
To call somebody by a nickname is easy and familiar
When Koreans address friends or younger people, they use –아, -야 at the end of name. It is called a vocative ending. Using it, it sounds friendly and is easy to pronounce. See some examples; 

보라~(you can use time to time), 이리 와! -> 보라야~! (mostly used)
보라+야! (라 has no Batchim, final consonant.  – ended with a vowel) 
창민+아! (in case of ended with Batchim, use 아) 

And I’d like to add another usage. 
“name+ ~이 + a particle(는, 가, 를, 도)” is used in case of a name ended with Batchim 
창민이는 노래를 좋아한다. (=창민은 노래를 좋아한다.) 
창민이가 노래를 부른다. / 창민이도 왔다. / 나는 창민이를 만났다

Answer

You got the wrong idea on the term '야.' It is not a honorific term or form. You only use between friends or to someone under you.  And also you can use it for you as indicating yourself to otheres. There a few uses that would not change the context or the meaning of the word put next to.

Answers · 2

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