How do I reffer to the second person in a conversation?
I'm currently chatting with a native Korean in a message app. He's older than me and we're not that close, so I speak formally, but I think I'm pretty sure I've made several mistakes with my "you" usage. I heard it's sometimes rude using "너". Should I be using "당신"?
I also hear people use the person's name or status as "you" (오빠/언니...)

Help is very appreciated!

Question

How do I reffer to the second person in a conversation?
I'm currently chatting with a native Korean in a message app. He's older than me and we're not that close, so I speak formally, but I think I'm pretty sure I've made several mistakes with my "you" usage. I heard it's sometimes rude using "너". Should I be using "당신"?
I also hear people use the person's name or status as "you" (오빠/언니...)

Help is very appreciated!

Answer

He's right. We don't really say "너" or "당신" to someone not that close with you.
Using "씨" after their names would be better if you know their names, in addition it's more polite sometimes.

Or just try to get close with him and use "오빠". He will love to be called like that :)

Answer

You might ask if he minds if you use his name. You could then attach 씨.
Otherwise you could simply not refer to him directly and let the context speak for itself. It's pretty common to omit pronouns and such if it is clear that you are referring to them.

Answers · 2

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