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While watching Squid Game in Korean, you may hear Ali call Sang-woo hyung—even when the English subtitles show “Sang-woo” or make the conversation sound simply friendly.
Why does he use a word that literally means “older brother” when they are not related?
That one word reveals something the subtitles cannot fully show: Ali is no longer speaking to Sang-woo as a stranger. He is treating him as a trusted older man within a close, almost brotherly relationship.
What Does “Hyung” Mean in Korean?
Hyung (형) is a Korean term used by a male to address an older brother or an older male with whom he has a close relationship.
It is pronounced roughly like “hyuhng,” not “hee-young.”
The speaker must be male, and the person being addressed is normally an older male. The word can refer to:
a biological older brother
an older male cousin
a close older male friend
an older teammate or colleague after the relationship becomes familiar
Age matters, but closeness matters too. A man would not normally call every older male he meets hyung.
Why Does Ali Call Sang-woo “Hyung” in Squid Game?
Ali initially speaks to Sang-woo with respectful distance. As Sang-woo treats him more warmly, their language changes too.
Calling him hyung signals:
trust
gratitude
emotional closeness
acceptance of Sang-woo as an older-brother figure
In English, Ali might simply use “Sang-woo,” “my friend,” or a warmer tone. None of those choices carries exactly the same combination of age, affection and social position.
This is why hearing the original Korean makes their relationship feel different. Hyung is not merely a label. It tells the audience that Ali believes the distance between them has disappeared.
Sang-woo Also Has a “Hyung”
There is another useful example in the same story. Sang-woo is younger than his childhood friend Gi-hun, so Sang-woo can call Gi-hun hyung.
The direction is important:
| Speaker | Person addressed | Natural term |
|---|---|---|
| Ali | Sang-woo, an older male | hyung |
| Sang-woo | Gi-hun, an older male | hyung |
| Gi-hun | Sang-woo, a younger friend | Sang-woo-ya |
Gi-hun would not call Sang-woo hyung, because Gi-hun is older. He may use Sang-woo-ya (상우야) instead. The ending -ya is often attached to the name of someone the speaker knows well who is the same age or younger.
Why Korean Names and Titles Work Differently
English speakers commonly use first names across many relationships. Korean speakers often choose a relationship word instead.
Words such as hyung, oppa, noona and unnie immediately reveal the speakers’ gender, relative age and degree of closeness. Using the wrong term can sound unnatural because the word describes the relationship from the speaker’s point of view.
That is also why a subtitle may replace hyung with a character’s name. Repeating “older brother” would sound unnatural in English, while leaving the Korean word unexplained could confuse viewers. The dialogue becomes smoother, but some emotional information disappears.
Hyung vs. Oppa, Noona and Unnie
| Korean term | Who says it? | Who is addressed? |
| 형 (hyung) | a male | an older male |
| 오빠 (oppa) | a female | an older male |
| 누나 (noona) | a male | an older female |
| 언니 (unnie) | a female | an older female |
These terms can refer to siblings, but they also extend to close relationships outside the family.
Real-Life Examples
민수 형, 같이 가요.
Minsu hyung, gachi gayo.
Minsu, let’s go together.
형, 고마워요.
Hyung, gomawoyo.
Thanks, hyung.
상우 형을 믿어요.
Sang-woo hyung-eul mideoyo.
I trust Sang-woo hyung.
In natural English, the word may disappear from the translation. In Korean, however, it keeps the relationship present in every sentence.
Related Korean Expressions
동생 (dongsaeng): a younger sibling or younger person in a close relationship
형님 (hyungnim): a more respectful or formal form of hyung
친형 (chinhyung): a male speaker’s biological older brother
상우야 (Sang-woo-ya): an intimate way to call Sang-woo when he is the same age or younger
Quick Korean Tip
The next time you watch Squid Game with Korean audio, listen for 형 even when it does not appear in the English subtitles.
Then ask three questions: Is the speaker male? Is the other man older? Do they seem emotionally close?
If all three answers are yes, hyung will probably make sense.
FAQ
What does hyung mean in Squid Game?
Hyung means an older brother or a close older male from the viewpoint of a male speaker. It expresses both relative age and closeness.
Why does Ali call Sang-woo hyung?
Ali calls Sang-woo hyung because he comes to regard the older man as a trusted, brother-like figure rather than a distant stranger.
Are Ali and Sang-woo brothers?
No. They are not related. Korean kinship terms such as hyung can also be used in close non-family relationships.
Does Gi-hun call Sang-woo hyung?
No. Gi-hun is older than Sang-woo. It is Sang-woo who can call Gi-hun hyung.
Why do the English subtitles sometimes omit hyung?
English does not use “older brother” as a regular form of address between male friends. Subtitles may use a name or natural English phrasing instead, which can remove some cultural meaning.
Can a woman call an older man hyung?
Traditionally, a woman uses oppa for an older brother or close older male. Hyung is primarily used by male speakers, although individual or subcultural usage can vary.
Recommended Resources
Korean relationship words are difficult to understand through direct translation alone. A guide to Korean honorifics and everyday expressions can help you recognise who is older, who is close and how a relationship changes across a scene.
For this article, the most natural Amazon recommendation is a beginner-friendly Korean culture or conversation book that explains terms such as hyung, oppa, noona and unnie in context.
👉 Explore a Korean Honorifics and Everyday Expressions Guide on Amazon
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Keep Learning Korean Through Squid Game
Now you know why hyung can make a friendship sound almost like family—and why replacing it with a name changes the feeling of a scene.
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