The Meaning Of Maknae | 막내

What do Jungkook from BTS, Lisa from BLACKPINK, Taemin from SHINee, and Tzuyu from TWICE all have in common? The answer, they are all the ‘Maknae’ of the group. If you’re a fan of K-pop and follow Korean culture, you have probably heard the term Maknae (막내) and wondered what it means. In this lesson, you will learn the meaning of Maknae (막내) and the related word ‘Hyung’ (형).

Related: The Meaning Of The Super Tuna Song Lyrics / Learn What K-Pop Stands For

What Does Maknae Mean?

Maknae, spelled 막내 in Korean, refers to the youngest member of a group of people. It can be used in any kind of group, such as a group of friends, a family, or even a K-pop group. For example, in BTS the Maknae is Jungkook because he is the youngest of the group.

Why Is Jungkook The ‘Golden Maknae’

Jungkook from BTS was referred to as the ‘Golden Maknae’ for a long time. This is because not only was he the youngest member of BTS, he was also the youngest member of Big Hit Entertainment, BTS’ label. Due to being really talented and the youngest member of such as big entertainment label, he was referred to as the ‘Golden Maknae’.

Jungkook is no longer the ‘Golden Maknae’ however as there is a new, younger member of the record company. But Jungkook is still the ‘Maknae’ of BTS as he is the youngest member of that group.

What Does Hyung Mean?

Hyung, spelled 형 in Korean, means ‘older brother’ and is used by Korean men to refer to another man who is a little older than them. For this reason, Jungkook from BTS calls other members of the group as ‘Hyung’.

If you are a female and want to say ‘older brother’ to someone slightly older than you, you cannot use ‘Hyung’. Instead, you should use ‘Oppa’. Check out this lesson about the meaning of Oppa to learn more.

Related Expressions

Check out these related articles to learn more Korean expressions you can use to talk about your favorite K-pop idols:

What Does Oppa Mean?
What Does Seonbae Mean?
Unnie And Noona Meaning
How to Say ‘I Love You’ in Korean.
‘You’re Cute’ In Korean

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