{"id":4802,"date":"2022-06-20T17:54:12","date_gmt":"2022-06-20T17:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=4802"},"modified":"2022-06-20T17:54:12","modified_gmt":"2022-06-20T17:54:12","slug":"noona-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/noona-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Noona \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you looking for a pet name for your big sister? You could take a cue from the east and call her \u201cNoona.\u201d <\/em>This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The term \u201cNoona<\/em>\u201d is an east Asian expression referring to a girl. The term is a popular name in Thailand and South Korea, meaning \u201cGift of God<\/em>.\u201d However, the name also applies to your big sister. The phrase is not suitable for describing every girl you meet or your girlfriend. It also doesn\u2019t apply to your little sister.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a respectful term to older women like your big sister or a female cousin or family member more senior than you. Asian cultures have a deep respect for their elders, and the word \u201cNoona<\/em>\u201d is a show of respect to them, showing them that you appreciate their authority over you and their role in your life.<\/p>\n

Men and women can use the saying, but it only applies to the female gender, not to men. If you call someone your \u201cNoona<\/em>,\u201d it means that you hold them in high esteem and respect them.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cKelly is my Noona, and I love her so much. She just got married to the guy of her dreams, and they are having their first child together in a few months.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just heard some guy call a girl his Noona, and he kissed her right on the lips. I\u2019m talking tongue. I hope that\u2019s not his sister.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKim is my Noona. She was born three years before me, and my brother came three years after me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you\u2019re calling that girl your Noona. Is she your sister? You guys don\u2019t look anything alike. Do you think it\u2019s okay if I ask her out?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy older sister is coming to town this weekend. It\u2019s been years since I[\u2018ve seen my Noona. I can\u2019t wait to catch up with her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re Noona is on the phone looking for you. I think you better take the call. It sounds like you\u2019re in a lot of trouble with the family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, that person isn\u2019t your Noona. She\u2019s your girlfriend. For heaven\u2019s sake, stop calling her that, or people will think you\u2019re dating your sister.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTyra is my Noona, she\u2019s the big sister I never had and I feel like she is my blood relative, even though there\u2019s no relation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

The origin of the name \"Noona\" comes from Southeast Asia. Countries like Thailand and South Korea use the name for girls. Noona translates to \"Gift of God\" in the Thai language.<\/p>\n

The first recorded use of the name in the United States by the Social Security Administration occurred on Thursday, June 2nd, 1881.<\/p>\n

However, the word spread throughout Southeast Asia in the 1900s, and by the end of the century, people in Southeast Asia would use it to describe their big sister.<\/p>\n