Unnie (언니) means “older sister” from a female speaker’s perspective, and it’s used warmly for any older female she’s close to — a sister, a close friend, a favorite older idol. It signals closeness and respect at once.
(The male-speaker word for an older woman is noona; “oppa” and “hyung” are the words for older males.)
How it’s used
- 💬 “Unnie, you look amazing!”
- 💬 “The unnie line” = the oldest female members of a group.