양반

Korean

Alternative forms

  • (North Korea) 량반 (ryangban)

Etymology

    Sino-Korean word from 兩班, from (both) + (groups), referring to 문반 (文班, munban, “civil vassal”) and 무반 (武班, muban, “military vassal”).

    Pronunciation

    Romanizations
    Revised Romanization?yangban
    Revised Romanization (translit.)?yangban
    McCune–Reischauer?yangban
    Yale Romanization?yangpan

    Noun

    양반 • (yangban) (hanja 兩班)

    1. (historical) civil nobility and military nobility [10th–13th c.]
    2. (historical) yangban class in Korea [from 14th c.]
    3. appellation to address a man
    4. husband

    Usage notes

    • (appellation):
      • Used with an adjective: 점잖으신 양반 (jeomjaneusin yangban, “decent guy”), 바쁘신 양반 (bappeusin yangban, “busy man”)
      • Used with a noun: 신사양반 (sinsayangban, “gentleman”), 의사양반 (uisayangban, “doctor”)

    Antonyms

    • (antonym(s) of historical class):
      • 상놈 (sangnom, “a vulgar man”)
      • 쌍놈 (ssangnom, “a very vulgar man”)
      • 천민 (cheonmin, “lowest class”)
    • (antonym(s) of spouse):
      • 안 사람 (an saram, “wife”)
      • 집 사람 (jip saram, “wife”)

    Derived terms

    • 바깥양반 (bakkatyangban, “husband”)
    • 우리집 양반 (urijip yangban, “my old man”)
    • 양반다리 (yangbandari, “crossed-leg”)