김 씨

gim ssi · literally “Mr./Ms. Kim”

Situation: Writing an email or speaking to your team leader, Kim Minjun

✕ What AI tells you

Turns 'Mr. Kim' into '김 씨' or '김민준 씨', treating 씨 as a polite equivalent of Mr./Ms.

Why it fails: 씨 is polite only between equals or toward juniors. Surname + 씨 alone can even sound like you're addressing a laborer or a stranger you look down on. Superiors are called by their job title.

✓ What Koreans actually say

Address superiors by job title + 님 (with or without the surname). Use full name + 씨 only for peers or juniors.

  • 김 팀장님, 회의 자료 보내 드렸습니다.

    gim tim-jang-nim, hoe-ui ja-ryo bo-nae deu-ryeot-seum-ni-da

    Surname + title + 님 — the safe default for a superior

  • 부장님, 잠깐 시간 괜찮으세요?

    bu-jang-nim, jam-kkan si-gan gwaen-cha-neu-se-yo

    Title + 님 alone, the most common form in person

  • 민준 씨, 이것 좀 확인해 줄래요?

    min-jun ssi, i-geot jom hwa-gin-hae jul-lae-yo

    Given name + 씨 — fine for a colleague at your level or below

Cultural nuance, in depth

In Korean workplaces, a person's position effectively becomes their name: 과장님, 팀장님, 대표님. Adding the surname (김 과장님) helps when there are several people with the same title. 씨 sits much lower than English 'Mr.' suggests — it is respectful between equals, but used upward it erases the hierarchy the listener expects to be acknowledged. And surname + 씨 alone (김 씨) is the riskiest form of all, often heard in condescending or impersonal contexts.