Can older people be cute?

ANSWER: Yes, but don't tell them that.

The Korean word for "cute" is 귀엽다, which is a friendly, complimentary word that can be used to describe both the appearance of things and the appearance and actions of animals and people, but do not use it to describe the appearance or actions of  Korean people older than you, especially not to their faces, because it would be considered rude, as if you were talking about or to a child instead of an adult.

For example, you could say, "아기의 웃는 모습이 참 귀엽다," which means "The baby's laugh (smile) is cute," but you should not say, "할머니의 웃으시는 모습이 참 귀엽다," which means "The grandmother's laugh is cute." Even if you are older than them, some teenagers may not like being described as "cute."