눈

눈 U+B208, 눈 HANGUL SYLLABLE NUN Composition: ㄴ + ㅜ + ㄴ ← 눇 [U+B207] Hangul Syllables 눉 → [U+B209]

누눅눆눇눈눉눊 눋눌눍눎눏눐눑 눒눓눔눕눖눗눘 눙눚눛눜눝눞눟
뇨 ←	→ 눠

Korean

Etymology 1

First attested in the Jīlín lèishì (鷄林類事 / 계림유사), 1103, as Late Old Korean 嫩.

In the Hangul script, first attested in the Seokbo sangjeol (釋譜詳節 / 석보상절), 1447, as Middle Korean 눈〮 (Yale: nwún).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [nun]

  • (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [눈]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	nun
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	nun
McCune–Reischauer?	nun
Yale Romanization?	nwun

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 눈의 / 눈에 / 눈까지

  Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch and also heightens the next suffixed syllable, unless it is 에.

Noun

눈 (nun, “eye”)

눈 • (nun)

1. eye (organ allowing animals to see)

   눈에는 눈, 이에는 이 ― nun-e-neun nun, ie-neun i ― an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth

2. appreciative eye (for), discerning eye (for)

   Synonym: 안목(眼目) (anmok)

   보는 눈이 있다 ― boneun nun-i itda ― to have a [good] eye for...

3. vision (the ability to see), eyesight

   Synonym: 시력(視力) (siryeok)

   눈이 좋다 ― nun-i jota ― to have good eyesight

4. eyes, gaze; attention

   눈을 의식하다 ― nun-eul uisikhada ― to be self-conscious (literally, “to be aware of others' eyes”)

   눈을 끌다 ― nun-eul kkeulda ― to catch someone's attention

   눈을 피하다 ― nun-eul pihada ― to escape public gaze; to avoid eye contact

5. point of view, viewpoint

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 겉눈 (geonnun)
• 곁눈 (gyeonnun)
• 까막눈 (kkamangnun)
• 눈가 (nun'ga)
• 눈가리개 (nun'garigae)
• 눈곱 (nun'gop)
• 눈길 (nun'gil)
• 눈깔 (nunkkal)
• 눈꺼풀 (nunkkeopul)
• 눈높이 (nunnopi)
• 눈대중 (nundaejung)
• 눈도장 (—圖章, nundojang)
• 눈독 (—毒, nundok)
• 눈동자 (—瞳子, nundongja)
• 눈망울 (nunmang'ul)
• 눈매 (nunmae)
• 눈물 (nunmul)
• 눈방울 (nunbang'ul)
• 눈빛 (nunbit)
• 눈살 (nunsal)
• 눈속임 (nunsogim)
• 눈시울 (nunsiul)
• 눈싸움 (nunssaum)
• 눈썰미 (nunsseolmi)
• 눈썹 (nunsseop)
• 눈알 (nunal)
• 눈약 (—藥, nunyak)
• 눈주름 (nunjureum)
• 눈짓 (nunjit)
• 눈초리 (nunchori)
• 눈총 (nunchong)
• 눈치 (nunchi)
• 뜬눈 (tteunnun)
• 맨눈 (maennun)
• 속눈 (songnun)
• 실눈 (sillun)
• 애꾸눈 (aekkunun)
• 외눈 (oenun)
• 짝눈 (jjangnun)
• 첫눈 (cheonnun)

See also

• 眼 (an), 目 (mok), hanja for eye

Etymology 2

First attested in the Jīlín lèishì (鷄林類事 / 계림유사), 1103, as Late Old Korean 嫩.

In the Hangul script, first attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 눈〯 (Yale: nwǔn).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [nu(ː)n]

  • (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [눈(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	nun
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	nun
McCune–Reischauer?	nun
Yale Romanization?	nwūn

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 눈의 / 눈에 / 눈까지

  Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes low pitch, and heightens the pitch of two subsequent suffixed syllables.

Noun

눈 (nun, “snow”)

눈 • (nun)

1. snow

   눈이 내린다.

   Nun-i naerinda.

   Snow is falling.

   눈이 온다.

   Nun-i onda.

   Snow is falling.

   눈을 쓸다.

   Nun-eul sseulda.

   to sweep snow

   눈이 쌓인다.

   Nun-i ssainda.

   Snow is piling up.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 눈구름 (nun'gureum)
• 눈꽃 (nunkkot)
• 눈덩이 (nundeong'i)
• 눈바람 (nunbaram)
• 눈발 (nunbal)
• 눈밭 (nunbat)
• 눈보라 (nunbora)
• 눈비 (nunbi)
• 눈사람 (nunsaram)
• 눈싸움 (nunssaum)
• 눈썰매 (nunsseolmae)
• 눈얼음 (nuneoreum)
• 첫눈 (cheonnun)
• 함박눈 (hambangnun)

See also

• 雪 (seol), the hanja for snow

Etymology 3

First attested in the Beonyeok nogeoldae (飜譯老乞大 / 번역노걸대), 1517, as Middle Korean 눈〮 (Yale: nwún).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [nun]

  • (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [눈]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	nun
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	nun
McCune–Reischauer?	nun
Yale Romanization?	nwun

Noun

눈 • (nun)

1. (less common) scale, graduation (on a measuring device)

   Synonym: (more common) 눈금 (nun'geum)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 눈금 (nun'geum)

Etymology 4

Of native Korean origin.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [nun]

  • (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [눈]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	nun
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	nun
McCune–Reischauer?	nun
Yale Romanization?	nwun

Noun

눈 • (nun)

1. bud, shoot, sprout

   Synonyms: 싹 (ssak), 움 (um)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 꽃눈 (kkonnun)
• 싹눈 (ssangnun)
• 쌀눈 (ssallun)
• 씨눈 (ssinun)
• 잎눈 (imnun)

Etymology 5

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

눈 (nun)

Extended content
嫩: soft, tender; young (eumhun reading: 어릴 눈 (eoril nun)) (MC reading: 嫩 (MC nwonH))

Middle Korean

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nún/

Noun

눈〮 (nwún) (locative 누네〮 (nwùn-éy))

1. eye

Descendants

• Korean: 눈 (nun)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nǔn/

Noun

눈〯 (nwǔn) (locative 누〯네〮 (nwǔn-éy))

1. snow

Descendants

• Korean: 눈 (nun)