불능

Korean

Etymology

Sino-Korean word from 不能, from 不 (“not”) + 能 (“ability”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [puɭɭɯŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [불릉]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	bulleung
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	bulneung
McCune–Reischauer?	pullŭng
Yale Romanization?	pulnung

Noun

불능 • (bulleung) (hanja 不能)

1. impossibility, inability, incapability

   그녀는 구제(救濟) 불능의 낙관주의자이다. ― Geunyeo-neun guje bulleung-ui nakgwanjuuija-ida. ― She's an incurable optimist.

2. impotence, sterility

Derived terms

• 지불 불능(支拂不能) (jibul bulleung, “insolvency”)
• 불능(不能)하다 (bulleunghada, “incapable”)
• 불능문제(不能問題) (bulleungmunje, “an impossible problem”)
• 불능범(不能犯) (bulleungbeom, “an impossibility”)
• 귀환 불능 지점(歸還不能地點) (gwihwan bulleung jijeom, “point of no return”)