살

살 U+C0B4, 살 HANGUL SYLLABLE SAL Composition: ㅅ + ㅏ + ㄹ Dubeolsik input: t-k-f ← 삳 [U+C0B3] Hangul Syllables 삵 → [U+C0B5]

Korean

Etymology 1

사삭삮삯산삱삲 삳살삵삶삷삸삹 삺삻삼삽삾삿샀 상샂샃샄샅샆샇
삐 ←	→ 새

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰa̠ɭ]
• Phonetic hangeul: [살]

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

Syllable

살 • (sal)

1. A Hangul syllabic block made up of ㅅ, ㅏ, and ㄹ.

Etymology 2

First attested in the Seokbo sangjeol (釋譜詳節 / 석보상절), 1447, as Middle Korean ᄉᆞᆶ (Yale: solh).

Noun

살 • (sal)

1. flesh, muscle, skin
   • 살 빼기에 대해서 얘기하겠습니다.

     Sal ppaegie daehaeseo yaegihagetseumnida.

     We're talking about slimming.

     Audio (South Korea)

     (file)

Antonyms

• (flesh, muscle, skin): 뼈 (ppyeo, “bone”)

Derived terms

• 뱃살 (baetsal)
• 살갗 (salgat, “skin”)
• 살결 (salgyeol, “skin texture, complexion”)
• 살가죽 (salgajuk, “skin and leather”)
• 살색 (salsaek)
• 살찌다 (saljjida)

Etymology 3

Noun

살 • (sal)

1. latticework, rib, (comb's) teeth, (wheel's) spoke, (sun's) ray, shine
2. arrow, sting (of bees, bugs, etc.)

Derived terms

• 빗살 (bitsal, “comb's teeth”)
• 햇살 (haetsal, “sunray, sunshine”)
• 화살 (hwasal, “arrow”)
• 우산살 (usansal, “ribs of an umbrella”)

Etymology 4

First attested in the Worin seokbo (月印釋譜 / 월인석보), 1459, as Middle Korean 설 (Yale: sel).

The word 설 (seol, “Lunar New Year”) originally meant both "New Year" and "year of age". The two terms are connected; in Korea, one gains a new year of age at every New Year (so that all people born in the same year have the same age). In the eighteenth century, speakers created the new term 살 (sal, "year of age") as a yang-vowel alternation of 설, and the original term came to mean only the New Year. 설 and 살 are one of a number of Korean noun pairs with yin-yang vowel alternation which were originally the same word.

Noun

살 • (sal)

1. (takes native numerals) years of age (of a person)
   • 몇 살입니까?

     Myeot salimnikka?

     How old are [you]? ("How many years of age are [you]?")

     Audio (South Korea)

     (file)

Usage notes

In traditional East Asian age reckoning, a baby is one year old at birth and turns two years old on New Year's Day. Thus everyone born in the same year is the same age: the current year subtracted by the year of birth, plus one.

Related terms

• (years of age): 세 (se)
• (age): 나이 (nai, “age”), 연세 (年歲, yeonse, “(very honorific) age”)

Etymology 5

Sino-Korean word from 煞 (“malignant deity”)

Noun

살 • (sal) (hanja 煞)

1. damnation

Derived terms

• 살풀이 (salpuri): salvation from damnation