애

See also: oh, OH, óh, öh, он, and өн

애 U+C560, 애 HANGUL SYLLABLE AE Composition: ㅇ + ㅐ ← 앟 [U+C55F] Hangul Syllables 액 → [U+C561]

Korean

애액앢앣앤앥앦 앧앨앩앪앫앬앭 앮앯앰앱앲앳앴 앵앶앷앸앹앺앻
아 ←	→ 야

Etymology 1

See 아이 (ai), of which it is a contraction.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɛ(ː)] ~ [e̞(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul: [애(ː)/에(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

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

Noun

애 • (ae)

1. Colloquial form of 아이 (ai, “child; kid”).

   애 생기면 결혼해야지. ― Ae saenggimyeon gyeolhonhaeyaji. ― If we get a kid, we'll have to marry.

2. (colloquial, sometimes slightly derogatory) guy, person (usually rather young)

   Synonyms: 사람 (saram), (polite) 분 (bun)

   일본 애들 ― Ilbon ae-deul ― Japanese people

Usage notes

• In colloquial Korean, this word is the source of most third-person human pronouns. See below.

Related terms

• 걔 (gyae, “he/she/it; close to the listener or not present at all”)
• 걔네 (gyaene, “they; not present in the conversation”)
• 얘 (yae, “he/she/it; close to the speaker”)
• 얘네 (yaene, “they; close to the speaker”)
• 쟤 (jae, “he/she/it; distant from the speaker and the listener”)
• 쟤네 (jaene, “they; distant from the speaker and the listener”)

 

Etymology 2

First attested in the Bullyu dugongbu si eonhae (分類杜工部詩諺解 / 분류두공부시언해), 1481, as Middle Korean 애〯 (Yale: ǎy), the original meaning being "internal organs". The original sense has been displaced by Sinitic 창자 (changja), 내장(內臟) (naejang), and the word survives only in certain expressions.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɛ(ː)] ~ [e̞(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul: [애(ː)/에(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

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

Noun

애 • (ae)

1. (idiomatic) anxiety; impatience

   너 때문에 애가 탄다

   neo ttaemun-e ae-ga tanda

   You make me so anxious.

   (literally, “My insides burn because of you.”)

2. (idiomatic) trouble; effort

   일을 마무리하려고 애쓴다.

   Ir-eul mamuriharyeogo ae-sseunda.

   He makes an effort to finish the work.

   (literally, “He uses his inner organs to finish his work.”)

3. (obsolete, original sense) internal organs, especially the intestines

Etymology 3

Sino-Korean word from 愛 (“love”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɛ(ː)] ~ [e̞(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul: [애(ː)/에(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

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

Noun

애 • (ae) (hanja 愛)

1. (formal) love

   Synonym: (more common) 사랑 (sarang)

2. (Buddhism) taṇhā or "craving", one of the pratītyasamutpāda, the source of human unhappiness

Suffix

—애 • (-ae) (hanja 愛)

1. -philia

Etymology 4

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

애 (ae)

Extended content

愛: love (eumhun reading: 사랑 애 (sarang ae)) (MC reading: 愛 (MC 'ojH)) 涯: riverside (eumhun reading: 물가 애 (mulga ae)) (MC reading: 涯 (MC ngje|ngea)) 哀: sad (eumhun reading: 슬플 애 (seulpeul ae)) (MC reading: 哀 (MC 'oj)) 碍: obstruct (eumhun reading: 거리낄 애 (georikkil ae)) (MC reading: 碍) 崖: cliff (eumhun reading: 낭떠러지 애 (nangtteoreoji ae)) (MC reading: 崖 (MC ngje|ngea)) 隘: narrow (eumhun reading: 좁을 애 (jobeul ae)) (MC reading: 隘 (MC 'eaH)) 埃: dust (eumhun reading: 티끌 애 (tikkeul ae)) (MC reading: 埃 (MC 'oj)) 艾: mugwort (eumhun reading: 쑥 애 (ssuk ae)) (MC reading: 艾 (MC ngajH|ngjojH)) 厓: hill (eumhun reading: 언덕 애 (eondeok ae)) (MC reading: 厓 (MC ngea)) 靄: haze (eumhun reading: 아지랑이 애 (ajirang'i ae)) (MC reading: 靄 (MC 'ajH|'at)) 曖: dim (eumhun reading: 희미할 애 (huimihal ae)) (MC reading: 曖 (MC 'ajH|'ojH))

Middle Korean

Etymology

Semantically, compare Chinese 腸／肠 (cháng).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ǎj/

Noun

애〯 (ǎy)

1. the inner organs, in particular:
   1. the intestines, the guts

      Synonym: 챠ᇰᄌᆞ (chyangco)

   2. the gall bladder

      Synonym: ᄡᅳᆯ게 (psulkey)

   3. (possibly) the liver (only attested in early Early Modern Korean)

      Synonym: 간 (kan)

2. (in figurative expressions) anxiety, impatience
3. (in figurative expressions) trouble; effort

Descendants

• Korean: 애 (ae)