당나귀
dangnagwi[ta̠ŋna̠ɡɥi]
The Korean word for donkey is 당나귀 (dangnagwi). Wiktionary also lists 나귀 (nagwi).
Meaning: a domestic animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 당나귀 | dangnagwi | [ta̠ŋna̠ɡɥi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ta̠ŋna̠ɡy] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 나귀 | nagwi | [na̠ɡɥi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [na̠ɡy] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The word refers to the domestic animal, also known as an ass.
Which one should you use?
당나귀 is the standard form, whereas 나귀 is a shortened version of the word often found in literature or older texts.
How do you pronounce it?
dangnagwi
Did you know?
- The word 당나귀 contains a historical reference to the Tang Dynasty, as indicated by the prefix 당 (Tang).
- In Korean culture, the donkey is often associated with stubbornness, similar to the English 'stubborn as a mule'.
Examples in context
- 이 동화에는 당나귀가 등장해!In this fairy tale, a donkey appears!
- 당나귀가 정말 귀여워요.dangnagwiga jeongmal gwiyewoyo.The donkey is really cute.
- 농장에 당나귀가 한 마리 있어요.nongjange dangnagwiga han mari isseoyo.There is one donkey on the farm.
- 당나귀는 짐을 잘 운반해요.dangnagwi-neun jim-eul jal unbanhaeyo.Donkeys are good at carrying loads.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Minjun are visiting a farm together.
- 서연 Seo-yeon민준 씨, 저기 당나귀가 보여요.Minjun ssi, jeogi dangnagwiga boyeoyo.Minjun, I see a donkey over there.
- 민준 Min-jun와, 정말 귀엽게 생겼네요.wa, jeongmal gwiyeopge saenggyeotneyo.Wow, it looks really cute.
- 서연 Seo-yeon당나귀를 가까이에서 본 건 처음이에요.dangnagwireul gakkai-eseo bon geon cheoeumieyo.This is my first time seeing a donkey up close.
- 민준 Min-jun저도 처음 봐서 신기해요.jeodo cheoeum bwa-seo singgihaeyo.It's fascinating for me too since it's my first time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “donkey” translations and entries 당나귀, 나귀, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 나귀, 당나귀, CC BY-SA 4.0.
