팔꿈치
palkkumchi[pʰa̠ɭk͈umt͡ɕʰi]
The English word "elbow" is 팔꿈치 (palkkumchi) in Korean.
팔꿈치 is a noun used to refer to the joint between the upper arm and the forearm.
Meaning: joint between upper arm and forearm (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
palkkumchi
Did you know?
- In Korean, the word 꿈치 is also used in 발꿈치 to describe the heel of the foot. This shows that the language categorizes the heel as a functional equivalent to the elbow.
- In traditional Korean medicine, specific acupressure points around the 팔꿈치 are believed to treat not just arm pain but also issues related to the lungs.
- Korean has a dedicated word 팔오금 to describe the inner crease of the arm, whereas English usually uses a general phrase like 'inside of the elbow'.
Examples in context
- 아픈 곳은 팔꿈치예요.The painful spot is the elbow.
- 팔꿈치 근육을 강화시키는 운동을 해봐요.Try exercises that strengthen the muscles around the elbow.
- 팔꿈치가 아파요.pal-kkum-chi-ga a-pa-yo.My elbow hurts.
- 팔꿈치에 멍이 들었어요.pal-kkum-chi-e meong-i deul-eoss-eo-yo.I have a bruise on my elbow.
- 팔꿈치를 조심하세요.pal-kkum-chi-reul jo-sim-ha-se-yo.Please be careful with your elbow.
Example conversation
A woman is checking if her male friend is injured.
- 도현 Do-hyeon도현 씨, 팔꿈치가 왜 그래요?Do-hyeon ssi, pal-kkum-chi-ga wae geu-rae-yo?Dohyun, what happened to your elbow?
- 민지 Min-ji책상에 팔꿈치를 부딪혔어요.chaek-sang-e pal-kkum-chi-reul bu-dit-hyeoss-eo-yo.I bumped my elbow on the desk.
- 도현 Do-hyeon많이 아프겠어요.man-i a-peu-get-eo-yo.That must hurt a lot.
- 민지 Min-ji조금 아프지만 괜찮아요.jo-geum a-peu-ji-man gwaen-chan-a-yo.It hurts a little, but I'm okay.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “elbow” translations and entries 팔꿈치, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
