발뒤꿈치
baldwikkumchi[pa̠ɭt͈ɥik͈umt͡ɕʰi]
The English word 'heel' is translated into Korean as 발뒤꿈치 (baldwikkumchi). Wiktionary also lists 발뒤축 (baldwichuk).
Meaning: anatomy: part of the foot (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 발뒤꿈치 | baldwikkumchi | [pa̠ɭt͈ɥik͈umt͡ɕʰi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [pa̠ɭt͈yk͈umt͡ɕʰi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 발뒤축 | baldwichuk |
Which one should you use?
While 발뒤꿈치 refers specifically to the fleshy part of the heel, 발뒤축 is often used to refer more broadly to the back structural part or the axis of the heel.
How do you pronounce it?
baldwikkumchi
Did you know?
- The word 발뒤꿈치 contains the word 꿈치, which refers to a bend or a joint, similar to how the elbow is called 팔꿈치.
- While English uses 'heel' for both anatomy and footwear, Korean uses 발뒤꿈치 for the body and 굽 for the heel of a shoe.
- If you are talking about the heel of a shoe rather than a human body part, Koreans often use the loanword 힐 (hil) instead of the native Korean term.
Examples in context
- 너, 뒤꿈치 안 아파?Hey, is your heel not hurting?
- 발뒤꿈치가 너무 아파요.baldwikkumchiga neomu apayo.My heel hurts so much.
- 새 신발이라서 발뒤꿈치가 쓸렸어요.sae sinbareiraseo baldwikkumchiga sseullyeosseoyo.My heel is chafed because they are new shoes.
- 발뒤꿈치가 갈라졌어요.baldwikkumchiga gallajyeosseoyo.My heel is cracked.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Ji-hun are walking in a park.
- 지은 Ji-eun지훈 씨, 발뒤꿈치가 아파요.Ji-hun ssi, baldwikkumchiga apayo.Ji-hun, my heel hurts.
- 지훈 Ji-hun신발이 너무 작아요?Sinbari neomu jagayo?Are the shoes too small?
- 지은 Ji-eun아니요, 그냥 발뒤꿈치가 쓸렸어요.Aniyo, geunyang baldwikkumchiga sseullyeosseoyo.No, my heel is just chafed.
- 지훈 Ji-hun그럼 좀 쉬었다 가요.Geureom jom swieotda gayo.Then let's rest for a bit before going.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “heel” translations and entries 발뒤꿈치, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
