무릎
mureup[muɾɯp̚]
The English word "knee" is translated into Korean as 무릎 (mureup).
무릎 refers to the joint in the middle of the leg and the general area surrounding it.
Meaning: joint in the middle of the leg and area around it (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 무릎 is used for the general knee area, 무릎뼈 is the specific term for the kneecap (patella).
How does it change in a sentence?
When the knee is the subject of a sentence, such as when saying "the knee hurts", the subject marker 이 is added to form 무릎이. If the knee is the direct object of a verb, such as "to hit the knee", the object marker 을 is added to form 무릎을.
How do you pronounce it?
mureup
Did you know?
- In Korean, the phrase 무릎을 치다, meaning 'to hit one's knee', is a common idiom used when someone suddenly remembers something or has a 'eureka' moment.
- Kneeling is so culturally significant that the Korean language has multiple specific words for different types of kneeling depending on the level of respect or the social situation.
- The word 무릎 is used in the expression 무릎을 꿇다, which means 'to kneel', but it is also the standard way to describe an act of formal apology or submission.
Examples in context
- 무릎 치다To slap on the knee to show a great surpriseThis example shows how to use 무릎 in the phrase for slapping one's knee in surprise.
- 무릎까지 내려오는 스커트A skirt of knee lengthThis example demonstrates using 무릎 to describe the length of a skirt.
- 저는 무릎에 상처를 입었어요.I injured my knee.
- 그가 무릎을 꿇고 사과했어요.He kneeled down and apologized.
- 무릎이 너무 아파요.mureupi neomu apayo.My knee hurts so much.
Example conversation
Dohyun and Minji are walking in the park.
- 도현 Do-hyeon민지 씨, 왜 그래요?Minji ssi, wae geuraeyo?Minji, what's wrong?
- 민지 Min-ji넘어져서 무릎을 다쳤어요.neomeojyeoseo mureupeul dachyeosseoyo.I fell and hurt my knee.
- 도현 Do-hyeon많이 다쳤나요?manhi dachyeonnayo?Is it hurt badly?
- 민지 Min-ji아니요, 조금 긁혔어요.aniyo, jogeum geulgyeosseoyo.No, it's just a little scratched.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “knee” translations and entries 무릎, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
