인어
ineo[inʌ̹]
The Korean word for mermaid is 인어 (ineo).
인어 is used to refer to the mythological creature described as a woman with the tail of a fish.
Meaning: mythological woman with a fish’s tail (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of 인, meaning 'human' and 어, meaning 'fish'.
How do you pronounce it?
ineo
Did you know?
- Because 인어 is gender-neutral, it is used for both male and female merfolk, unlike English which often distinguishes between 'mermaid' and 'merman'.
- In some Korean folk stories, creatures similar to 인어 are depicted with different characteristics than Western mermaids, sometimes acting more as omens or specific spirits of the sea.
- In Korean art and poetry, the image of the 인어 is sometimes used as a metaphor for longing or unattainable love due to the creature's inability to live fully in either the human or fish world.
Examples in context
- 저는 인어 이야기를 좋아해요.I enjoy mermaid stories.
- 영화 속에 인어공주가 나타났어요.The mermaid princess appeared in the movie.
- 인어가 바다에 살아요.A mermaid lives in the sea.
- 동화 속에 인어가 나와요.donghwa soge ineoga nawoyo.A mermaid appears in the fairy tale.
- 그 영화는 인어 이야기를 다뤄요.geu yeonghwaneun ineo iyagireul darwoyo.That movie deals with a mermaid story.
- 인어는 정말 아름다운 존재예요.ineoneun jeongmal areumdaun jonjaeyeyo.A mermaid is a truly beautiful being.
Example conversation
Minjun and Jieun are talking about a book at a cafe.
- 민준 Min-jun이 책에 인어가 등장해?i chaegye ineoga deungjanghae?Does a mermaid appear in this book?
- 지은 Ji-eun응, 아주 신비로운 인어가 나와.eung, aju sinbiroun ineoga nawa.Yes, a very mysterious mermaid appears.
- 민준 Min-jun지은아, 그 인어는 예뻐?jieuna, geu ineoneun yeppeo?Jieun, is the mermaid pretty?
- 지은 Ji-eun응, 정말 아름답게 묘사되어 있어.eung, jeongmal areumdapge myosadoeeo isseo.Yes, she is described as truly beautiful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 인어, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
