마일
[ma̠iɭ]
The English word 'mile' is translated into Korean as 마일.
마일 is used as a noun to denote the unit of length known as a mile.
Meaning: measure of length (noun)
Did you know?
- When Koreans describe a 'long way' colloquially, they often use expressions involving 십 리 (ten ri) rather than mentioning 마일 or kilometers.
- While 마일 is used for distance, Koreans use the term 마일리지 to refer specifically to airline frequent flyer miles, even when discussing loyalty points for credit cards.
- Unlike in English, where 'mile' can be used vaguely to mean 'a long distance', 마일 in Korean is almost always interpreted as the specific legal unit of 1.609 kilometers.
Examples in context
- 이 길은 한 마일 정도예요.i gil-eun han ma-il jeong-do-ye-yo.This road is about a mile.
- 속도를 마일 단위로 표시해 주세요.sok-do-reul ma-il dan-wi-ro pyo-si-hae ju-se-yo.Please display the speed in miles.
- 총 거리는 십 마일입니다.chong geo-ri-neun sip ma-il-im-ni-da.The total distance is ten miles.
Example conversation
Minji and Jihun are discussing a running route.
- 민지 Min-ji이 코스가 몇 마일인가요?i ko-seu-ga myeot ma-il-in-ga-yo?How many miles is this course?
- 지훈 Ji-hun한 5 마일 정도 될 거예요.han o ma-il jeong-do doel geo-ye-yo.It will be about 5 miles.
- 민지 Min-ji지훈 씨, 너무 멀지 않아요?ji-hun ssi, neo-mu meol-ji an-a-yo?Jihun, isn't it too far?
- 지훈 Ji-hun아니요, 천천히 뛰면 괜찮아요.a-ni-yo, cheon-cheon-hi ttyeo-myeon gwaen-chan-a-yo.No, it's fine if you run slowly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mile” translations and entries 마일, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
