내 몸
The English phrase "my body" is 내 몸 in Korean.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 내 (my) and 몸 (body).
Which one should you use?
Use 제 몸 instead of 내 몸 when speaking to someone of higher status or in formal settings to be polite.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the subject marker 이 to 내 몸 results in 내 몸이 when the body is the subject of the sentence. Adding the object marker 을 to 내 몸 results in 내 몸을 when the body is the object of an action.
Did you know?
- The word 몸 for 'body' is also used in the phrase 몸을 챙기다 to mean 'taking care of oneself' or 'staying healthy' during stressful times.
- In Middle Korean, the form 내 was the only possible way to express this contraction. The modern construction 나의 was actually considered ungrammatical during that period because certain vowel elisions were mandatory.
- The word 몸 (body) is an indigenous Korean word. Unlike many academic or technical terms in Korean that use Sino-Korean roots, 몸 remains the fundamental, native way to refer to the physical self.
Examples in context
- 내 몸은 너무 피곤해.nae mom-eun neo-mu pi-gon-hae.My body is so tired.
- 내 몸에 힘이 없어요.nae mom-e him-i eop-seo-yo.My body has no strength.
- 내 몸을 잘 관리해야 해.nae mom-eul jal gwan-ri-hae-ya hae.I need to take good care of my body.
Example conversation
Minjun and Jieun are talking about exercising at the gym.
- 민준 Min-jun운동하니까 내 몸이 가벼워진 것 같아.undong-hanikka nae mom-i gabyeowo-jin geot gata.I feel like my body has become lighter since exercising.
- 지은 Ji-eun맞아, 운동은 정말 중요해.maja, undong-eun jeongmal jung-yohae.That's true, exercise is really important.
- 민준 Min-jun이제 내 몸을 더 사랑하려고.ije nae mom-eul deo sarang-haryeogo.Now I'm going to love my body more.
- 지은 Ji-eun민준 씨, 정말 멋진 생각이에요.Minjun ssi, jeongmal meotjin saeng-gak-ieyo.Minjun, that is a wonderful idea.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 내, CC BY-SA 4.0.
