…의
…ui
The Korean way to say 'of' in a possessive sense is …의 (…ui).
…의 is used to indicate that something belongs to someone or something else, serving as a possessive particle.
Meaning: possessive genitive: belonging to (prep)
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle …의 is attached directly to the end of a noun to indicate possession.
How do you pronounce it?
…ui
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often over-use …의 in Korean, whereas Korean frequently omits the possessive particle when the relationship between nouns is clear through context.
Did you know?
- In many cases, the particle 의 is actually pronounced as 에 when spoken naturally in conversation. While 의 is the correct spelling for the possessive, a native speaker will almost always use the 에 sound during speech.
- In certain poetic or highly formal literary contexts, adding 의 can actually add a sense of grandeur or weight to a noun, making it feel more 'official' or 'epic' than a simple noun-noun connection.
- Korean uses 의 to mark the possessor, but the word order is strictly Possessor + 의 + Possessed, which is the reverse of the English 'the [Possessed] of the [Possessor]' structure.
Examples in context
- 그는 선생님의 자녀입니다.He is a teacher's child.
- 이것은 사과의 색깔입니다.This is the color of an apple.
- 그 여자애의 친구가 왔어.The friend of that girl came.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “of” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
