물리
mulli[muʎʎi]
The English word 'physics' is translated into Korean as 물리 (mulli). Wiktionary also lists 물리학 (mullihak).
Meaning: branch of science (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 물리 | mulli | [muʎʎi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 물리학 | mullihak | [muʎʎiɦa̠k̚] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The term 물리 means physics.
Which one should you use?
물리학 is used when referring to physics as a formal academic field of study or a science discipline.
How do you pronounce it?
mulli
Did you know?
- The word 물리 is composed of the characters for 'thing' and 'manage'. Together, they suggest the idea of 'the principles by which things are managed' or 'how things work'.
- When students complain about the difficulty of 물리 in Korea, they often group it with 수학 (math) as the 'two great walls' of the science track in high school.
- Because the word 물리 shares the same Sino-Korean characters as the Japanese word 'butsuri', the terminology used in Korean physics is deeply linked to East Asian scientific history.
Examples in context
- 물리는 과학의 한 갈래에 속해.Physics is a branch of science.This sentence is useful for showing how to describe physics as a branch of science.Tatoeba #8363683 by Eunhee, translation #681987 by Source_VOA
- 물리는 수학보다 훨씬 더 어려워.Physics is more difficult than mathematics.This sentence is useful for comparing the difficulty of physics and mathematics.Tatoeba #8362148 by Eunhee, translation #1499872 by RoyTek
- 그녀는 수학, 물리, 생물학 수업을 한다.She teaches lessons in math, physics, and biology.This sentence is useful for listing physics alongside other academic subjects like math and biology.Tatoeba #11106702 by intertime, translation #5595612 by marcj794
- 물리는 흥미로워요.Physics is interesting.
- 물리학 공부를 좋아해요.I enjoy studying physics.
- 물리 이론을 연구하고 있어요.I'm researching physics theories.
- 학교에서 물리를 배워요.I learn physics at school.
- 물리 시험을 잘 보려면 열심히 공부해야 해요.You need to study hard if you want to do well on the physics exam.
- 전자 공학은 물리의 한 분야에 속해요.Electronic engineering belongs to one of the fields in physics.
- 운동에너지와 포텐셜 에너지에 대해 이해하려면 물리지식이 필요해요.To understand kinetic and potential energy, you need knowledge of physics.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Minji and Minjun are talking about their university majors.
- 민지 Min-ji민준 씨는 전공이 뭐예요?Minjun ssi-neun jeon-gong-i mwo-ye-yo?Minjun, what is your major?
- 민준 Min-jun저는 물리 전공이에요.Jeo-neun mul-ri jeon-gong-i-e-yo.I am a physics major.
- 민지 Min-ji와, 물리는 정말 어렵겠어요!Wa, mul-ri-neun jeong-mal eo-ryeop-get-seo-yo!Wow, physics must be really difficult!
- 민준 Min-jun맞아요, 하지만 정말 재미있어요.Ma-ja-yo, ha-ji-man jeong-mal jae-mi-it-seo-yo.That's true, but it's really fun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “physics” translations and entries 물리, 물리학, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 물리, 물리학, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
