시
si[ɕʰi]
The English word 'poem' is translated into Korean as 시 (si). Wiktionary also lists 시가 (siga).
Meaning: literary piece written in verse (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 시 | si | [ɕʰi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ɕʰi(ː)] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 시가 | siga | [ɕʰiɡa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The word refers to a literary piece written in verse. For a specific type of traditional Korean poetry characterized by having three lines, the term 시조 is used.
Which one should you use?
시 is the standard and most common way to say 'poem' in any context, whereas 시가 is a more formal or literary term used to refer to poetry as a genre or to a collection of poems.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is si.
Did you know?
- The term 시집 (si-jip) is used for a 'book of poems', but the word 'jip' also means 'house', making the literal reading 'poem house'.
- The word 시가 combines the characters for 'poem' (詩) and 'song' (歌), reflecting the historical reality that poetry and music were often inseparable in traditional Korean culture.
- Because 시 is a Sino-Korean word derived from the Chinese character 詩, it is homophonous with many other common words, including 'time' (時) and 'city' (市).
Examples in context
- 시를 써 보고 싶어요I want to try writing a poem.
- 한국의 시조는 매우 아름다워Korean sijo is very beautiful.
- 시를 좋아해I like poems.
- 오늘 시짓기가 잘 안 돼I can't write poems well today.
- 이 시는 정말 아름다워요.i si-neun jeongmal areumdawoyo.This poem is truly beautiful.
- 그는 시를 쓰는 것을 좋아해요.geu-neun si-reul sseu-neun geot-eul joa-hae-yo.He likes writing poems.
- 어제 짧은 시를 한 편 썼어요.eo-je jjal-beun si-reul han pyeon sseot-eo-yo.I wrote a short poem yesterday.
Example conversation
Minjun and Seoyeon are at a bookstore.
- 민준 Min-jun서연 씨, 이 시집 봐요.Seoyeon ssi, i sijip bwayo.Seoyeon, look at this book of poems.
- 서연 Seo-yeon와, 여기 정말 예쁜 시가 많네요.wa, yeogi jeongmal yeppeun siga manne-yo.Wow, there are many beautiful poems here.
- 민준 Min-jun제가 제일 좋아하는 시예요.jega jeil joahaneun siyeyo.It is my favorite poem.
- 서연 Seo-yeon저도 한번 읽어볼게요.jeodo hanbeon ilgeobolgeyo.I will try reading it too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poem” translations and entries 시, 시가, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 시, 시가, CC BY-SA 4.0.
