눈
nun[nun]
The English word "snow" is 눈 (nun) in Korean.
눈 refers to the crystalline state of water falling from the atmosphere as precipitation, the falling of these flakes or the accumulation of them as a white layer on the ground.
Meaning: partly frozen, crystalline state of water that falls from the atmosphere as precipitation in flakes, falling of such flakes, accumulation of them as a white layer (noun)
Which one should you use?
To describe the act of snowing, you can use two different phrases. 눈이 오다 literally means "snow comes" and is the most common way to say it is snowing. In contrast, 눈이 내리다 means "snow falls" or "descends" and is often used to describe a more poetic or heavy, steady snowfall.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 눈 as the subject of a sentence, such as when describing snow falling, you add the subject marker 이 to form 눈이.
How do you pronounce it?
nun
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be aware that 눈 is a homonym. It is the same word used for both "snow" and "eye".
Did you know?
- In Korean culture, the first snowfall of the year is often viewed as a romantic omen. It is a popular tradition for couples to spend the first snowfall together to ensure their relationship lasts.
- Although 눈 means both 'snow' and 'eye' today, they were pronounced differently in Middle Korean. 'Snow' had a high tone while 'eye' had a rising-falling tone.
- When snow is very powdery and light, Koreans use the term 함박눈. This refers to large, fluffy flakes that resemble a bowl of rice or a full blossom.
Examples in context
- 난 눈이 정말 좋아.I really like snow.This sentence shows how to express a personal liking for 눈.Tatoeba #4952535 by rainbow4us, translation #5099505 by chris3spice
- 작년에 눈이 엄청 내렸어.Last year there was a lot of snow.This sentence uses 눈 to describe a large amount of snowfall from a previous year.Tatoeba #4748098 by kimhkng, translation #2965317 by Dejo
- 눈인 것 같은데, 안 그래?It looks like snow, doesn't it?This sentence is useful for confirming if the white flakes appearing are indeed 눈.Tatoeba #11106242 by intertime, translation #272563 by CK
- 오늘은 눈이 많이 왔어요.Today, it snowed a lot.
- 처음으로 눈을 본 아이의 표정이 너무 귀엽습니다.The expression on a child's face when they see snow for the first time is so adorable.
- 지난 주에 서울에서 눈축제가 열렸어요.Last week, a snow festival was held in Seoul.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Hyunwoo are looking out the window.
- 서연 Seo-yeon와, 밖에 눈 온다!wa, bakke nun onda!Wow, it's snowing outside!
- 현우 Hyeon-woo진짜네! 눈이 정말 많이 와.jinjjane! nuni jeongmal mani wa.You're right! It's snowing a lot.
- 서연 Seo-yeon우리 같이 눈사람 만들까?uri gachi nunsaram mandeulkka?Shall we make a snowman together?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo좋아, 얼른 나가자.joa, eolleun nagaja.Okay, let's go out quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snow” translations and entries 눈, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 눈, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
