눈송이
nunsong'i[ˈnu(ː)ns͈o̞ŋi]
The English word 'snowflake' translates to Korean as 눈송이 (nunsong'i). Wiktionary also lists 눈꽃 (nunkkot) and 설편 (seolpyeon).
Meaning: crystal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 눈송이 | nunsong'i | [ˈnu(ː)ns͈o̞ŋi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 눈꽃 | nunkkot | [ˈnu(ː)nk͈o̞t̚] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 설편 | seolpyeon | |
| 설화 | seolhwa | [sʰʌ̹ɾβwa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
What does it mean word for word?
눈송이 is a compound of 눈 (snow) and 송이 (a counter/unit for a single piece of something like a flower or a snowflake). 눈꽃 is a compound of 눈 (snow) and 꽃 (flower).
Which one should you use?
While 눈송이 refers to an individual snowflake, 눈꽃 is often used more poetically to describe snow that has accumulated on trees or branches, looking like flowers.
How do you pronounce it?
nunsong'i
Did you know?
- The word 눈 means both 'snow' and 'eye' in Korean. Only the context of the sentence tells you whether someone is talking about a snowflake or a part of the face.
- Korean has two different words spelled 설화 that sound identical. One refers to 'snow flowers' and the other refers to 'storytelling' or 'folk tales'.
- The counter 송이 used in 눈송이 is also used for bunches of grapes or individual blossoms. It suggests that a snowflake is viewed as a small, organic growth rather than just a flake of ice.
Examples in context
- 저는 어떤 눈송이도 아름답다고 생각해요.I think all snowflakes are beautiful.
- 어제 떨어진 눈꽃들은 정말 아름다웠어!The snowflakes that fell yesterday were really beautiful!
- 작은 눈송이들은 별 모양처럼 보여요.Small snowflakes look like stars.
- 하늘에서 예쁜 눈송이가 내려요.haneuleseo yeppeun nunsongiga naeryeoyo.Pretty snowflakes are falling from the sky.
- 손바닥 위의 눈송이가 금방 녹았어요.sonbadak wiui nunsongiga geumbang nogasseoyo.The snowflake on my palm melted quickly.
Example conversation
Dohyun and Minji are walking outside during a snowfall.
- 도현 Do-hyeon민지 씨, 저기 날아오는 눈송이 좀 봐요.Minji ssi, jeogi naraoneun nunsong-i jom bwayo.Minji, look at that snowflake flying over there.
- 민지 Min-ji와, 정말 크고 아름답네요!wa, jeongmal keugo areumdapneyo!Wow, it's really big and beautiful!
- 도현 Do-hyeon세상에 똑같은 눈송이는 하나도 없대요.sesange ttogateun nunsong-ineun hanado eopdaeyo.I heard there isn't a single identical snowflake in the world.
- 민지 Min-ji정말 신기한 이야기네요.jeongmal singihan iyagineyo.That is a really fascinating story.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snowflake” translations and entries 눈송이, 눈꽃, 설화, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 눈꽃, 눈송이, 설화, CC BY-SA 4.0.
