소리
sori[sʰo̞ɾi]
The English word 'sound' is translated into Korean as 소리 (sori). Wiktionary also lists 음.
Meaning: sensation perceived by the ear (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 소리 | sori | [sʰo̞ɾi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 음 | [ɯm] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | hangeul |
소리 refers to a sensation perceived by the ear. If you want to say 'to cause to produce a sound', you can use the verb phrase 소리를 내다. For more specific types of sounds, you might use 소음 for 'noise' or 속삭임 for 'whisper'.
Which one should you use?
While 소리 is the general word for any sound, 음 is often used to refer to a musical tone or a specific phonetic sound.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
sori
Did you know?
- In modern slang, the phrase 소리 하지 마 literally means 'do not make a sound', but it is used to tell someone 'stop talking nonsense'.
- Because 음 is a homonym, it can also refer to the 'female principle' or 'yin' when written as 陰, creating a completely different meaning based on context.
- The word 소리 is used in the name of 판소리, a traditional Korean genre of musical storytelling where a singer and a drummer perform long narratives.
Examples in context
- 우리는 어떤 소리를 들었다.We heard a sound.This sentence is useful for describing hearing a sound.Tatoeba #11104677 by intertime, translation #11104063 by doemaar14
- 나는 이상한 소리를 들었다.I heard an unusual sound.This sentence is useful for describing hearing an unusual sound.Tatoeba #11104904 by intertime, translation #321714 by CK
- 난 네 발걸음 소리를 알아챘다.I recognized the sound of your footsteps.This sentence is useful for describing recognizing the sound of footsteps.Tatoeba #13755245 by qlTmalffk, translation #9122022 by CK
- 저기서 소리가 들려요.I can hear a sound from over there.
- 너무 소음이 심해서 집중이 안 돼요.The noise is too loud, I can't concentrate.
- 도심은 항상 시끄러움이 가득하다.The city center is always full of noise.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Subin and Hyunwoo are in a quiet room listening to music.
- 수빈 Su-bin현우 씨, 이 소리 들려요?Hyunwoo ssi, i sori deullyeoyo?Hyunwoo, do you hear this sound?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 아주 잘 들려요.Ne, aju jal deullyeoyo.Yes, I can hear it very well.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말 아름다운 소리네요.Jeongmal areumdaun sorineyo.It is a truly beautiful sound.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo수빈 씨도 그렇게 생각해요?Subin ssi-do geureoke saenggakhaeyo?Do you think so too, Subin?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sound” translations and entries 소리, 음, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 소리, 음, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
