수영하다
suyeonghada[sʰujʌ̹ŋɦa̠da̠]
To swim in Korean is to say 수영하다 (suyeonghada) or 헤엄치다.
Meaning: move through water (verb)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 수영하다 | suyeonghada | [sʰujʌ̹ŋɦa̠da̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 헤엄치다 | heeomchida | [he̞ʌ̹mt͡ɕʰida̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
Both words mean to swim, but they are used in different contexts depending on whether you are discussing an organized activity or the physical movement of moving through water.
What does it mean word for word?
The noun form of the verb 수영하다 is 수영, which literally means 'swimming'.
Which one should you use?
수영하다 is typically used when referring to swimming as a sport, a hobby or a structured activity. In contrast, 헤엄치다 describes the physical motion of moving through water and is often used for animals or the basic act of swimming.
How does it change in a sentence?
In natural conversation, the verb 수영하다 is often broken down into the noun 수영 plus the object marker 을 and the verb 하다 (to do), forming the phrase 수영을 하다.
How do you pronounce it?
suyeonghada
Did you know?
- The verb 헤엄치다 uses the auxiliary verb 치다, which is most commonly understood as 'to hit' or 'to strike', giving the motion a sense of powerful, rhythmic striking through the water.
- Using 헤엄치다 for a person in a swimming pool might sound slightly poetic or as if you are describing their literal limb movements like an animal.
- The term 헤엄 is a native Korean word, unlike the Sino-Korean-derived 수영.
Examples in context
- 선생님, 수영을 잘 하시나요?Teacher, do you swim well?
- 오늘 수영장에서 헤엄칠까?Shall we swim at the pool today?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “swim” translations and entries 수영하다, 헤엄치다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 수영하다, 헤엄치다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
