눈물
nunmul[nunmuɭ]
The English word "tears" is translated into Korean as 눈물 (nunmul).
눈물 is the most general and commonly used term for the salty liquid that flows from the eyes. To express the action of crying or shedding tears, it is often used in the collocation 눈물을 흘리다.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing that something is filled with tears, the particle 로 is added to the word to form 눈물로, which indicates the substance or means. For example, in the phrase 눈물로 가득하다, the particle indicates that the eyes are filled with the substance of tears.
How do you pronounce it?
nunmul
Did you know?
- The word for 'eye' in the compound 눈물 is also the exact same word for 'snow' in Korean.
- To describe someone who has experienced great hardship or poverty, Koreans often use the metaphorical phrase 눈물 젖은 빵, which means 'tear-soaked bread'.
- Traditional Korean poetry often pairs 눈물 with the moon or dew to evoke 'han', a culturally specific feeling of deep-seated sorrow and resentment.
Examples in context
- 그의 눈이 눈물로 가득했다.Her eyes were filled with tears.This sentence is useful for describing eyes that were filled with 눈물.Tatoeba #10576552 by ssuss32, translation #309826 by CK
- 그의 눈이 눈물로 가득하다.His eyes are brimming with tears.This sentence is useful for describing eyes that are currently brimming with 눈물.Tatoeba #10607097 by ssuss32, translation #7610530 by _undertoad
- 그녀의 눈이 눈물로 가득했다.Tears filled her eyes.This sentence is useful for describing how 눈물 filled her eyes.Tatoeba #10576551 by ssuss32, translation #325986 by CS
- 전화로 눈물을 흘리다To shed tears on the phone
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jihoon is comforting Subin after she watched a sad movie.
- 지훈 Ji-hun수빈 씨, 눈물 흘리지 마요.Subin ssi, nunmul heulliji mayo.Subin, please don't shed tears.
- 수빈 Su-bin영화가 너무 슬퍼서 눈물이 나요.Yeonghwaga neomu seulpeoseo nunmuri nayo.The movie is so sad that tears are coming out.
- 지훈 Ji-hun눈물 닦을 휴지 여기 있어요.Nunmul dakeul hyuji yeogi isseoyo.Here is some tissue to wipe your tears.
- 수빈 Su-bin고마워요, 지훈 씨.Gomawoyo, Jihoon ssi.Thank you, Jihoon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 눈물, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
