How to Say "Up" in Korean - How To Say Guide

위로

wiro[ɥiɾo̞]

The Korean word for "up" (as in moving away from the earth's surface) is 위로 (wiro).

위로 is used as an adverb to indicate movement in an upward direction, specifically towards the top or away from the ground.

Meaning: away from earth’s surface (adv)

What does it mean word for word?

The word is composed of 위, which means top or above and the particle 로, which means towards or to.

위로 is an adverb meaning "upward", whereas the single word 위 is a noun meaning "the top" or "above".

If you want to express moving "up from" a position rather than "up towards" a position, use the particle 에서 to form 위에서 instead of using 위로.

wiro

The word 위로 can also mean 'to comfort' or 'to console' someone, depending on its Sino-Korean roots. This is a homonym where the same spelling represents a completely different concept from physical direction.
The homonym 위로 meaning 'consolation' comes from the Sino-Korean characters 慰勞, which literally translate to 'comfort' and 'labor'.
Because the sound wiro is shared by both 'upward' and 'consolation', it is a popular choice for puns and wordplay in Korean songwriting and poetry.

오른쪽으로 위로 올라가세요.
Please go up to the right.
조금만 더 위로 올라가면 거기에 있습니다.
If you go up a bit more, it'll be there.
산 꼭대기로 올라갔어요.
I climbed to the top of the mountain.
하늘 위로 날아갔어요.
It flew up into the sky.
비행기가 하늘 위로 올라갔어요.
bihaenggiga haneul wiro ollagasseoyo.
The airplane went up into the sky.
풍선이 위로 두둥실 떠올라요.
pungseoni wiro dudungsil tteoolrayo.
The balloon is floating up.
연이 위로 높이 날고 있어요.
yeoni wiro nopi nalgogo isseoyo.
The kite is flying high up.

Minji and Dohyeon are at a park watching a drone.

민지 Min-ji

드론이 위로 올라가고 있어요.
deuroni wiro ollagago isseoyo.
The drone is going up.
도현 Do-hyeon

정말 높이 올라가네요!
jeongmal nopi ollagane-yo!
It's going really high up!
민지 Min-ji

도현 씨, 저걸 보세요.
Dohyeon ssi, jeogeol boseyo.
Dohyeon, look at that.
도현 Do-hyeon

네, 정말 멋지네요.
ne, jeongmal meotjinneyo.
Yes, it's really cool.

Sources

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