우

See also: -우-, -우, and ㉾

우 U C6B0, 우 HANGUL SYLLABLE U Composition: ㅇ ㅜ ← 욯 [U C6AF] Hangul Syllables 욱 → [U C6B1]

우욱욲욳운욵욶 욷울욹욺욻욼욽 욾욿움웁웂웃웄 웅웆웇웈웉웊웋
요 ←	→ 워

Jeju

Etymology

From Middle Korean 웋 (wùh), from Old Korean 上只 (*WUk). Cognate with Korean 위 (wi).

Pronunciation

• (Morphophonemic) IPA^(key): ⫽u⫽
• (Jeju City) IPA^(key): [u]
• Phonetic hangul: [우]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	u
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	u
Yale Romanization?	wu

Noun

우 (u)

1. above, upper, upside, top

   Antonym: 알레 (alle)

   우ᄁᆞ장 ― u-kkawjang ― to the top

   우로 ― u-ro ― toward the top

   우부떠 ― u-butteo ― from the top

   우의 ― u-ui ― on the top

   고넹이를 의ᄌᆞ 우이서 봔.

   Goneng'i-reul uijaw u-iseo bwan.

   I saw the cat on top of the chair.

   • 2011 January 18, 양전형 [yangjeonhyeong], “곱음재기 허멍 놈의 집 눌덜 다 멜라불곡 담 헤싸블곡 (2011년1월15일자) [gobeumjaegi heomeong nomui jip nuldeol da mellabulgok dam hessabeulgok (2011nyeon1wol15ilja)]”, in 제주어보전회 [jejueobojeonhoe, Jeju Preservation Society]‎^[1]:

     바지는 너믜 컨 튿어그네 잘 줄여 입곡, 우의 옷은 커도 그냥 걸쳐 입언 뎅겻주기.

     Baji-neun neomui keon teudeogeune jal juryeo ipgok, u-ui os-eun keodo geunyang geolcheo ibeon denggyeotjugi.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2017, 양창용 [yangchang'yong, Yang Changyong], 윌리암 오그레디 [william ogeuredi, William O'Grady], 양세종 [yangsejong, Yang Sejung], 제주어 1 [jejueo 1, Jeju 1], 퍼플 [peopeul], →ISBN, page 36:

     돔베, 어듸 잇우과? — 살레 우틔 싯저.

     Dombe, eodui isugwa? — Salle u-tui sitjeo.

     The cutting board, where is it? — It's above the cupboard.

   • 2020, Changyong Yang, Sejung Yang, William O'Grady, Jejueo : the language of Korea’s Jeju Island, Honolulu, USA: University of Hawai‘i Press, →DOI, →ISBN, →JSTOR, page 260:

     만수가 ᄀᆞ세 ᄎᆞᆽ(이)쿠데, 벡장 우의 보렌 헷저.

     Mansu-ga gawse chawt(i)kude, bekjang u-ui boren hetjeo.

     Since Mansu was looking for the scissors, I told (him) to look at the top of the closet.

Derived terms

• 우착 (uchak)

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Korean 웋 (wùh), from Old Korean 上只 (*WUk).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [u]
• Phonetic hangul: [우]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	u
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	u
McCune–Reischauer?	u
Yale Romanization?	wu

Noun

South Korean Standard Language	위 (wi)
North Korean Standard Language	우 (u)

우 • (u)

1. Alternative form of 위 (wi, “top, above”).
   • 2004 October 10, “구름우에 솟은 《왕》들의 집13개의 분교 [The House of "Kings", Soaring Above the Clouds]”, in KCNA‎^[2], archived from the original on 23 June 2009:

     이곳에서 내려다보면 마치 구름 우에 분교와 마을이 둥둥 떠있는 것만 같다.

     Igos-eseo naeryeodabomyeon machi gureum u-e bun'gyo-wa ma'eur-i dungdung tteo-inneun geon-man gatda.

     Looking down from here, it looks just like the schoolhouse and the village are floating on top of the clouds.

Usage notes

• This form is considered standard in North Korea and dialectal in South Korea, despite being common in South Korean dialects as well. The opposite is true for 위 (wi).

Etymology 2

Sino-Korean word from 右 (“right-side”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [u(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul: [우(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	u
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	u
McCune–Reischauer?	u
Yale Romanization?	wū

Noun

우 • (u)

1. (formal) right side

   Synonyms: 우측(右側) (ucheuk), 오른쪽 (oreunjjok)

   Antonym: 좌(左) (jwa, “left side”)

2. (politics) right wing

   Synonyms: 우파(右派) (upa), 우익(右翼) (u'ik)

   Antonym: 좌(左) (jwa, “political left”)

Usage notes

• Commonly written in hanja in news headlines, even in contemporary text otherwise devoid of Chinese characters.

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 右 for Sino-Korean compounds of 우 (右, u).

Etymology 3

Sino-Korean word from 愚 (“foolish”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [u]
• Phonetic hangul: [우]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	u
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	u
McCune–Reischauer?	u
Yale Romanization?	wu

Noun

우 • (u) (hanja 愚)

1. foolish mistake

   우를 범하고 말았습니다. ― U-reul beom-hago maratseumnida. ― I ended up committing a foolish error.

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 愚 for Sino-Korean compounds of 우 (愚, u).

Etymology 4

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [u]
• Phonetic hangul: [우]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	u
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	u
McCune–Reischauer?	u
Yale Romanization?	wu

Ideophone

우 • (u)

1. Conveys forceful collective movement, e.g. of crowds or gusts.

   분노한 시위대들이 대통령궁으로 우 몰려들었다.

   Bunno-han siwidae-deur-i daetongnyeonggung-euro u mollyeo-deureotda.

   The outraged protesters stormed into the presidential palace.

Derived terms

• 우우 (uu)

 

Etymology 5

Sino-Korean word from 優 (“excellent”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [u]
• Phonetic hangul: [우]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	u
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	u
McCune–Reischauer?	u
Yale Romanization?	wu

Noun

우 • (u) (hanja 優)

1. The second-highest score in the five-point grading system in South Korean schools, ultimately abolished in 2012; equivalent to B in the Roman alphabet grading scheme.

   Coordinate terms: 수(秀) (su), 미(美) (mi), 양(良) (yang), 가(可) (ga)

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 優 for Sino-Korean compounds of 우 (優, u).

Etymology 6

Sino-Korean word from 又.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [u(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul: [우(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	u
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	u
McCune–Reischauer?	u
Yale Romanization?	wū

Noun

우 • (u) (hanja 又)

1. (archaic Literary Chinese-style Korean) or; and

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 又 for Sino-Korean compounds of 우 (又, u).

Etymology 7

Sino-Korean word from 羽 (“fifth note in the pentatonic scale”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [u(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul: [우(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	u
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	u
McCune–Reischauer?	u
Yale Romanization?	wū

Noun

우 • (u) (hanja 羽)

1. (music) the fifth note in the pentatonic scale of East Asian classical music, equivalent to la

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 羽 for Sino-Korean compounds of 우 (羽, u).

Etymology 8

Modern Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

우 • (u)

More information

1. 宇: residence

   (eumhun reading: 집 우 (jip u))
   (MC reading: 宇 (MC hjuX))

2. 雨: rain

   (eumhun reading: 비 우 (bi u))
   (MC reading: 雨 (MC hjuX|hjuH))

3. 遇: meet

   (eumhun reading: 만날 우 (mannal u))
   (MC reading: 遇 (MC ngjuH))

4. 優: sufficient

   (eumhun reading: 넉넉할 우 (neongneok-hal u))
   (MC reading: 優 (MC 'juw))

5. 友: friend

   (eumhun reading: 벗 우 (beot u))
   (MC reading: 友 (MC hjuwX))

6. 禹: an ancient king

   (eumhun reading: 임금 우 (imgeum u))
   (MC reading: 禹 (MC hjuX))

7. 牛: cattle

   (eumhun reading: 소 우 (so u))
   (MC reading: 牛 (MC ngjuw))

8. 右: right

   (eumhun reading: 오른 우 (oreun u))
   (MC reading: 右 (MC hjuwX|hjuwH))

9. 郵: post

   (eumhun reading: 우편 우 (upyeon u))
   (MC reading: 郵 (MC hjuw))

10. 又: again

    (eumhun reading: 또 우 (tto u))
    (MC reading: 又 (MC hjuwH))

11. 祐: fortune

    (eumhun reading: 복 우 (bok u))
    (MC reading: 祐 (MC hjuwH))

12. 憂: anxiety

    (eumhun reading: 근심 우 (geunsim u))
    (MC reading: 憂 (MC 'juw))

13. 佑: to help

    (eumhun reading: 도울 우 (doul u))
    (MC reading: 佑 (MC hjuwH))

14. 愚: foolish

    (eumhun reading: 어리석을 우 (eoriseogeul u))
    (MC reading: 愚 (MC ngju))

15. 偶: pair

    (eumhun reading: 짝 우 (jjak u))
    (MC reading: 偶 (MC nguwX|nguwH))

16. 于: Literary Chinese particle

    (eumhun reading: 어조사 우 (eojosa u))
    (MC reading: 于 (MC hju))

17. 羽: wing

    (eumhun reading: 날개 우 (nalgae u))
    (MC reading: 羽 (MC hjuX|hjuH))

18. 寓:

    (MC reading: 寓 (MC ngjuH))

19. 隅:

    (MC reading: 隅 (MC ngju))

20. 虞:

    (MC reading: 虞 (MC ngju))

21. 尤:

    (MC reading: 尤 (MC hjuw))

22. 迂:

    (MC reading: 迂 (MC hju|'ju|'juX))

23. 禑:

    (MC reading: 禑)

24. 盂:

    (MC reading: 盂 (MC hju))

25. 雩:

    (MC reading: 雩 (MC hju|xju))

26. 芋:

    (MC reading: 芋 (MC hju|hjuH))

27. 旴:

    (MC reading: 旴 (MC xju))

28. 玗:

    (MC reading: 玗 (MC hju))

29. 瑀:

    (MC reading: 瑀 (MC hjuX))

30. 紆:

    (MC reading: 紆 (MC 'ju))

31. 藕:

    (MC reading: 藕 (MC nguwX))

32. 釪:

    (MC reading: 釪 (MC hju))

33. 亏:

    (MC reading: 亏)

34. 亴:

    (MC reading: 亴)

35. 俁:

    (MC reading: 俁 (MC ngjuX))

36. 偊:

    (MC reading: 偊)

37. 吁:

    (MC reading: 吁 (MC xju|hjuH))

38. 堣:

    (MC reading: 堣 (MC ngju))

39. 嵎:

    (MC reading: 嵎 (MC ngju))

40. 庽:

    (MC reading: 庽 (MC ngjuH))

41. 杅:

    (MC reading: 杅 (MC hju))

42. 疣:

    (MC reading: 疣 (MC hjuw))

43. 盱:

    (MC reading: 盱 (MC xju))

44. 竽:

    (MC reading: 竽 (MC hju))

45. 耦:

    (MC reading: 耦 (MC nguwX))