Korean word

눈동자

Pronunciation

Romanizationnunttongja

Meaning

  • nounpupil

Example

그녀의 눈동자에 눈물이 맺혔다.keu nyeo ui nun ttong ja e nun mu ri mae chyeot tta

Tears gathered in her eyes.

Illustration for 눈동자 (pupil)

More examples

그는 눈동자를 굴리며 대답했다.keu neun nun ttong ja reul kul li myeo tae da paet tta

He answered while rolling his eyes.

Core concept

The dark central part of the eye catches light and seems to shine.

Common phrases

  • 눈동자를 마주치다nun ttong ja reul ma ju chi da

    meet someone's gaze

  • 눈동자를 굴리다nun ttong ja reul kul li da

    roll one's eyes

Similar words

눈nun: The organ in the face that receives light and makes sight possible.
눈빛nunbit: A feeling or message shown silently through the eyes.
시선siseon: The direction of visual attention toward a person or thing.
눈알nunal: A casual name for the whole round eyeball.

Definition in Korean

눈의 가운데에 있어 빛을 받아 반짝이는 검은 부분과 그 주위를 가리키는 말nu nui ka un de e i sseo pi cheul pa da pan jja gi neun keo meun pu bun gwa keu chu wi reul ka ri ki neun mal

Word origin

It combines 눈 (nun, "eye") + 동자 (ttongja, "pupil"), a Sino-Korean term, to name the eye's central part.

Usage tips

  • English pupil can also mean a student, but this Korean noun refers to an eye part, so the surrounding context matters.

Word lists with this word