Korean word

눈물

Pronunciation

Romanizationnunmul

Meaning

  • nountear

Example

그 사진을 보고 눈물이 났다.keu sa ji neul po go nun mu ri nat tta

When I saw that photo, tears came to my eyes.

Illustration for 눈물 (tear)

More examples

영화를 보고 눈물을 흘렸다.yeong hwa reul po go nun mu reul heul lyeot tta

After watching the movie, I shed tears.

Core concept

Clear liquid spilling from the eye as a visible sign of strong feeling or physical irritation.

Common phrases

  • 눈물을 흘리다nun mu reul heul li da

    shed tears

  • 눈물을 닦다nun mu reul tak tta

    wipe away tears

  • 눈물이 고이다nun mu ri ko i da

    tears well up

  • 눈물을 삼키다nun mu reul sam ki da

    hold back tears

Similar words

울음ureum: The act or sound of crying, including a baby's wail or an animal's cry.
슬픔seulpeum: The unhappy feeling that can follow loss, failure, or other painful events.

Definition in Korean

눈에서 나오는 투명한 액체로, 감정이나 자극으로 인해 눈 밖으로 흘러나오는 것nu ne seo na o neun tu myeong han aek che ro kam jeong i na cha geu geu ro in hae nun pa kkeu ro heul leo na o neun keot

Word origin

The word is formed from the Korean words for eye and water, making its basic meaning easy to picture.

Usage tips

  • This word names the liquid itself rather than the whole act of crying, which helps describe what appears in the eyes without describing the person's entire action.

Related words

  • 눈물샘nunmulsaemlacrimal glandnoun
  • 눈물방울nunmulbangulteardropnoun
  • 눈물자국nunmuljaguktearstainnoun

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