Korean word

세균

Pronunciation

Romanizationsegyun

Meaning

  • nounbacteria

Example

손에 세균이 묻어 있어요.so ne se gyu ni mu deo i sseo yo

There are bacteria on my hand.

Illustration for 세균 (bacteria)

More examples

세균 제거를 위해 손을 자주 씻으세요.se gyun che geo reul wi hae so neul cha ju ssi seu se yo

Wash your hands frequently to remove bacteria.

Core concept

Microscopic living cells that may become disease-causing agents and can sometimes be controlled by antibiotics or disinfection.

Common phrases

  • 세균 제거se gyun che geo

    bacteria removal

  • 세균 번식 억제se gyun peon sik eok jje

    suppression of bacterial growth

  • 세균 감염 예방se gyun ka myeom ye bang

    prevention of bacterial infection

Similar words

균kyun: A tiny germ people mention when talking about dirt, cleanliness, or getting sick.
바이러스paireoseu: A tiny infectious agent that enters living cells, makes copies, and spreads illness.
박테리아pakteria: A scientific term for tiny living organisms that can spoil food or cause food poisoning.

Definition in Korean

세포 구조를 가진 미생물로서 병원체가 되어 감염을 일으킬 수 있고 일부는 항생제로 치료하거나 소독으로 제거할 수 있는 존재se po ku jo reul ka jin mi saeng mul lo seo pyeong won che ga toe eo ka myeo meul i reu kil ssu it kko il bu neun hang saeng je ro chi ryo ha geo na so do geu ro che geo hal ssu in neun chon jae

Word origin

The word 세균 (segyun, "bacteria") uses the Sino-Korean elements 세 (se, "small") and 균 (gyun, "germ") to create a scientific name for tiny microbes.

Usage tips

  • A useful grammar point is that Korean can use this noun without a plural marker even when the meaning covers many microbes.

Opposites

  • 무균mugyunsterilitynoun

Related words

  • 항세균제hangsegyunjeantibacterial agentnoun
  • 세균성segyunseongbacterial naturenoun

Word lists with this word