Korean word

원금

Pronunciation

Romanizationwongeum

Meaning

  • nounprincipal

Example

원금을 늘리고 싶어요.won geu meul neul li go si peo yo

I want to increase my principal.

Illustration for 원금 (principal)

More examples

원금을 마련하려면 매달 조금씩 저축하세요.won geu meul ma ryeon ha ryeo myeon mae dal cho geum ssik cheo chu ka se yo

If you want to build up the principal, save a little each month.

Core concept

The starting pool of money in an investment or loan, before interest, gains, or losses change its value.

Common phrases

  • 원금을 마련하다won geu meul ma ryeon ha da

    raise the principal

  • 원금을 빼다won geu meul ppae da

    withdraw the principal

Similar words

이자ija: A payment tied to a set rate is made on borrowed money or earned from deposited money.
수익suik: A gain received from putting money into an investment.

Definition in Korean

투자나 대출에서 시작할 때 실제로 넣은 돈, 즉 원래의 투자금액을 가리키는 명사.tu ja na tae chu re seo si ja kal ttae sil je ro neo eun ton cheuk wol lae ui tu ja geu mae geul ka ri ki neun myeong sa

Word origin

It is a Sino-Korean compound built from elements meaning original and money, highlighting the money present at the start of a financial arrangement.

Usage tips

  • In English, principal can also mean a school leader, so the financial context matters when matching this Korean noun to English.

Word lists with this word