Key Facts
- Hangul: 위; Revised Romanization: wi
- Part of speech: noun (location word)
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: neutral; as a place noun it takes 에 for location
Above in Korean: What Does 위 Mean?
위 is a location noun with three glosses: "above", "on / top" and "up". It is neutral and common in both speech and writing. Because it is a place noun rather than a preposition, it takes the particle 에 for "at" or "on": 위에. When an action happens up there, 에서 replaces 에, as the bridge example shows.
How Do You Pronounce It?
One syllable, wi. Start with a quick w glide and land on the vowel i, like the beginning of "we" said briefly.
Example Sentences with 위
책이 책상 위에 있어요.
Chaegi chaeksang wie isseoyo.
The book is on the desk.
위에 marks the book as resting on the desk. English needs "on" here, but Korean uses the same word that can also mean "above".
다리 위에서 사진을 찍었어요.
Dari wieseo sajineul jjigeosseoyo.
I took a photo on the bridge.
Why 위에서 and not 위에? Taking a photo is an action, so the place is marked with 에서. The bridge is the setting of that action.
위층에 사무실이 있어요.
Wicheunge samusiri isseoyo.
The office is upstairs.
In 위층, 위 joins 층 (floor) to make "upper floor". The sentence says the office is upstairs without naming a floor number.
Common Phrases and Collocations
위에 is the workhorse for "above" and "on top of". 위층 names an upper floor, and 위로 올라가다 describes movement upward, with 올라가다 supplying the "go up" part.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 위에 | above / on top of |
| 위층 | upper floor |
| 위로 올라가다 | to go up |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners treat 위 as only "above" and look for a separate word for "on".
Wrong: assuming 책상 위에 있어요 can only mean the thing is above the desk, not on it.
Correct: 책상 위에 있어요 covers both "on the desk" and "above the desk". Korean does not separate a book touching the desk from a lamp hanging over it unless you add detail.
위 Compared with 아래 and 윗
The pair to learn together is 위 and 아래. A related form, 윗, is a prefix and not a standalone word.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 위 | above | This page's word |
| 아래 | below | 아래 is the opposite. |
| 윗 | upper (prefix) | 윗 is a prefix form, as in 윗사람 'a superior'. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
위 is a native Korean word, so it has no hanja. In compounds it sometimes appears as 윗, as in 윗사람.
Finding a Book at Home
Two housemates are looking for a book. One names a location, then gives a direction when the other starts searching lower down.
Alex
책이 어디에 있어요?
Chaegi eodie isseoyo?
Where is the book?
Mina
책상 위에 있어요.
Chaeksang wie isseoyo.
It’s on the desk.
Alex
책상 아래요?
Chaeksang araeyo?
Under the desk?
Mina
아니요. 위를 보세요.
Aniyo. Wireul boseyo.
No. Look up.
위에 names the book’s location. 위를 uses the object marker 를 because 위 is what the listener should look toward. The marker changes with the job the location word does in the sentence.
Building a Position Phrase
Start with the reference object, then add 위 and the appropriate particle. 책상 위에 puts the desk first and “on top” second. This order is the reverse of English “on the desk”. Leave a space between 책상 and 위에; the particle 에 attaches directly to 위.
위에 is useful with 있다 for where something is. 위에서 marks the place where an action occurs, as in the existing bridge-photo example. 위로 gives an upward direction. The word 위 keeps its core spatial meaning, while the particle shows whether you mean a location, an action’s setting or movement.
A book resting on a desk and a light hanging over it can both be described with 위. For the light, 천장, “ceiling”, or a verb describing hanging can clarify the arrangement. 위 alone does not specify contact, distance or how the object is supported.
Signs, Pages and Everyday Expressions
위층 is the upper floor or upstairs, useful when someone directs you through a building. 위로 올라가다 means “go up”; the direction word and the verb reinforce each other. This is a normal literal combination rather than a special idiom.
위에서 아래로 means “from top to bottom”. You may hear it when someone explains the order for reading a list or moving through a diagram. The phrase describes an order or direction, without naming a floor or a physical object overhead.
위의 사진 means “the photo above”. In a written explanation, 위 can refer to an earlier position on the page. The photo need not be hanging above the reader. This page-layout use helps you follow captions, instructions and references in online text.
윗사람 literally points to a person “above”, but commonly means a superior or someone senior. The relationship concerns rank or seniority. A person standing on a higher step is not automatically a 윗사람 in this social sense.
Nearby Position Words
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 아래 | below / under | The downward counterpart to 위. |
| 앞 | front | Describes the front side rather than height. |
| 뒤 | back / behind | Points behind a reference object. |
| 옆 | side / beside | Describes a position next to something. |
The directions and position lesson teaches these as a set, with the reference object placed first.
Quick Self-Test
- Which comes first in 책상 위에: the reference object or the position?
- Which particle fits an action happening on a bridge: 에 or 에서?
- Does 위의 사진 always mean a photo physically overhead?
Show answers
- The reference object, 책상.
- 에서: 다리 위에서.
- No. It can refer to a photo above in a document.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "above" in Korean?
Say 위 (wi) after the reference noun, usually with 에: 책상 위에 means above or on the desk. Use 위에서 when an action happens there, as in 다리 위에서 사진을 찍었어요.
Does 위 also mean "on"?
Yes. 책이 책상 위에 있어요 means the book is on the desk. 위 covers both English words, and the context, such as a book versus a lamp, tells you whether it is touching.
What is the opposite of 위?
아래 is the opposite, meaning below. The two pair in compounds too: 위층 is upstairs, and the matching word for downstairs uses 아래.
What does 윗 mean?
윗 is a prefix form of 위, meaning upper, as in 윗사람, a superior or elder. It is not used on its own; for a position, say 위.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Directions and position words groups 위 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 위 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in the list is the word for direction. See the page for direction.
- Compare with the page for below.