Key Facts
- Hangul: 눈; Revised Romanization: nun
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native
- Register: Neutral everyday word. Also means 'snow' with the same spelling.
Eye in Korean: What Does 눈 Mean?
눈 means eye, and the same word covers both eyes, since Korean rarely marks the plural. It is a neutral everyday word. The same spelling also means snow, and 눈치 (social awareness, tact) is built on it.
How Do You Pronounce 눈?
One syllable, nun, with the u of "moon" kept short. Snow is traditionally said with a longer vowel [nu:n], but most speakers today no longer make this difference, so rely on context.
Example Sentences with 눈
눈이 아파요.
Nuni apayo.
My eyes hurt.
아파요 means "hurts" and picks the body-part meaning. 이 marks the subject.
그 아이는 눈이 커요.
Geu aineun nuni keoyo.
That child has big eyes.
커요 is "is big". 그 아이는 makes the child the topic, and 눈이 커요 then says what is true of the child: the eyes are big.
눈을 감으세요.
Nuneul gameuseyo.
Please close your eyes.
A polite instruction. 감으세요 uses the honorific request form of the verb for closing.
Common Phrases with 눈
Three verb phrases cover opening, closing and eyesight.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 눈을 뜨다 | to open one's eyes |
| 눈을 감다 | to close one's eyes |
| 눈이 나쁘다 | to have poor eyesight |
The Mistake to Avoid
Mistake: hearing 눈 and fixing on only one meaning, eye or snow. For most speakers today the two are homophones.
Correction: listen for the verb. 눈이 와요 means snow is falling; 눈이 아파요 means the eyes hurt.
눈 Compared with Similar Words
Two neighbours share the sound or the root. The snow word has the same spelling, and 눈치 is built on 눈 but means tact.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 눈 | eye | This page's word |
| 눈 (snow) | snow | Same spelling; snow is traditionally pronounced with a long vowel [nu:n], but this distinction is fading, so rely on context. |
| 눈치 | social awareness | Built on 눈 but means tact/reading the room, not the eye. |
Where Does 눈 Come From?
눈 is a native Korean word with no hanja.
At an Optical Shop
A customer is trying on glasses. The staff member asks about vision, so 눈 clearly means eyes rather than snow.
Staff
안경을 쓰면 잘 보여요?
Angyeongeul sseumyeon jal boyeoyo?
Can you see well with the glasses on?
Customer
네, 잘 보여요.
Ne, jal boyeoyo.
Yes, I can see well.
Staff
눈은 편해요?
Nuneun pyeonhaeyo?
Do your eyes feel comfortable?
Customer
네, 눈도 편해요.
Ne, nundo pyeonhaeyo.
Yes, my eyes feel comfortable too.
안경을 쓰다 means to wear glasses. 잘 보여요 describes being able to see clearly in this situation, and 편해요 describes comfort. These are separate checks: a customer may see clearly but still feel uncomfortable. 눈도 adds “the eyes too”, carrying the conversation from vision to comfort.
What Do Common 눈 Expressions Really Mean?
눈이 나쁘다 usually means to have poor eyesight. The literal wording is “the eyes are bad”, but it does not criticise the appearance of someone’s eyes. 눈이 좋다 can describe good eyesight. In a conversation about glasses, these phrases concern vision; 눈이 아프다 instead reports pain.
눈이 높다 means to have high standards or be hard to please. Its literal image is “the eyes are high”. Friends might use it when someone rejects every suggested date or every item in a shop. It does not describe the position of the eyes on the face, and it can sound critical.
눈에 띄다 means to stand out or catch the eye. A bright coat in a crowd or a visible mistake on a page can both catch someone’s attention. 눈을 뜨다 and 눈을 감다, by contrast, describe opening and closing the eyes in their basic physical uses. Keep those movement verbs together: the usual verb for closing a door is not the usual choice for closing your eyes.
Where Will You Hear 눈?
At an eye clinic or an optical shop, 눈 is the everyday body word. 안과 means ophthalmology or an eye clinic, while 안경점 is an optical shop. A sign for 안과 points to medical eye care; a sign for 안경점 points to glasses and related products. The two places serve different purposes.
In a portrait or character description, 눈이 크다 means to have big eyes. Korean describes the body part directly, as the existing example does. The person is the topic and the eyes are the subject of the description. “Has” does not need a separate verb in that pattern.
In dramas, 눈을 감다 can appear literally when someone sleeps or as a figurative way to refer to dying. A quiet bedside scene may support the second reading, but an exercise instructor asking you to close your eyes is giving a physical instruction. The phrase alone does not establish the more serious meaning.
Words around the Eyes
| Korean | Meaning | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| 눈썹 | eyebrow | The hair above the eye. |
| 속눈썹 | eyelash | The hairs along the eyelid. |
| 눈꺼풀 | eyelid | The part that covers the eye when it closes. |
| 눈물 | tears | Used for crying or watering eyes. |
| 시력 | eyesight; visual acuity | A more precise word when discussing a vision test. |
The body vocabulary lesson places 눈 beside the other facial features. 눈물 is something the eyes produce, while 시력 names how well someone sees. Learning the two separately helps you distinguish a watering eye from poor vision.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 눈 need a plural ending to mean both eyes?
- Which phrase normally describes poor eyesight: 눈이 나쁘다 or 눈이 아프다?
- Does 눈이 높다 describe where the eyes sit on the face?
Show answers
- No. 눈 can mean one eye or both; context supplies the number.
- 눈이 나쁘다. 눈이 아프다 means the eyes hurt.
- No. It means someone has high standards or is hard to please.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "eye" in Korean?
Say 눈 (nun).
Does 눈 also mean snow?
Yes. The spelling is the same, and context decides.
How do you say "to close one's eyes"?
눈을 감다.
What does 눈치 mean?
It means social awareness. It is built on 눈 but is not about the eye.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: people body vocabulary groups 눈 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 눈 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- 눈치 has its own entry. See the page for nunchi.
- The neighbouring body word is on the page for face. See the page for face.