Key Facts
- Hangul: 손가락; Revised Romanization: songarak
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native
- Register: Neutral everyday word. Compound of 손 (hand) + 가락 (strand/stick-like part).
Finger in Korean: What Does 손가락 Mean?
손가락 has one sense, a finger. The compound roughly pictures the thin parts that branch from the hand. The thumb has its own longer name, 엄지손가락, and the toe is built the same way, 발가락.
How Do You Pronounce 손가락?
Three syllables, with a sound change the spelling hides: the standard pronunciation is [손까락], with a tight kk in the middle, even though the romanization songarak does not show it. 발가락 is tensed the same way. The final ㄱ is unreleased. Before the vowel of 이 it links into the next syllable: 손가락이 sounds like [손까라기]. The Korean-English Learners’ Dictionary gives both pronunciations.
Example Sentences with 손가락
손가락이 아파요.
Songaragi apayo.
My finger hurts.
아파요 is "hurts". The final ㄱ moves into the subject marker 이, giving -ragi.
손가락이 열 개 있어요.
Songaragi yeol gae isseoyo.
I have ten fingers.
열 is the native ten, and 개 counts the items. 있어요 says "have".
그 아이는 손가락이 길어요.
Geu aineun songaragi gireoyo.
That child has long fingers.
길어요 means long, and 그 아이는 sets the child as the topic.
Common Phrases with 손가락
Three partners cover injury, thumb and pointing.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 손가락을 다치다 | to injure one's finger |
| 엄지손가락 | thumb |
| 손가락으로 가리키다 | to point with a finger |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: dropping 손 and saying 가락 alone.
Right: always say the full word 손가락. On its own, 가락 means something else, such as a tune or a strand.
손가락 Compared with Similar Words
Two neighbours show the pattern. 발가락 is the toe, built the same way from 발, and 손 is the whole hand.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 손가락 | finger | This page's word |
| 발가락 | toe | 발가락 is the toe, built the same way from 발 (foot). |
| 손 | hand | 손 is the whole hand; 손가락 is just a finger. |
Where Does 손가락 Come From?
손가락 is a native compound with no hanja: 손 (hand) plus 가락.
At the Clinic: Which Finger Hurts?
A patient has hurt a finger and shows the doctor the sore area. Naming the particular finger helps the doctor understand the location.
Doctor
어느 손가락이 아파요?
Eoneu songaragi apayo?
Which finger hurts?
Patient
오른손 엄지손가락이 아파요.
Oreunson eomjisongaragi apayo.
The thumb on my right hand hurts.
Doctor
손가락을 움직여 보세요.
Songarageul umjigyeo boseyo.
Try moving your finger.
Patient
움직이면 아파요.
Umjigimyeon apayo.
It hurts when I move it.
오른손 means right hand; 왼손 means left hand. The patient gives the hand first and then the finger, moving from the larger area to the precise location. 엄지손가락 identifies the thumb, which is included among the five 손가락 on a hand.
움직여 보세요 asks the patient to try a movement. The last answer describes when the pain occurs, rather than naming an injury. Neither 아파요 nor 손가락 by itself says that a bone is broken.
Which Finger Do You Mean?
Korean has a name for each of the five fingers. Some names describe position or size, while 검지 and 약지 are compact terms you will also see in writing. Learning the set helps with rings, gloves, fingerprints and instructions about pressing a button.
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 엄지손가락 | thumb | Often shortened to 엄지 when the hand is clear. |
| 검지 | index finger | The finger beside the thumb; also called 집게손가락. |
| 중지 | middle finger | The central finger of the hand. |
| 약지 | ring finger | The finger between the middle and little fingers. |
| 새끼손가락 | little finger | The smallest finger, often used for a pinky promise. |
| 손톱 | fingernail | Names the nail rather than the whole finger. |
The body vocabulary lesson connects these names with 손, the hand, and 손목, the wrist. For a clinic visit, pointing and naming the hand can still make your meaning clear if you cannot remember the specific finger name.
Phrases about Counting, Promises and Criticism
손가락으로 세다 literally means “count with your fingers”. 으로 marks the means used for counting. This differs from 손가락이 열 개 있어요, where the fingers themselves are what you count. 손가락 can refer to one or several fingers without changing its ending; a number or the situation gives the quantity.
손가락을 걸다 means to hook fingers together. Between friends, linking little fingers can seal a promise, like an English pinky promise. The phrase describes the gesture, and the conversation supplies what is being promised. It does not mean putting a ring on someone's finger.
손가락질하다 means to point a finger, and it also means to blame or criticize someone. In a story about someone's reputation, the pointing may be figurative: people are condemning the person, rather than physically pointing across a room. For a neutral direction such as showing where an exit is, 손가락으로 가리키다 clearly describes pointing with a finger.
Where Will You Hear 손가락?
At a clinic, 손가락을 다치다 describes injuring a finger without specifying how. 손가락이 아파요 describes pain. The two are related, but pain alone does not explain whether there was an accident. Give the specific event separately if you know it.
In instructions, 손가락으로 누르다 means to press with a finger. You may meet it when using a touchscreen or following a demonstration. 손가락을 펴다 means to straighten or spread the fingers; 손을 펴다 refers more broadly to opening the hand. Watch which body part the instruction names.
At a jewellery shop, 손가락에 반지를 끼다 means to put a ring on a finger. 에 marks where the ring goes. The same noun therefore takes different particles for different roles: 이 for the finger that hurts, 을 for the finger being moved, and 에 for the place where a ring sits.
손가락 is neutral in all these situations. A doctor can use it politely without replacing the noun with an honorific body-part word; the sentence ending supplies the polite tone.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 손가락 include the thumb?
- Which word names the nail: 손가락 or 손톱?
- In 손가락으로 세다, are you counting fingers or using them to count?
Show answers
- Yes. The thumb is 엄지손가락, one of the five fingers on a hand.
- 손톱 is the fingernail.
- You are using your fingers to count; 으로 marks the means.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "finger" in Korean?
Say 손가락 (songarak).
What is the toe?
발가락.
How do you say "thumb"?
엄지손가락.
Can you say 가락 alone for finger?
No. 가락 alone means something else.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: people body vocabulary groups 손가락 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 손가락 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- The root word is on the page for hand. See the page for hand.
- The toe pattern is on the page for foot. See the page for foot.