수

See also: 㐃

수 U+C218, 수 HANGUL SYLLABLE SU Composition: ㅅ + ㅜ ← 숗 [U+C217] Hangul Syllables 숙 → [U+C219]

수숙숚숛순숝숞 숟술숡숢숣숤숥 숦숧숨숩숪숫숬 숭숮숯숰숱숲숳
쇼 ←	→ 숴

Korean

Etymology 1

Sino-Korean word from 手 (“hand, way”), from the Middle Korean reading 슈〮 (Yale: syú). However, the dependent noun is usually not written in hanja.

The word somewhat displaced the native dependent noun 줄 (jul, “fact, ability”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰu]

  • Audio:

    (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [수]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	su
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	su
McCune–Reischauer?	su
Yale Romanization?	swu

Dependent noun

수 • (su) (usually no hanja; sometimes 手)

1. (after verbal or adjectival adnominals) way, means, possibility, ability; used to express ability, in constructions equivalent to the English modal "can"

   그러는 수밖에 없겠네.

   Geureoneun subakke eopgenne.

   I suppose that's all you can do.

   (literally, “[I suppose] there is no way but to do that.”)

   움직일 수가 없다.

   Umjigil su-ga eopda.

   I can't move.

   (literally, “I lack the ability to move.”)

   중국을 갔을 수도 있어요.

   Junggug-eul gasseul su-do isseo-yo.

   He might have gone to China as well.

   (literally, “There is also the possibility that he went to China.”)

Usage notes

• Some speakers mistakenly believe that the element 수 (su) in the suffix 을수록 (eulsurok, “the more...”) is this dependent noun, but in reality this is a reflex of Middle Korean ᄉᆞ (Yale: so).

Noun

수 • (su) (hanja 手)

1. (board games) move

   한 수만 더 두면 외통수다.

   Han su-man deo dumyeon oetongsuda.

   Just one more move, and it's checkmate.

2. (originally board games, also figurative) ability, talent, skill

   최소한 영어는 내가 걔보단 한 수 위야.

   Choesohan yeong'eo-neun nae-ga gyaebodan han su wi-ya.

   At the very least, my skill in English is a notch better than hers.

Suffix

—수 • (-su) (hanja 手)

1. -er; -ist

Derived terms

• 꼼수 (kkomsu)
• 외통수 (oetongsu)
• See the hanja entry at 手 for Sino-Korean compounds of 수 (手, su).

Etymology 2

Sino-Korean word from 數 (“number”), from the Middle Korean reading 수〯 (Yale: swǔ).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰu(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul: [수(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	su
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	su
McCune–Reischauer?	su
Yale Romanization?	swū

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 수의 / 수에 / 수까지

  Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes low pitch, and heightens the pitch of two subsequent suffixed syllables.

Noun

수 • (su) (hanja 數)

1. number

   Synonyms: 숫자 (sutja), 개수 (gaesu)

2. (less common) destiny, fate (especially a favorable one)

   Synonym: 운수(運數) (unsu)

Determiner

수 • (su) (hanja 數)

1. a few, several

   수 킬로미터 ― su killomiteo ― several kilometers

   수십 명 ― susip myeong ― several tens of people

Usage notes

When used before a numeral, this word is not spaced.

Derived terms

• 수없다 (sueopda, “to be countless”)
• 수없이 (sueopsi, “countlessly”)
• See the hanja entry at 數 for Sino-Korean compounds of 수 (數, su).

Etymology 3

First attested in the Bullyu dugongbu si eonhae (分類杜工部詩諺解 / 분류두공부시언해), 1481, as Middle Korean 숳〮 (Yale: swúh).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰu]

  • Audio:

    (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [수]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	su
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	su
McCune–Reischauer?	su
Yale Romanization?	swu

Noun

수 • (su)

1. (uncommon, usually used as a prefix) male (non-human)

   Synonym: (much more common) 수컷 (sukeot)

   Antonym: 암 (am, “female”)

Prefix

수— • (su-)

1. male (non-human)

   Antonym: 암 (am, “female”)

2. (of objects that fit together) protruding

   Antonym: 암 (am, “concave, curving inwards”)

Usage notes

As the relic of the Middle Korean coda /-h/ now lost in Modern Korean, the prefix usually aspirates a subsequent plosive.

Derived terms

• 수고양이 (sugoyang'i, “male cat”)
• 수꿩 (sukkwong, “male pheasant”)
• 수나사 (sunasa, “bolt”)
• 수놈 (sunom, “male animal”)
• 수소 (suso, “male cow”)
• 수캉아지 (sukang'aji, “male puppy”)
• 수캐 (sukae, “male dog”)
• 수컷 (sukeot, “male animal”)
• 수탉 (sutak, “rooster”)
• 수탕나귀 (sutangnagwi, “jackass”)
• 수퇘지 (sutwaeji, “male pig”)
• 수평아리 (supyeong'ari, “male chick”)
• 숫기 (sutgi, “assertiveness; confidence”)

 

Etymology 4

Sino-Korean word from 水 (“water”), from the Middle Korean reading 슈〮 (Yale: syú).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰu]

  • Audio:

    (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [수]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	su
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	su
McCune–Reischauer?	su
Yale Romanization?	swu

Noun

수 • (su) (hanja 水)

1. water, as one of the Five Phases of East Asian cosmology

   Synonym: (in general) 물 (mul, “water”)

   Hypernym: 오행(五行) (ohaeng, “Five Phases”)

   Coordinate terms: 목(木) (mok, “tree”), 화(火) (hwa, “fire”), 토(土) (to, “earth”), 금(金) (geum, “metal”)

2. Short for 수요일(水曜日) (suyoil): Wednesday

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 水 for Sino-Korean compounds of 수 (水, su).

Etymology 5

Sino-Korean word from 繡 (“embroidering”), from the Middle Korean reading 슈〯 (Yale: syǔ).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰu(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul: [수(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	su
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	su
McCune–Reischauer?	su
Yale Romanization?	swū

Noun

수 • (su) (hanja 繡)

1. embroidering (in cloth)

   Synonym: 자수(刺繡) (jasu)

   비단에 수를 놓다 ― bidan-e su-reul nota ― to embroider silk

Derived terms

• 수(繡)를 놓다 (su-reul nota)
• See the hanja entry at 繡 for Sino-Korean compounds of 수 (繡, su).

Etymology 6

Sino-Korean word from 首 (“head”), from the Middle Korean reading 슈〮 (Yale: syú).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰu]

  • Audio:

    (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [수]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	su
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	su
McCune–Reischauer?	su
Yale Romanization?	swu

Counter

수 • (su) (hanja 首)

1. A counter for poems.
2. (formal) A counter for animals.

   Synonym: (more common) 마리 (mari)

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 首 for Sino-Korean compounds of 수 (首, su).

Etymology 7

Sino-Korean word from 受 (“accept”), from the Middle Korean reading 슈 (Yale: syù).

The sense of "bottom" is orthographic borrowing from Japanese 受け (uke).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰu]

  • Audio:

    (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [수]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	su
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	su
McCune–Reischauer?	su
Yale Romanization?	swu

Noun

수 • (su) (hanja 受)

1. (Buddhism, philosophy) vedanā (sensation in Buddhist philosophy)
2. (slang) bottom (in a gay sexual relationship)

   Synonym: 바텀 (bateom)

   Antonym: 공(攻) (gong)

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 受 for Sino-Korean compounds of 수 (受, su).

Etymology 8

Sino-Korean word from 髓 (“bone marrow”), from the Middle Korean reading 슈〯 (Yale: syǔ).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰu]
• Phonetic hangul: [수]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	su
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	su
McCune–Reischauer?	su
Yale Romanization?	swu

Noun

수 • (su) (hanja 髓)

1. (logging) pith (of wood)

   Synonym: 수심(樹心) (susim)

2. (uncommon) bone marrow

   Synonym: 골수(骨髓) (golsu)

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 髓 for Sino-Korean compounds of 수 (髓, su).

Etymology 9

Sino-Korean word from 隋 (“the Sui”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰu]
• Phonetic hangul: [수]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	Su
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	Su
McCune–Reischauer?	Su
Yale Romanization?	swu

Proper noun

수 • (Su) (hanja 隋)

1. (formal, academic) the Sui, a short-lived Chinese dynasty

   Synonym: 수나라 (Sunara, “the Sui”, usual non-academic term)

Usage notes

As with all historical Chinese polities with a single-character name, the Sui are usually referred to with the suffix 나라 (nara, “nation, country”) as 수나라 (Sunara, “the Sui country”) outside of academia.

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 隋 for Sino-Korean compounds of 수 (隋, su).

Etymology 10

Sino-Korean word from 守 (“defend”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰu]
• Phonetic hangul: [수]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	su
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	su
McCune–Reischauer?	su
Yale Romanization?	swu

Noun

수 • (su) (hanja 守)

1. (historical) From the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, two government offices both belonging to the 정사품(正四品) (jeongsapum, “upper degree of the fourth rank of government”):
   1. An office supervising court food supplies
   2. An honorary office given to distant royal relatives

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 守 for Sino-Korean compounds of 수 (守, su).

Etymology 11

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

수 (su)

More information

1. 水: water

   (eumhun reading: 물 수 (mul su))
   (MC reading: 水 (MC sywijX))

2. 手: hand

   (eumhun reading: 손 수 (son su))
   (MC reading: 手 (MC syuwX))

3. 受: accept

   (eumhun reading: 받을 수 (badeul su))
   (MC reading: 受 (MC dzyuwX))

4. 授: give

   (eumhun reading: 줄 수 (jul su))
   (MC reading: 授 (MC dzyuwH))

5. 首: head

   (eumhun reading: 머리 수 (meori su))
   (MC reading: 首 (MC syuwX|syuwH))

6. 守: protection

   (eumhun reading: 지킬 수 (jikil su))
   (MC reading: 守 (MC syuwX|syuwH))

7. 收: collect

   (eumhun reading: 거둘 수 (geodul su))
   (MC reading: 收 (MC syuw|syuwH))

8. 誰:

   (MC reading: 誰 (MC dzywij))

9. 須:

   (MC reading: 須 (MC sju))

10. 雖: although

    (eumhun reading: 비록 수 (birok su))
    (MC reading: 雖 (MC swij))

11. 愁:

    (MC reading: 愁 (MC dzrjuw))

12. 樹: tree; plant

    (eumhun reading: 나무 수 (namu su))
    (MC reading: 樹 (MC dzyuX|dzyuH))

13. 壽:

    (MC reading: 壽 (MC dzyuwX|dzyuwH))

14. 數:

    (MC reading: 數 (MC srjuX|srjuH|sraewk))

15. 修: discipline

    (eumhun reading: 닦을 수 (dakkeul su))
    (MC reading: 修 (MC sjuw))

16. 秀: outstanding, remarkable, escellent

    (eumhun reading: 빼어날 수 (ppaeeonal su))
    (MC reading: 秀 (MC sjuwH))

17. 囚:

    (MC reading: 囚 (MC zjuw))

18. 需:

    (MC reading: 需 (MC sju))

19. 帥: commander

    (eumhun reading: 장수 수 (jangsu su))
    (MC reading: 帥 (MC srwijH|srwit))

20. 殊:

    (MC reading: 殊 (MC dzyu))

21. 隨:

    (MC reading: 隨 (MC zjwe))

22. 輸: to transport; to send

    (eumhun reading: 보낼 수 (bonael su))
    (MC reading: 輸 (MC syu|syuH))

23. 獸:

    (MC reading: 獸 (MC syuwH))

24. 睡: sleeping

    (eumhun reading: 졸음 수 (joreum su))
    (MC reading: 睡 (MC dzyweH))

25. 遂:

    (MC reading: 遂 (MC zwijH))

26. 垂:

    (MC reading: 垂 (MC dzywe))

27. 搜:

    (MC reading: 搜)

28. 洙:

    (MC reading: 洙 (MC dzyu))

29. 琇:

    (MC reading: 琇 (MC yuwX|sjuwH))

30. 銖:

    (MC reading: 銖 (MC dzyu))

31. 粹:

    (MC reading: 粹 (MC swijH))

32. 穗:

    (MC reading: 穗 (MC zwijH))

33. 繡: embroider; gorgeous

    (eumhun reading: 수놓을 수 (suno'eul su))
    (MC reading: 繡 (MC sjuwH))

34. 隋:

    (MC reading: 隋 (MC zjwe|thwaX))

35. 髓: bone marrow

    (eumhun reading: 뼛골 수 (ppyeotgol su))
    (MC reading: 髓 (MC sjweX))

36. 袖: sleeve

    (eumhun reading: 소매 수 (somae su))
    (MC reading: 袖 (MC zjuwH))

37. 嗽:

    (MC reading: 嗽 (MC suwH|suwk|sraewk))

38. 嫂: sister-in-law; elder brother's wife

    (eumhun reading: 형수 수 (hyeongsu su))
    (MC reading: 嫂 (MC sawX))

39. 岫:

    (MC reading: 岫 (MC zjuwH))

40. 戍:

    (MC reading: 戍 (MC syuH))

41. 漱:

    (MC reading: 漱 (MC srjuwH|suwH))

42. 燧:

    (MC reading: 燧 (MC zwijH))

43. 狩:

    (MC reading: 狩 (MC syuwH))

44. 璲:

    (MC reading: 璲 (MC zwijH))

45. 瘦:

    (MC reading: 瘦 (MC srjuwH))

46. 綏:

    (MC reading: 綏 (MC swij))

47. 綬:

    (MC reading: 綬 (MC dzyuwX|dzyuwH))

48. 羞:

    (MC reading: 羞 (MC sjuw))

49. 茱:

    (MC reading: 茱 (MC dzyu))

50. 蒐:

    (MC reading: 蒐 (MC srjuw))

51. 蓚:

    (MC reading: 蓚)

52. 藪:

    (MC reading: 藪 (MC suwX))

53. 邃:

    (MC reading: 邃 (MC swijH))

54. 酬:

    (MC reading: 酬 (MC dzyuw))

55. 銹:

    (MC reading: 銹)

56. 隧:

    (MC reading: 隧 (MC zwijH))

57. 鬚: beard

    (eumhun reading: 수염 수 (suyeom su))
    (MC reading: 鬚 (MC sju))

58. 䳠:

    (MC reading: 䳠)

59. 賥:

    (MC reading: 賥 (MC swijH))

60. 豎:

    (MC reading: 豎 (MC dzyuX))

61. 讎:

    (MC reading: 讎 (MC dzyuw))

62. 睢:

    (MC reading: 睢 (MC xjwie|swij|xjwij|xjwijH))

63. 睟:

    (MC reading: 睟 (MC swijH))

64. 瓍:

    (MC reading: 瓍)

65. 宿: sleep; lodging

    (eumhun reading: 잘 수 (jal su))
    (MC reading: 宿 (MC sjuwH|sjuwk))

66. 汓:

    (MC reading: 汓 (MC zjuw))

67. 㻽:

    (MC reading: 㻽)

68. 叟:

    (MC reading: 叟 (MC suwX))

69. 售:

    (MC reading: 售 (MC dzyuwH))

70. 廋:

    (MC reading: 廋 (MC srjuw))

71. 晬:

    (MC reading: 晬 (MC tswojH))

72. 殳:

    (MC reading: 殳 (MC dzyu))

73. 泅:

    (MC reading: 泅 (MC zjuw))

74. 溲:

    (MC reading: 溲)

75. 瞍:

    (MC reading: 瞍 (MC sew))

76. 祟:

    (MC reading: 祟 (MC swijH))

77. 籔:

    (MC reading: 籔 (MC srjuX|suwX))

78. 脺:

    (MC reading: 脺)

79. 膄:

    (MC reading: 膄)

80. 膸:

    (MC reading: 膸)

81. 陲:

    (MC reading: 陲 (MC dzywe))

82. 颼:

    (MC reading: 颼)

83. 饈:

    (MC reading: 饈)

84. 寿: Alternative form of 壽

    (MC reading: 寿)

85. 脩: Alternative form of 修

    (MC reading: 脩 (MC sjuw))

86. 穂: Alternative form of 穗

    (MC reading: 穂)

87. 峀: Alternative form of 岫

    (MC reading: 峀)

88. 竪: Alternative form of 豎

    (MC reading: 竪 (MC dzyuX))

89. 讐: Alternative form of 讎

    (MC reading: 讐)

90. 濉: Alternative form of 睢

    (MC reading: 濉 (MC swij))

References

• Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea (대한민국 대법원, Daehanmin'guk Daebeobwon) (2018). Table of hanja for personal names (인명용 한자표 / 人名用漢字表, Inmyeong-yong hanja-pyo). [1]