삼다

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Korean 삼〯다〮 (sǎm-tá), from Old Korean 沙音 (*sam-). In the Hangul script, first attested in the Seokbo sangjeol (釋譜詳節 / 석보상절), 1447, as Middle Korean 삼〯다〮 (Yale: sǎm-tá).

When expressing the sense of "to take A as B", Old Korean appears to have natively used the expression "A乙 B沙音", with A taking the accusative particle 乙 (*-ol) and B combining directly with the verb *sam- without an intervening particle.

Old Korean texts of any reasonable length are all close translations of a Chinese original, and the Literary Chinese text often used 以 (yǐ, “to use”) in the construction "以 (yǐ)A爲／为B" for the sense of "to take A as B". These constructions were translated into Old Korean as "A乙 以厼 B沙音", with A continuing to take the accusative particle but now becoming the object of the verb 以 (*PSU-) instead, with the literal meaning "to take as B while using A".

In Middle Korean, however, "to take A as B" is generally expressed as "A로 (-lwo) Bᄅᆞᆯ (-lol) 삼다 (samta)", with B taking the accusative particle ᄅᆞᆯ (Yale: -lol) and A now taking the instrumental particle 로 (Yale: -lwo). An Ye-ri theorizes that this was the result of syntactic influence from the Chinese "以 (yǐ)A爲／为B" construction, as Chinese 以 (yǐ) was usually perceived as being equivalent to the Korean instrumental particle 로 (Yale: -lwo). Thus speakers may have initially imitated the Chinese syntax by using the instrumental particle for A rather than the accusative, after which B was reanalyzed as being the direct object of 삼〯다〮 (Yale: sǎm-tá).

For unknown reasons, the particles were switched in the early twentieth century, producing the contemporary Korean construction "A를 B로 삼다".

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	samda
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	samda
McCune–Reischauer?	samta
Yale Romanization?	sāmqta

• Homophone: 삶다 (samda)

Verb

삼다 • (samda) (infinitive 삼아, sequential 삼으니)

1. (literary, transitive) to take as; to forge a relationship; to make (a thing) of; to have (a thing or a person as) (generally used with the instrumental particle 로 (-ro))

   나를 스승으로 삼겠느냐? ― Na-reul seuseung-euro sam-gen-neunya? ― Will you take me as your mentor?

Conjugation

    Selected forms of the verb 삼다 (samda): consonant-stem, regular

Sentence-final forms
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	삼는다 samneunda	삼아 sama	삼아요 samayo	삼습니다 samseumnida
	Past	삼았다 samatda	삼았어 samasseo	삼았어요 samasseoyo	삼았습니다 samatseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	삼느냐 samneunya	삼아 sama	삼아요 samayo	삼습니까 samseumnikka
	Past	삼았느냐 samanneunya	삼았어 samasseo	삼았어요 samasseoyo	삼았습니까 samatseumnikka
Hortative		삼자 samja	삼아 sama	삼아요 samayo	삼으십시다 sameusipsida
Imperative		삼아라 samara	삼아 sama	삼아요 samayo	삼읍시오 sameupsio
Assertive		삼겠다 samgetda	삼겠어 samgesseo	삼겠어요 samgesseoyo	삼겠습니다 samgetseumnida
Connective forms
Cause/Reason		삼아 sama	삼아서 samaseo	삼으니 sameuni	삼으니까 sameunikka
Contrast		삼지만 samjiman	삼는데 samneunde	삼더니 samdeoni
Conjunction		삼고 samgo
Condition		삼으면 sameumyeon	삼아야 samaya
Motive		삼으려고 sameuryeogo
Noun and determiner forms
Verbal nouns		삼음 sameum	삼기 samgi
Past-tense verbal nouns		삼았음 samasseum	삼았기 samatgi
Determiners	Past	삼은 sameun
	Present	삼는 samneun
	Future	삼을 sameul

Sentence-final forms with honorific
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	삼으신다 sameusinda	삼으셔 sameusyeo	삼으세요, 삼으셔요 sameuseyo, sameusyeoyo	삼으십니다 sameusimnida
	Past	삼으셨다 sameusyeotda	삼으셨어 sameusyeosseo	삼으셨어요 sameusyeosseoyo	삼으셨습니다 sameusyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	삼으시느냐 sameusineunya	삼으셔 sameusyeo	삼으세요, 삼으셔요 sameuseyo, sameusyeoyo	삼으십니까 sameusimnikka
	Past	삼으셨느냐 sameusyeonneunya	삼으셨어 sameusyeosseo	삼으셨어요 sameusyeosseoyo	삼으셨습니까 sameusyeotseumnikka
Imperative		삼으시라 sameusira	삼으셔 sameusyeo	삼으세요 sameuseyo	삼으십시오 sameusipsio
Assertive		삼으시겠다 sameusigetda	삼으시겠어 sameusigesseo	삼으시겠어요 sameusigesseoyo	삼으시겠습니다 sameusigetseumnida
Connective forms with honorific
Cause/Reason		삼으셔 sameusyeo	삼으셔서 sameusyeoseo	삼으시니 sameusini	삼으시니까 sameusinikka
Contrast		삼으시지만 sameusijiman	삼으시는데 sameusineunde	삼으시더니 sameusideoni
Conjunction		삼으시고 sameusigo
Condition		삼으시면 sameusimyeon	삼으셔야 sameusyeoya
Motive		삼으시려고 sameusiryeogo
Noun and determiner forms with honorific
Verbal nouns		삼으심 sameusim	삼으시기 sameusigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		삼으셨음 sameusyeosseum	삼으셨기 sameusyeotgi
Determiners	Past	삼으신 sameusin
	Present	삼으시는 sameusineun
	Future	삼으실 sameusil

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 거울삼다 (geoulsamda)
• 일삼다 (ilsamda)
• 자랑삼다 (jarangsamda)
• 장난삼다 (jangnansamda)
• 주장삼다 (jujangsamda)
• 참고삼다 (chamgosamda)

Related terms

• 말미암다 (malmiamda)

Etymology 2

First attested in the Hunmong jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527, as Middle Korean 삼다 (Yale: sam-ta). Verbalisation of 삼〮 (Yale: sám, “flax”).

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	samda
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	samda
McCune–Reischauer?	samta
Yale Romanization?	sāmqta

• Homophone: 삶다 (samda)

Verb

삼다 • (samda) (infinitive 삼아, sequential 삼으니) (transitive)

1. to make (sandals)
2. to spin (hemp)

Conjugation

    Selected forms of the verb 삼다 (samda): consonant-stem, regular

Sentence-final forms
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	삼는다 samneunda	삼아 sama	삼아요 samayo	삼습니다 samseumnida
	Past	삼았다 samatda	삼았어 samasseo	삼았어요 samasseoyo	삼았습니다 samatseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	삼느냐 samneunya	삼아 sama	삼아요 samayo	삼습니까 samseumnikka
	Past	삼았느냐 samanneunya	삼았어 samasseo	삼았어요 samasseoyo	삼았습니까 samatseumnikka
Hortative		삼자 samja	삼아 sama	삼아요 samayo	삼으십시다 sameusipsida
Imperative		삼아라 samara	삼아 sama	삼아요 samayo	삼읍시오 sameupsio
Assertive		삼겠다 samgetda	삼겠어 samgesseo	삼겠어요 samgesseoyo	삼겠습니다 samgetseumnida
Connective forms
Cause/Reason		삼아 sama	삼아서 samaseo	삼으니 sameuni	삼으니까 sameunikka
Contrast		삼지만 samjiman	삼는데 samneunde	삼더니 samdeoni
Conjunction		삼고 samgo
Condition		삼으면 sameumyeon	삼아야 samaya
Motive		삼으려고 sameuryeogo
Noun and determiner forms
Verbal nouns		삼음 sameum	삼기 samgi
Past-tense verbal nouns		삼았음 samasseum	삼았기 samatgi
Determiners	Past	삼은 sameun
	Present	삼는 samneun
	Future	삼을 sameul

Sentence-final forms with honorific
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	삼으신다 sameusinda	삼으셔 sameusyeo	삼으세요, 삼으셔요 sameuseyo, sameusyeoyo	삼으십니다 sameusimnida
	Past	삼으셨다 sameusyeotda	삼으셨어 sameusyeosseo	삼으셨어요 sameusyeosseoyo	삼으셨습니다 sameusyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	삼으시느냐 sameusineunya	삼으셔 sameusyeo	삼으세요, 삼으셔요 sameuseyo, sameusyeoyo	삼으십니까 sameusimnikka
	Past	삼으셨느냐 sameusyeonneunya	삼으셨어 sameusyeosseo	삼으셨어요 sameusyeosseoyo	삼으셨습니까 sameusyeotseumnikka
Imperative		삼으시라 sameusira	삼으셔 sameusyeo	삼으세요 sameuseyo	삼으십시오 sameusipsio
Assertive		삼으시겠다 sameusigetda	삼으시겠어 sameusigesseo	삼으시겠어요 sameusigesseoyo	삼으시겠습니다 sameusigetseumnida
Connective forms with honorific
Cause/Reason		삼으셔 sameusyeo	삼으셔서 sameusyeoseo	삼으시니 sameusini	삼으시니까 sameusinikka
Contrast		삼으시지만 sameusijiman	삼으시는데 sameusineunde	삼으시더니 sameusideoni
Conjunction		삼으시고 sameusigo
Condition		삼으시면 sameusimyeon	삼으셔야 sameusyeoya
Motive		삼으시려고 sameusiryeogo
Noun and determiner forms with honorific
Verbal nouns		삼으심 sameusim	삼으시기 sameusigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		삼으셨음 sameusyeosseum	삼으셨기 sameusyeotgi
Determiners	Past	삼으신 sameusin
	Present	삼으시는 sameusineun
	Future	삼으실 sameusil

Etymology 3

Sino-Korean word from 蔘茶.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰa̠mda̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [삼다]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	samda
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	samda
McCune–Reischauer?	samda
Yale Romanization?	samta

Noun

삼다 • (samda) (hanja 蔘茶)

1. Synonym of 인삼차(人蔘茶) (insamcha, “ginseng tea”)

References

• 안예리 (An Ye-ri) (2009) “'삼다' 구문의 통시적 변화 [samda gumunui tongsijeok byeonhwa, Diachronic change in the samta construction]”, in Han'gugeohak, volume 43, pages 179–206