어리다

Korean

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ʌ̹ɾida̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [어리다]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	eorida
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	eolida
McCune–Reischauer?	ŏrida
Yale Romanization?	elita

Etymology 1

First attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 어리〮다〮 (Yale: èlí-tá). Originally meant only "to be foolish"; the "to be young" sense developed in the sixteenth century, because children are foolish and immature, and eventually became the main sense of the word. It partly displaced the original word for "to be young", 젊다 (jeomda), which now specifically means "to be youthful", i.e. people in their teens and twenties. The "to be foolish" sense was largely replaced by 어리석다 (eoriseokda), originally a derived term.

Adjective

어리다 • (eorida) (infinitive 어려 or 어리어, sequential 어리니)

1. to be young, to be little, to be a child; when used for people, usually younger than mid-teens unless used in a comparison

   내 어린 시절 ― nae eorin sijeol ― my childhood

   어릴 때에는 누구나 순수하다.

   Eoril ttae-e-neun nugu-na sunsuhada.

   Everyone is innocent when they are young.

   나는 열일곱 살이니 언니보다 세 살 어리다.

   Na-neun yeor-ilgop sar-ini eonni-boda se sal eorida.

   Since I am seventeen, I am three years younger than my sister.

2. to be naïve; to be immature

   대학생인데 너무 생각이 어리다.

   Daehaksaeng-inde neomu saenggag-i eorida.

   They're university students, but they think too naively.

   행동을 보니 아직 어리다.

   Haengdong-eul boni ajik eorida.

   Looking at his behavior, he is still childish.

3. (humble) to be ignorant; to be foolish

   Synonym: 어리석다 (eoriseokda)

   제 어린 생각 ― je eorin saenggak ― my humble opinion

Conjugation

    Selected forms of the adjective 어리다 (eorida): vowel-stem, regular

Sentence-final forms
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	어리다 eorida	어려 eoryeo	어려요, 어리어요 eoryeoyo, eorieoyo	어립니다 eorimnida
	Past	어렸다 eoryeotda	어렸어 eoryeosseo	어렸어요 eoryeosseoyo	어렸습니다 eoryeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	어리냐 eorinya	어려 eoryeo	어려요, 어리어요 eoryeoyo, eorieoyo	어립니까 eorimnikka
	Past	어렸냐 eoryeonnya	어렸어 eoryeosseo	어렸어요 eoryeosseoyo	어렸습니까 eoryeotseumnikka
Assertive		어리겠다 eorigetda	어리겠어 eorigesseo	어리겠어요 eorigesseoyo	어리겠습니다 eorigetseumnida
Connective forms
Cause/Reason		어려 eoryeo	어려서, 어리어서 eoryeoseo, eorieoseo	어리니 eorini	어리니까 eorinikka
Contrast		어리지만 eorijiman	어린데 eorinde	어리더니 eorideoni
Conjunction		어리고 eorigo
Condition		어리면 eorimyeon	어려야, 어리어야 eoryeoya, eorieoya
Noun and determiner forms
Verbal nouns		어림 eorim	어리기 eorigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		어렸음, 어리었음 eoryeosseum, eorieosseum	어렸기, 어리었기 eoryeotgi, eorieotgi
Determiners	Present		어린 eorin
	Future		어릴 eoril

Sentence-final forms with honorific
		Plain (해라체)	Informal (해체)	Polite (해요체)	Formal (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	어리시다 eorisida	어리셔 eorisyeo	어리세요, 어리셔요 eoriseyo, eorisyeoyo	어리십니다 eorisimnida
	Past	어리셨다 eorisyeotda	어리셨어 eorisyeosseo	어리셨어요 eorisyeosseoyo	어리셨습니다 eorisyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	어리시냐 eorisinya	어리셔 eorisyeo	어리세요, 어리셔요 eoriseyo, eorisyeoyo	어리십니까 eorisimnikka
	Past	어리셨냐 eorisyeonnya	어리셨어 eorisyeosseo	어리셨어요 eorisyeosseoyo	어리셨습니까 eorisyeotseumnikka
Assertive		어리시겠다 eorisigetda	어리시겠어 eorisigesseo	어리시겠어요 eorisigesseoyo	어리시겠습니다 eorisigetseumnida
Connective forms with honorific
Cause/Reason		어리셔 eorisyeo	어리셔서 eorisyeoseo	어리시니 eorisini	어리시니까 eorisinikka
Contrast		어리시지만 eorisijiman	어리신데 eorisinde	어리시더니 eorisideoni
Conjunction		어리시고 eorisigo
Condition		어리시면 eorisimyeon	어리셔야 eorisyeoya
Noun and determiner forms with honorific
Verbal nouns		어리심 eorisim	어리시기 eorisigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		어리셨음 eorisyeosseum	어리셨기 eorisyeotgi
Determiners	Present		어리신 eorisin
	Future		어리실 eorisil

Derived terms

• 어리광 (eorigwang, “childish behavior”)
• 어린아이 (eorinai, “child”)
• 어린애 (eorinae, “child”)
• 어린이 (eorini, “child”)
• 얼라 (eolla, “child”)

 

Etymology 2

First attested in the Bullyu dugongbu si eonhae (分類杜工部詩諺解 / 분류두공부시언해), 1481, as Middle Korean 우리〮다〮 (Yale: wùlí-tá), although this is probably a related term instead of a direct ancestor given the incompatible initial vowel.

Verb

어리다 • (eorida) (infinitive 어려 or 어리어, sequential 어리니)

1. (literary, of light, an image, etc.) to appear faintly

   Synonym: 서리다 (seorida)

   길 위에 나무들의 그림자가 어렸다.

   Gil wi-e namudeur-ui geurimja-ga eoryeotda.

   The road was tinged with the shadow of the trees.

2. (of emotions, expressions, memories, etc) to appear faintly; to be tinged with

   Synonyms: 서리다 (seorida), 깃들다 (gitdeulda)

   미소가 어린 표정 ― miso-ga eorin pyojeong ― an expression tinged with a smile

   슬픔이 어린 눈빛 ― seulpeum-i eorin nunbit ― a stare tinged with sadness

   연인의 얼굴이 눈에 어렸다.

   Yeonin-ui eolgur-i nun-e eoryeotda.

   The face of his lover appeared faintly before his eyes.

3. (literary, of tears) to come to the eyes

   눈에 눈물이 어리다 ― nun-e nunmur-i eorida ― tears came to my eyes

4. (literary, of clouds, smoke) to fog; to congeal, making things faint to see

   Synonym: 서리다 (seorida)

   산에 남기가 가득했고 안개가 어렸다.

   San-e namgi-ga gadeukhaetgo an'gae-ga eoryeotda.

   The mountain was thick with sunset mist, and the fog had gathered.

Conjugation

    Selected forms of the verb 어리다 (eorida): vowel-stem, regular

Sentence-final forms
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	어린다 eorinda	어려 eoryeo	어려요, 어리어요 eoryeoyo, eorieoyo	어립니다 eorimnida
	Past	어렸다 eoryeotda	어렸어 eoryeosseo	어렸어요 eoryeosseoyo	어렸습니다 eoryeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	어리느냐 eorineunya	어려 eoryeo	어려요, 어리어요 eoryeoyo, eorieoyo	어립니까 eorimnikka
	Past	어렸느냐 eoryeonneunya	어렸어 eoryeosseo	어렸어요 eoryeosseoyo	어렸습니까 eoryeotseumnikka
Hortative		어리자 eorija	어려 eoryeo	어려요, 어리어요 eoryeoyo, eorieoyo	어리십시다 eorisipsida
Imperative		어려라, 어리어라 eoryeora, eorieora	어려 eoryeo	어려요, 어리어요 eoryeoyo, eorieoyo	어립시오 eoripsio
Assertive		어리겠다 eorigetda	어리겠어 eorigesseo	어리겠어요 eorigesseoyo	어리겠습니다 eorigetseumnida
Connective forms
Cause/Reason		어려 eoryeo	어려서, 어리어서 eoryeoseo, eorieoseo	어리니 eorini	어리니까 eorinikka
Contrast		어리지만 eorijiman	어리는데 eorineunde	어리더니 eorideoni
Conjunction		어리고 eorigo
Condition		어리면 eorimyeon	어려야, 어리어야 eoryeoya, eorieoya
Motive		어리려고 eoriryeogo
Noun and determiner forms
Verbal nouns		어림 eorim	어리기 eorigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		어렸음, 어리었음 eoryeosseum, eorieosseum	어렸기, 어리었기 eoryeotgi, eorieotgi
Determiners	Past	어린 eorin
	Present	어리는 eorineun
	Future	어릴 eoril

Sentence-final forms with honorific
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	어리신다 eorisinda	어리셔 eorisyeo	어리세요, 어리셔요 eoriseyo, eorisyeoyo	어리십니다 eorisimnida
	Past	어리셨다 eorisyeotda	어리셨어 eorisyeosseo	어리셨어요 eorisyeosseoyo	어리셨습니다 eorisyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	어리시느냐 eorisineunya	어리셔 eorisyeo	어리세요, 어리셔요 eoriseyo, eorisyeoyo	어리십니까 eorisimnikka
	Past	어리셨느냐 eorisyeonneunya	어리셨어 eorisyeosseo	어리셨어요 eorisyeosseoyo	어리셨습니까 eorisyeotseumnikka
Imperative		어리시라 eorisira	어리셔 eorisyeo	어리세요 eoriseyo	어리십시오 eorisipsio
Assertive		어리시겠다 eorisigetda	어리시겠어 eorisigesseo	어리시겠어요 eorisigesseoyo	어리시겠습니다 eorisigetseumnida
Connective forms with honorific
Cause/Reason		어리셔 eorisyeo	어리셔서 eorisyeoseo	어리시니 eorisini	어리시니까 eorisinikka
Contrast		어리시지만 eorisijiman	어리시는데 eorisineunde	어리시더니 eorisideoni
Conjunction		어리시고 eorisigo
Condition		어리시면 eorisimyeon	어리셔야 eorisyeoya
Motive		어리시려고 eorisiryeogo
Noun and determiner forms with honorific
Verbal nouns		어리심 eorisim	어리시기 eorisigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		어리셨음 eorisyeosseum	어리셨기 eorisyeotgi
Determiners	Past	어리신 eorisin
	Present	어리시는 eorisineun
	Future	어리실 eorisil

Further reading

• “Human rights implications of a Korean word for "child"” by Victor Mair (2022-05-05), from Language Log