김

Korean

Etymology 1

기긱긲긳긴긵긶 긷길긹긺긻긼긽 긾긿김깁깂깃깄 깅깆깇깈깉깊깋
긔 ←	→ 까

Syllable

(deprecated template usage) 김 • (gim)

1. (deprecated template usage) A Hangul syllabic block made up of ㄱ, ㅣ, and ㅁ.

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	gim
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	gim
McCune–Reischauer?	kim
Yale Romanization?	kīm

Etymology 2

gim (laver)

First attested in the Worin seokbo (月印釋譜 / 월인석보), 1459, as Middle Korean ㄱㅣㅿㅡㅁ (Yale: kizum).

Noun

김 • (gim)

1. laver (nori, a type of edible seaweed in the genus Porphyra)
2. weed (unwanted plant)

Synonyms

• (laver): 해태 (海苔, haetae)
• (weed): 잡풀 (雜풀, jap'pul)

Derived terms

• 김매다 (gimmaeda, “to weed; to remove unwanted grasses out of a cultivated area”)
• 김밥 (gimbap)

See also

• 매다 (maeda, “to weed; to remove marijuana out of a cultivated area”)
• 미역 (miyeok, “sea mustard”)

Etymology 3

Of native Korean origin.

Noun

김 • (gim)

1. steam; vapor

Synonyms

• 증기 (蒸氣, jeunggi, “vapor”)
• 수증기 (水蒸氣, sujeunggi, “steam”)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [kim]
• Phonetic hangul: [김]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	gim
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	gim
McCune–Reischauer?	kim
Yale Romanization?	kim

Etymology 4

Of native Korean origin.

Adverb

김 • (gim)

1. incidentally; conveniently; in passing

Etymology 5

Sino-Korean word from 金 (“gold; metal”)

Kwon Inhan, a professor of Korean literature at Sungkyunkwan University, said that the pronunciation of 金 as a surname was changed from 금 (geum) to 김 (gim) because of the change in Chinese consonants. For more information, please refer to this link.

However, there is other theory explaining the shift of spelling from 금 (geum) to 김 (gim) as one of the naming taboo phenomenon during Goryeo's subjugation to the Jin dynasty.

First attested in the Sekilponki (deprecated template usage) 《석일본기》, 1301, as Middle Japanese コム (komu) or コン (kon).

1301, (deprecated template usage) 《일본서기》

金押實, 金壹世, 金欽吉

コムアフシツ, コムイツセイ, コムオムキツ
Komu afushitsu, Komu itsusei, Komu omukitsu

金項那, 金紅世, 金薩儒

コンカウナ, コンコウセイ, コンサツシユ/ス
Kon kauna, Kon kousei, Kon satsushiyu/su

Also attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 김 (Yale: kim).

1447, (deprecated template usage) 《용비어천가》

金谷浦

Kim kokkay

Also attested in the Samgang haengsildo (三綱行實圖 / 삼강행실도), 1511, as Middle Korean 김 (Yale: kim).

1511, (deprecated template usage) 《삼강행실도》

金自强

Kim cakang

Proper noun

김 • (Gim) (hanja 金)

1. Kim (most common surname in North and South Korea)

   김정은 ― gimJeong'eun ― Kim Jong-un

   김정일 ― gimJeong'il ― Kim Jong-il

   김일성 ― gimIlseong ― Kim Il-sung

2. Used in various placenames.

Derived terms

• 김제 (金堤, Gimje)
• 김천 (金泉, Gimcheon)
• 김포 (金浦, Gimpo)
• 김해 (金海, Gimhae)

 

Related terms

• 금 (金, geum)

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]