들

들 U+B4E4, 들 HANGUL SYLLABLE DEUL Composition: ㄷ + ㅡ + ㄹ Dubeolsik input: e-m-f ← 듣 [U+B4E3] Hangul Syllables 듥 → [U+B4E5]

드득듞듟든듡듢 듣들듥듦듧듨듩 듪듫듬듭듮듯듰 등듲듳듴듵듶듷
듀 ←	→ 듸

Korean

Etymology 1

First attested in the Yongbi eocheonga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 드릏〮 (Yale: tùlúh), and subsequently as 듫〯 (Yale: tǔlh), the contracted form.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [tɯ(ː)ɭ]
• Phonetic hangeul: [들(ː)]
  • Though still prescriptive in Standard Korean, the great majority of speakers (in both Koreas) no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	deul
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	deul
McCune–Reischauer?	tŭl
Yale Romanization?	tūl

South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 들의 / 들에 / 들까지

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

Noun

들 • (deul)

1. meadow
2. field; plain

   Synonym: 평야(平野) (pyeong-ya)

Etymology 2

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

Sometimes regarded as a nativized form of Middle Chinese 達 (MC dɑt̚), but this is unlikely, since Middle Korean has a final cluster which is difficult to explain phonetically as a result of borrowing. However, it may be cognate with Japanese 達 (たち, tachi), which is also a pluralizer.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [tɯɭ]
• Phonetic hangeul: [들]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	deul
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	deul
McCune–Reischauer?	tŭl
Yale Romanization?	tul

Particle

들 • (deul)

1. -s (indicating the plural of a noun)

   사람들 ― saramdeul ― people, persons

   기억들 ― gieokdeul ― memories

Usage notes

• Korean does not grammatically distinguish between singular and plural nouns. Thus, while 사람들 (saramdeul) means "people", 사람 (saram) can mean either "person" or "people", depending on context.
• 들 (deul) is rarely used with nouns denoting inanimate objects. It is more often used with nouns denoting animate objects (people and animals), but then only when it is semantically necessary to make a distinction between singular and plural, or to emphasize plurality.

Etymology 3

Of native Korean origin.

Verb

들 • (deul) (future determiner of 들다)

1. which will spend
2. which will enter