시

시 U+C2DC, 시 HANGUL SYLLABLE SI Composition: ㅅ + ㅣ Dubeolsik input: t-l ← 싛 [U+C2DB] Hangul Syllables 식 → [U+C2DD]

시식싞싟신싡싢 싣실싥싦싧싨싩 싪싫심십싮싯싰 싱싲싳싴싵싶싷
싀 ←	→ 싸

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Korean 시 (-si), from Old Korean 賜 (*-si).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɕʰi]
• Phonetic hangeul: [시]

Revised Romanization? si Revised Romanization (translit.)? si McCune–Reischauer? si Yale Romanization? si

Suffix

—시 • (-si)

1. honorific suffix applied to verbs and adjectives, denoting that the subject is honored

   선생님께서 여기로 오신다.

   Seonsaengnimkkeseo yeogiro osinda.

   The [honorable] teacher is coming here.

   손이 정말 예쁘시네요.

   Soni jeongmal yeppeusineyo.

   Your [honorable] hand is truly pretty.

   얘야, 형님은 운동을 언제 하시냐?

   Yaeya, hyeongnimeun undong-eul eonje hasinya?

   Child, when does your [honorable] older brother do his exercises?

2. (proscribed) honorific suffix applied to verbs and adjectives, denoting that the addressee is honored

   손님, 문이 열리시겠습니다.

   Sonnim, muni yeollisigetseumnida.

   [Honorable] sir, the door is about to open.

Usage notes

The suffix 시 (-si) expresses that the speaker is honoring the subject of the verb or adjective (Korean adjectives behave largely identically to verbs and take subjects). The honored subject can be a person of greater social status than the speaker, as in the first example; an object belonging to such a person which becomes honored by virtue of its possessor, as in the second example; or a person of greater social status than the addressee of the conversation with the speaker speaking from the social perspective of the addressee, as in the third example.

In the colloquial language, 시 (-si) is also used to honor the addressee in a conversation to a level greater than that allowed by the 습니다 (-sumnida) suffix alone. As of 2020, this form is still generally considered prescriptively wrong, although it remains widespread and may eventually be accepted as standard.

The honorific form is constructed by appending 시 (-si) to the sequential form of a verb or an adjective.

Plain (non-honorific)	Sequential	Honorific
하다 (hada, “to do”)	하니 (hani)	하시다 (hasida, “[for someone honorable] to do”)
가다 (gada, “to go”)	가니 (gani)	가시다 (gasida, “[for someone honorable] to go”)
살다 (salda, “to live”)	사니 (sani)	사시다 (sasida, “[for someone honorable] to live”)
작다 (jakda, “to be small”)	작으니 (jageuni)	작으시다 (jageusida, “[for something honorable] to be small”)
곱다 (gopda, “to be lovely”)	고우니 (gouni)	고우시다 (gousida, “[for someone honorable] to be lovely”)

See also

• 님 (nim), the honorific suffix for many nouns

Etymology 2

Sino-Korean word from 市, from the Middle Korean reading 시〯 (Yale: sǐ), from Middle Chinese 市 (MC d͡ʑɨ^X).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɕʰiː]
• Phonetic hangeul: [시ː]

Revised Romanization? si Revised Romanization (translit.)? si McCune–Reischauer? si Yale Romanization? sī

Noun

시 • (si) (hanja 市)

1. town; city

   시의회는 그 문제가 주민 투표를 거쳐야 할 사안이라고 결정하였다.

   Siuihoeneun geu munjega jumin tupyoreul geochyeoya hal saanirago gyeoljeonghayeotda.

   The city council decided the matter should go to public vote.

2. (South Korea, government) an administrative region, a division of a province having a population of over 150,000

   (Administrative divisions of South Korea) 리(里) (ri), 동(洞) (dong), 면(面) (myeon), 읍(邑) (eup), 구(區) (gu), 군(郡) (gun), 시(市) (si), 도(道) (do)

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 市 for Sino-Korean compounds of 시 (市, si).

Etymology 3

Sino-Korean word from 詩, from the Middle Korean reading 시 (Yale: sì), from Middle Chinese 詩 (MC ɕɨ).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɕʰi]
• Phonetic hangeul: [시]

Revised Romanization? si Revised Romanization (translit.)? si McCune–Reischauer? si Yale Romanization? si

Noun

시 • (si) (hanja 詩)

1. poem; poetry

   시를 읊다

   sireul eupda

   to recite a poem

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 詩 for Sino-Korean compounds of 시 (詩, si).

Etymology 4

Sino-Korean word from 時, from the Middle Korean reading 시 (Yale: sì), from Middle Chinese 時 (MC d͡ʑɨ).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɕʰi]
• Phonetic hangeul: [시]

Revised Romanization? si Revised Romanization (translit.)? si McCune–Reischauer? si Yale Romanization? si

Dependent noun

시 • (si) (hanja 時)

1. hour (time)
2. time

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 時 for Sino-Korean compounds of 시 (時, si).

Etymology 5

Sino-Korean word from 視. Compare Japanese 視(し) (-shi, “treating as; viewing as”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɕʰi]
• Phonetic hangeul: [시]

Revised Romanization? si Revised Romanization (translit.)? si McCune–Reischauer? si Yale Romanization? si

Suffix

—시 • (-si) (hanja 視)

1. treating as; viewing as

   적대시 (敵對視) ― jeokdaesi ― treating with hostility

   금기시 (禁忌視) ― geumgisi ― viewing as a taboo

   문제시 (問題視) ― munjesi ― viewing as a problem

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 視 for Sino-Korean compounds of 시 (視, si).

Etymology 6

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

시 (si)

Extended content

市: (MC reading: 市 (MC d͡ʑɨX)) 示: (MC reading: 示 (MC ɡiᴇ, ʑiɪH)) 是: (MC reading: 是 (MC d͡ʑiᴇX)) 時: (MC reading: 時 (MC d͡ʑɨ)) 詩: (MC reading: 詩 (MC ɕɨ)) 施: (MC reading: 施 (MC ɕiᴇ, ɕiᴇH)) 試: (MC reading: 試 (MC ɕɨH)) 始: (MC reading: 始 (MC ɕɨX)) 矢: (MC reading: 矢 (MC ɕˠiɪX)) 侍: (MC reading: 侍 (MC d͡ʑɨH)) 視: (MC reading: 視 (MC d͡ʑiɪX, d͡ʑiɪH)) 柴: (MC reading: 柴 (MC d͡ʒˠɛ)) 匙: (MC reading: 匙 (MC d͡ʑiᴇ)) 媤: (MC reading: 媤) 屍: (MC reading: 屍 (MC ɕiɪ, ɕiɪH))