제일
Korean
Etymology
Sino-Korean word from 第一
Pronunciation
- (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [ˈt͡ɕe̞(ː)iɭ]
- Phonetic hangul: [제(ː)일]
- Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.
| Romanizations | |
|---|---|
| Revised Romanization? | jeil |
| Revised Romanization (translit.)? | jeil |
| McCune–Reischauer? | cheil |
| Yale Romanization? | cēyil |
Adverb
- number one; the first or primary
- (by extension) most; -est
- (forms superlatives of adjectives)
- 그 사전은 제일 좋아요.
- geu sajeon-eun jeil joayo.
- This dictionary is the best.
- (Can we date this quote?), “(deprecated template usage) 내 나라 제일로 좋아 (Nae nara jeillo joa) [My country is the best]”, 최준경 (Choe Jun-gyeong) [Choi Joon Kyong] (lyrics):
Usage notes
The most common use of this is in front of an adjective or adjectival phrase, to denote superlativity.
A 2007 decision by the Patent Court of Korea found that while the superlative sense of 제일 is not distinctive, the use of 제일 in front of a noun is distinctive and can be protected by trademark. [1]