이

Cia-Cia

Preposition

이 (’i)

1. the locative particle: in; at

---

Korean

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [i]

  • Audio:

    (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [이]

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

Etymology 1

이익읶읷인읹읺 읻일읽읾읿잀잁 잂잃임입잆잇있 잉잊잋잌잍잎잏
의 ←	→ 자

Syllable

(deprecated template usage) 이 • (i)

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

Etymology 2

이 (i, “teeth”).

First attested in the Seokbo sangjeol (釋譜詳節 / 석보상절), 1447, as Middle Korean 니 (Yale: ni).

Noun

이 • (i)

1. A tooth or teeth.
   • 이 없으면 잇몸으로 산다. — literally "without teeth, I would live with the gum."

Alternative forms

• 니 (ni) (archaic, now suffixal)

Synonyms

• 이빨 (ippal)
• 치아 (chia)

Derived terms

• 덧니 (deonni, “snaggletooth/teeth”)
• 송곳니 (songgonni, “canine tooth/teeth”)
• 아랫니 (araenni, “lower tooth/teeth”)
• 앞니 (amni, “incisor(s)”)
• 윗니 (winni, “upper tooth/teeth”)
• 어금니 (eogeumni, “molar(s)”)

Etymology 3

이 (i, “louse”).

First attested in the Hunmong jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527, as Middle Korean 니 (Yale: ni).

Noun

이 • (i)

1. louse

Derived terms

• 거웃니 (geounni, “pubic louse”)
• 닭니 (dangni, “bird louse”)
• 머릿니 (meorinni, “head louse”)
• 사면발니 (samyeonballi, “crab louse”)
• 옷엣니 (osenni, “body louse”)

Etymology 4

First attested in the Hunminjeong'eum eonhae (訓民正音諺解本 / 훈민정음언해본), 1446, as Middle Korean 이 (Yale: i).

Determiner

이 • (i)

1. this
   • 이 그림을 본 적이 있다. (i geurimeul bon jeogi itda.) I have seen this picture.

Pronoun

이 • (i)

1. this (thing)
2. this person

See also

Korean demonstratives edit
Determiner		이	그	저	어느
Pronoun	Human	이이	그이	저이	뉘
		이분	그분	저분	어느 분
		이자	그자	저자
		얘	걔	쟤
	Object	이	(그)	(저)	어느
		이것	그것	저것	어느 것
		이거	그거	저거	어느 거
	Place	여기	거기	저기	어디
		이곳	그곳	저곳	어느 곳
	Direction	이쪽	그쪽	저쪽	어느 쪽
	Time	이때	그때	접때	언제
Verb		이러다	그러다	저러다	어쩌다
		이리하다	그리하다	저리하다	어찌하다
Adjective		이렇다	그렇다	저렇다	어떻다
		이러하다	그러하다	저러하다	어떠하다
Adverb		이리	그리	저리	어찌
		이렇게	그렇게	저렇게	어떻게
		이만큼	그만큼	저만큼	얼마만큼(얼마큼)

Etymology 5

Of native Korean origin. Possibly cognate with Old Japanese い (i, emphatic nominative particle).

Particle

이 • (i)

1. A particle marking a grammatical subject ending with a consonant.
   • 이 치킨이 맛이 있다. (i chikini masi itda., “This chicken is delicious.”)

2. A particle marking a grammatical complement ending with a consonant, before 되다 (doeda, “to become”) and 아니다 (anida, “(to be) not”).

   An adverbial particle 으로/로 (euro/ro) can replace the complement marker 이/가 (i/ga) when the verb is 되다 (doeda, “to become”).

   • 물이 얼음이 되었다. (muri eoreumi doeeotda., “Water became ice.”)

   • 물이 얼음으로 되었다. (muri eoreumeuro doeeotda., “Water became ice.”)

   • 그는 사람이 아니다. (geuneun sarami anida., “He is not a human.”)

3. A particle marking an object of desire.
   • 쟨 짜장면이 먹고 싶다(고 하)는데? (jaen jjajangmyeoni meokgo sipda(go ha)neunde?, “She says she wants to eat jajangmyeon.”)

Synonyms

• 가 (ga) (marks a grammatical subject ending with a vowel)

See also

• 은 (eun) (marks a topic word or phrase ending with a consonant)
• 는 (neun) (marks a topic word or phrase ending with a vowel)
• 을 (eul) (marks a direct object ending with a consonant)
• 를 (reul) (marks a direct object ending with a vowel)
• Old Japanese い (i); emphatic nominative marker

Etymology 6

Of native Korean origin.

Suffix

—이 • (-i)

1. a suffix deriving a passive verb.
   • 저는 희망을 봅니다. (jeoneun huimang'eul bomnida., “I see hope.”) → 저에게 희망이 보입니다. (jeo'ege huimang'i boimnida., “Hope is seen to me.”)

—이 • (-i)

1. a suffix deriving a causative verb.
   • 저는 희망을 봅니다. (jeoneun huimang'eul bomnida., “I see hope.”) → 저는 이분들께 희망을 보여 드리고 싶습니다. (jeoneun ibundeulkke huimang'eul boyeo deurigo sipseumnida., “I want to show these people hope.”)
   • 천장이 높군. (cheonjang'i nopgun., “The ceiling is high.”) → 천장을 높이어야(하)겠군. (cheonjang'eul nopieoya(ha)getgun., “I guess the ceiling needs raising.”)

Synonyms

• -히 (hi)/리 (ri)/기 (gi)- : suffixes deriving passive verbs.
• -히 (hi)/리 (ri)/기 (gi)/우 (u)/구 (gu)/추 (chu)- : suffixes deriving causative verbs.

Etymology 7

First attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 이 (Yale: i).

Noun

이 • (i)

1. (dependent) a person.
   • 말하는 이 없이 고요하다. (malhaneun i eopsi goyohada., “It's silent, with no one who talks.”)

Etymology 8

Of native Korean origin.

Suffix

—이 • (-i)

1. (after a stem of a verb or an adjective) a suffix deriving a noun.
   • 길다 (gilda, “long”) + 이 (i) → 길이 (giri, “length”)
   • 먹다 (meokda, “to eat”) + 이 (i) → 먹이 (meogi, “feed”)
2. (in the form of a noun + a stem of a verb + suffix 이) a suffix deriving a noun, adding a meaning of a person, an item, or an event. -er.
   • 옷 (ot, “clothing”) + 걸다 (geolda, “to hang”) + 이 (i) → 옷걸이 (otgeori, “a hanger”)
   • 가슴 (gaseum, “chest, heart”) + 앓다 (alta, “to suffer”) + 이 (i) → 가슴앓이 (gaseumari, “heartburn”)
3. a suffix deriving a noun, adding a meaning of a person or an item. -er.
   • 멍청(하다) (meongcheong(hada), “foolish”) + 이 (i) → 멍청이 (meongcheong'i, “a fool”)

Etymology 9

Of native Korean origin.

Suffix

—이 • (-i)

1. (after a stem of an adjective) a suffix deriving an adverb. -ly.
   • 다르다 (dareuda, “different”) + 이 (i) → 달리 (dalli, “unlike; differently”)
   • 슬프다 (seulpeuda, “sad”) + 이 (i) → 슬피 (seulpi, “sadly”)
2. (after repeating a single-syllable noun) a suffix deriving an adverb.
   • 달 (dal, “a month”) ×2 + 이 (i) → 다달이 (dadari, “month by month”)
   • 간 (間, gan, “interval”) ×2 + 이 (i) → 간간이 (gan'gani, “at times”)

Usage notes

The suffix -i is used for adjectives not ending in -hada, and the suffix -hi is implemented for that case. For example, 많다 (manta, “many”) turns into 많이 (mani, “a lot”) whereas 깔끔하다 (kkalkkeumhada, “neat”) becomes 깔끔히 (kkalkkeumhi, “neatly”). However, if -hada is suffixed after consonants k and s, -i is sometimes used rather than -hi, as in 깊숙이 (gipsugi, “deeply”) from 깊숙하다 (gipsukhada, “deep”) and 깨끗이 (kkaekkeusi, “cleanly”) from 깨끗하다 (kkaekkeuthada, “clean”), while many adjectives like 솔직하다 (soljikhada, “frank”) still take -hi. Whether to use -i or -hi depends on its pronunciation, which is very confusing even to natives.

The conjugation for this suffix is similar to the infinite form, but not the same. Especially, the p-irregular adjectives (ㅂ 불규칙 용언) take 이 (i) not 위 (wi); for instance, 가깝다 (gakkapda, “near”) → 가까이 (gakkai, “nearly”).

Also, note that only a limited number of adverbs are frequently used which are formed by affixing -i or -hi.

See also

• -히 (hi)

Etymology 10

Of native Korean origin.

Suffix

—이 • (-i)

1. (after the stem of the sequential form of an adjective) one of the familiar style declarative endings.
   • 고맙다(고마우니) (gomapda(gomauni), “(to be) grateful”) + 이 (i) → 고마우이. (gomaui., “Thank you.”)
   • 날이 차이. 돌아갈 때 조심하시게. (nari chai. doragal ttae josimhasige., “It's cold today. Please be cautious when you return.”)

Etymology 11

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Alternative forms

• (North Korea) 리 (ri, for many but not all characters)

Noun

이 • (i)

1. 理 (philosophy) (cosmic) reason

Numeral

이 • (i) (hanja 二, 貳)

1. (cardinal number) two
2. (ordinal number) second

Usage notes

• Used primarily with Sino-Korean count words, or in reading numbers literally. In Modern Korean, numbers are almost always written in Arabic numerals.

이 means “second” if it is directly put before a noun other than modern units.

이 층: second floor

두 층: two floors

이 팀: Team 2

두 팀: two teams

Proper noun

이 • (I) (hanja 李)

1. a surname The second most common Korean surname, South Korean spelling.

Usage notes

• Most commonly romanized as Lee. Other romanizations include Li, Yi, Ri, and Rhee. It is written as 리 (Ri) in North Korea.

Syllable

이 (i)

1. 李: plum tree

   (eumhun reading: 오얏나무 이 (oyannamu i))
   (MC reading: 李 (MC liX))

2. 二: two

   (eumhun reading: 두 이 (du i))
   (MC reading: 二 (MC nyijH))

3. 理: ruling

   (eumhun reading: 다스릴 이 (daseuril i))
   (MC reading: 理 (MC liX))

4. 里: village

   (eumhun reading: 마을 이 (ma'eul i))
   (MC reading: 里 (MC liX))

5. 利: beneficial

   (eumhun reading: 이로울 이 (iroul i))
   (MC reading: 利 (MC lijH))

6. 以: 써

   (MC reading: 以 (MC yiX))

7. 異: other

   (eumhun reading: 다를 이 (dareul i))
   (MC reading: 異 (MC yiH))

8. 移: moving

   (eumhun reading: 옮길 이 (omgil i))
   (MC reading: 移 (MC ye))

9. 伊: that

   (eumhun reading: 저 이 (jeo i))
   (MC reading: 伊 (MC 'jij))

10. 離: leaving

    (eumhun reading: 떠날 이 (tteonal i))
    (MC reading: 離 (MC lje|ljeH|lejH))

11. 耳: ear

    (eumhun reading: 귀 이 (gwi i))
    (MC reading: 耳 (MC nyiX))

12. 梨: pear tree

    (eumhun reading: 배나무 이 (baenamu i))
    (MC reading: 梨 (MC lij))

13. 吏: petty official

    (eumhun reading: 아전 이 (ajeon i))
    (MC reading: 吏 (MC liH))

14. 而: continuing speech

    (eumhun reading: 말이을 이 (marieul i))
    (MC reading: 而 (MC nyi))

15. 易: easy

    (eumhun reading: 쉬울 이 (swiul i))
    (MC reading: 易 (MC yeH|yek))

16. 已: already

    (eumhun reading: 이미 이 (imi i))
    (MC reading: 已 (MC yiX|yiH))

17. 夷: barbarian

    (eumhun reading: 오랑캐 이 (orangkae i))
    (MC reading: 夷 (MC yij))

18. 貳: two

    (eumhun reading: 두 이 (du i))
    (MC reading: 貳 (MC nyijH))

Synonyms

• (two): 둘 (dul) (native Korean)

Coordinate terms

• (reason): 기 (氣, gi)