줄

Korean

Etymology 1

First attested in the Seokbo sangjeol (釋譜詳節 / 석보상절), 1447, as Middle Korean 줄〮 (Yale: cwúl), with semantic narrowing; the Middle Korean word meant "situation" more generally. Perhaps ultimately related to the "string" meaning below, but this is highly speculative.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):

  • (file)

• Phonetic hangul:

Dependent noun

줄 • (jul) (obligatorily follows an adnominalized verb)

1. (before a verb of knowledge) ability, method; how to

   Synonym: 것 (geot)

   너 영어 할 줄도 알아?

   Neo yeong'eo hal jul-do ara?

   Do you know how to speak English, too?

2. (before a verb of knowledge) a perceived fact (see Usage notes)

   나 시험 망친 줄 알았어.

   Na siheom mangchin jul arasseo.

   I thought I'd failed the test.

   그가 미국을 떠났을 줄은 상상조차 못한 일이었다.

   Geu-ga Migug-eul tteonasseul jur-eun sangsang-jocha mothan ir-ieotda.

   That he had left the United States was something he had not even imagined possible.

   사태가 이리 심각해진 줄을 미처 몰랐습니다.

   Satae-ga iri simgakhaejin jur-eul micheo mollatseumnida.

   I had been unaware that the situation had become so critical.

Usage notes

When used with the particle 을 (-eul, accusative marker), it means that the speaker is personally considering the situation as factual. When used with the particle 로 (-ro, “by, with”, instrumental marker), it means that the original perceiver considered the situation as factual, and that the speaker may or may not agree with them. Compare:

• 잘못된 줄을 알다

  jalmotdoen jur-eul alda

  to know that it is wrong to do

• 잘못된 줄로 알다

  jalmotdoen jul-lo alda

  to think that it is wrong to do

When the particle is omitted (as is very common), the meaning can be ambiguous.

Etymology 2

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

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):

  • (file)

• Phonetic hangul:

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 줄의 / 줄에 / 줄까지

  Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch and also heightens the next suffixed syllable, unless it is 에.

Noun

줄 • (jul) (usually no hanja; sometimes 乼, 注乙)

1. string, rope

   Synonyms: 실 (sil, “string, thread”), 밧줄 (batjul, “rope”)

   줄을 당기다 ― jur-eul danggida ― to pull a string

2. line, row, column, queue

   나무 한 줄 ― namu han jul ― one row of trees

   줄을 서다 ― jureul seoda ― to stand in line

3. line, crack (on a surface)

   Synonyms: 선(線) (seon, “line”), 금 (geum, “crack”)

   줄을 긋다 ― jur-eul geutda ― to draw a line

4. line on a written page

   Synonym: 행(行) (haeng)

   두번째 줄에 세번째 단어 ― dubeonjjae jur-e sebeonjjae daneo ― the third word in the second line

5. string of a musical instrument

   Synonym: 현(絃) (hyeon)

6. (figurative) personal connections
7. (North Korea, mathematics) Synonym of 현(絃) (hyeon, “chord of a circle”)

Derived terms

Verbs and idioms:

Nouns:

Related terms

• 주름 (jureum, “wrinkle”)

Etymology 3

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

Pronunciation

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

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 줄의 / 줄에 / 줄까지

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

Noun

줄 • (jul)

1. file (cutting tool)

   Synonyms: 야스리 (yaseuri), 줄칼 (julkal), 쇠줄 (soejul), 줄톱 (jultop)

Etymology 4

First attested in the Yeogeo yuhae (譯語類解 / 역어유해), 1690, as Early Modern Korean 줄 (Yale: cwul).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

줄 • (jul)

1. Manchurian wild rice (Zizania latifolia)

   Synonym: 줄풀 (julpul)

Derived terms

• 노던줄 (nodeonjul, “Northern wild rice”)
• 줄풀 (julpul, “Manchurian wild rice”)

Etymology 5

From English joule.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:

Counter

줄 • (jul)

1. joule (measure of energy)

Etymology 6

Sino-Korean word from 橘.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:

• South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 줄의 / 줄에 / 줄까지

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

Noun

줄 • (jul) (hanja 橘)

1. (Gyeongsang, Chungcheong, Jeolla dialect) Dialectal form of 귤(橘) (gyul, “orange, clementine”)

Etymology 7

Various verbal inflections grouped under one etymology for convenience. See the main entries for more.

Verb

줄 • (jul)

1. future adnominal of 주다 (juda, “to give; to act for”): which will give; which will be given; which will be for the sake of someone
2. future adnominal of 줄다 (julda, “to decrease”): which will decrease

Etymology 8

Modern Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

줄 (jul)