무

From earlier 무우 (muu) (unstandardized in South Korea in 1988), from Middle Korean 무ᅀᅮ (Yale: mwùzwù), connective form before suffixes 무ᇫㅇ (Yale: mwùzG-), from pre-Middle Korean *mwusuk.^[1] Dialects commonly preserve the medial /-s-/.

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

무 • (mu)

1. Korean radish, a variety of daikon commonly consumed in Korea (both the plant and its edible root)

   Synonym: (rare) 나복(蘿蔔) (nabok)

2. (by extension) similar root vegetables, including other daikons, rutabagas, swedes, and yellow turnips

Sino-Korean word from 無 (“nothing, not being”), from the Middle Korean reading 무 (Yale: mwù).

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

무 • (mu) (hanja 無)

1. nothing, nothingness, nonexistence (especially as an abstract concept in opposition to existence)

   Antonym: 유(有) (yu)

   무에서 유를 창조하다

   mu-eseo yu-reul changjo-hada

   to create something out of nothing

   • 1918, 韓龍雲 (Han Yong-un)<t:Han Yong-un>, “心(심) (Sim) [The Heart]”, in 惟(유)心(심), number 1:

     心(심)은 無(무)의 實(실)在(재)오 有(유)의 眞(진)空(공)이니라

     Sim-eun mu-ui siljae-o yu-ui jin'gong-inira

     The heart is the manifestation of non-existence and the vacuum of existence.

2. Used to count draws when marking scores in competitions and tournaments.

   1승 2무 1패

   ilseung imu ilpae

   one win, two draws, one loss

3. (Buddhism) Given in response to a koan or a question that mistakenly assumes an affirmative or negative answer.

   개가 불성이 있습니까? — 무!

   Gae-ga bulseong-i itseumnikka? - Mu!

   Does a dog have a Buddha-nature? — Mu!

무— • (mu-) (hanja 無)

1. non-, un-, a-; a prefix marking an absence of something

   ‎무(無) (mu) + ‎공해(公害) (gonghae, “pollution”) → ‎무공해(無公害) (mugonghae, “non-polluting”)

   ‎무(無) (mu) + ‎소음(騷音) (so'eum, “noise”) → ‎무소음(無騷音) (muso'eum, “noiseless”)

   ‎무(無) (mu) + ‎매너 (maeneo, “manners”) → ‎무(無)매너 (mumaeneo, “no manners, rude”)

• 무(無)하다 (muhada, “to be nonexistent”) (archaic except in Buddhism)
• See the hanja entry at 無 for Sino-Korean compounds of 무 (無, mu).

• 없다 (eopda), the Korean adjective expressing nonexistence

Sino-Korean word from 武, from the Middle Korean reading 무〯 (Yale: mwǔ).

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

무 • (mu) (hanja 武)

1. (especially historical) martial ethos; the military arts; everything to do with warfare or (by extension) martial arts, especially as a concept in East Asian political theory

   Antonym: 문(文) (mun, “literary arts, literariness, civility”)

   Coordinate term: 문무(文武) (munmu, “literate arts and martial knowledge considered together”)

   • 1613, 시경언해/詩經諺解 [Korean translation of the Classic of Poetry]:

     文(문)ᄒᆞ고 武(무)ᄒᆞᆫ 吉(길)甫(보)ㅣ여 萬(만)邦(방)이 법을 삼놋다

     mun-hago mu-han Gilbo-iyeo manbang-i beob-eul samnotda

     O Jifu, who mastered the arts of peace and the arts of war! The myriad realms make you as their law.

   • early 18th century, 홍길동전 경판본/洪吉童傳 京板本 [Seoul edition of the Tale of Hong Gildong]:

     신이 젼하ᄅᆞᆯ 밧드러 만셰ᄅᆞᆯ 뫼올가 ᄒᆞ오나, 쳔비쇼ᄉᆡᆼ이라 문으로 옥당의 막히옵고 무로 션천의 막일지라 […]

     sin-i jeonha-reul batdeureo mansye-reul moe'olga haona, cheonbisyosaeng-ira mun-euro okdang-ui makhiopgo mu-ro syeoncheon-ui magiljira [ … ]

     Though I would like to serve Your Majesty and be at your side for a myriad generations, I am the child of a lowly slave-woman. With regards to the civil arts, the halls of jade are blocked to me; as for the military path, the Office of Transmission is blocked to me.

   • 1920, “戰(전)爭(쟁)은 罪(죄)惡(악)뿐 余(여)의 縱(종)橫(횡)觀(관) [War is naught but evil: my wide-ranging thoughts]”, in The Dong-a Ilbo:

     진실노 武(무)를 論(논)하고 兵(병)을 說(설)하는 者(자)를 時(시)代(대)의 錯(착)誤(오)者(자)로 하야 이를 呪(주)咀(저)하게 되얏다.

     Jinsil-lo mu-reul non-hago byeong-eul seol-haneun ja-reul sidae-ui chagoja-ro haya i-reul jujeo-hage doeyatda.

     Truly, people have come to curse those who discuss military affairs and speak of armies, considering them as men who have misread the era.

   • 2019, “조선이 명을 섬길 때 일본은 세계를 만났다 [joseoni myeong'eul seomgil ttae ilboneun segyereul mannatda, When Korea served Ming China, Japan encountered the world]”, in The Chosun Ilbo:

     국가 차원에서는 강병(强兵)이 없었고 개인 차원에서는 무(武)를 천시한 결과라는 것이다.

     Gukga chawon-eseo-neun gangbyeong-i eopseotgo gaein chawon-eseo-neun mureul cheonsi-han gyeolgwa-raneun geos-ida.

     That is, was the result of not having high-quality troops from a state perspective, and neglecting martial virtues from an individual perspective.

• See the hanja entry at 武 for Sino-Korean compounds of 무 (武, mu).

Sino-Korean word from 舞 (“dance”), from the Middle Korean reading 무〯 (Yale: mwǔ).

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

무 • (mu) (hanja 舞)

1. (rather uncommon) dance

   Synonym: (more common) 춤 (chum)

   • 2016, “산청군민 무(舞)로 100세시대 건강 책임집니다 [sancheonggunmin muro 100sesidae geon'gang chaegimjimnida]”, in Gyeongnam Sinmun‎:

     산청군이 산청아리랑 가락에 맞춰 제작한 '군민 무(舞)' 보급에 나선다.

     Sancheonggun-i Sancheong'arirang garag-e matchwo jejak-han gunmin mu bogeub-e naseonda.

     Sancheong County has launched a project to disseminate a dance for the county people, created according to the melodies of the Sancheong Arirang ."

• See the hanja entry at 舞 for Sino-Korean compounds of 무 (舞, mu).

Sino-Korean word from 巫, from the Middle Korean reading 무〯 (Yale: mwǔ).

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

무 • (mu) (hanja 巫)

1. (formal, uncommon) shamanism; in particular, Korean shamanism, the indigenous religion of Korea

   Synonyms: (much more common) 무속(巫俗) (musok), 무교(巫敎) (mugyo)

2. (formal, uncommon) shaman; priest of Korean shamanism

   Synonyms: 무당(巫堂) (mudang), 무속인(巫俗人) (musogin); see also Thesaurus:무속인

• See the hanja entry at 巫 for Sino-Korean compounds of 무 (巫, mu).

Sino-Korean word from 戊

무 • (mu) (hanja 戊)

1. the fifth of the ten heavenly stems

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

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

무 • (mu)

1. gusset (especially in traditional clothing)

• 거셋 (geoset, “gusset”) (especially in modern clothing)
• 마찌 (majji, “gusset”) (especially in modern clothing)

Modern Korean reading of various Chinese characters, from Middle Korean 무 (Yale: mwù), 무〯 (Yale: mwǔ).

무 (mu)