Korean

Syllable

니 • ‎(ni)

1. A Hangul syllabic block made up of ㄴ and ㅣ.

Etymology 2

First attested in the Hunmin jeongeum eonhae (訓民正音諺解本 / 훈민정음언해본), 1447, as 니 (Yale: ni).

Noun

니 • ‎(ni)

1. (archaic, now suffixal) a tooth

Alternative forms

• 이 (i) (canonical)

Synonyms

• 이빨 (ippal, “tooth”) (for beasts)

Derived terms

• 윗니 (winni, “the upper teeth”)
• 아랫니 (araenni, “the lower teeth”)
• 앞니 (amni, “incisor, front tooth”)
• 송곳니 (songgonni, “cuspid, canine tooth”)
• 어금니 (eogeumni, “molar, grinding tooth”)
• 사랑니 (sarangni, “wisdom tooth”)
• 뻐드렁니 (ppeodeureongni, “bucktooth”)
• 엄니 (eomni, “(brutal) fang”)
• 젖니 (jeonni, “milk teeth”)
• 간니 (ganni, “permanent teeth”)
• 톱니 (tomni, “saw tooth”)
• 톱니바퀴 (tomnibakwi, “toothed wheel”)

See also

• 입 (ip, “mouth”)
• 입술 (ipsul, “lip”)
• 잇몸 (inmom, “gum”)

External links

• tooth on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Etymology 3

First attested in the Yongbi eocheonga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as ᄋᆞ/으니 (Yale: ^u/_oni).

Suffix

니 • ‎(ni)

1. because, since

   워낙 배가 고팠다 보니 무엇을 먹어도 맛있었다.‎

   Wonak baega gopatda boni mueoseul meogeodo madisseotda.

   Everything tasted so good owing to my great hunger.

2. and then

   바닷가에 다다르니, 마침 하늘도. 바다도, 노을에 가득, 물들던 참이었다.‎

   Badatga-e dadareuni, machim haneuldo. Badado, no-eure gadeuk, muldeuldeon chamieotda.

   We arrived at the beach, just in time to watch, the sunset gild the sky, and the ocean, altogether.

Usage notes

The suffix 니 (ni) takes the sequential form of a verb, an adjective, or 이다 (ida, “to be”), and if the stem ends in the consonant ㄹ (l), it drops out.

Alternative forms

• 니까 (nikka)

Synonyms

• 아/어서 (a/eoseo, “because”)

Derived terms

• 더니 (deoni) (past retrospect)
• 리니 (rini) (future, obsolete)

See also

• 을 테니 (eul teni)

Etymology 4

First attested in the Worin seokbo (月印釋譜 / 월인석보), 1459, as ᄋᆞ/으니 (Yale: ^u/_oni).

Suffix

니 • ‎(ni)

1. a plain style interrogative suffix; gives a friendlier impression than 냐 (nya) does

   여우야, 여우야, 뭐 하니?‎

   Yeouya, yeouya, mwo hani?

   Fox, fox, what are you doing?

Usage notes

The suffix 니 (ni) is usually directly appended to the stem of a verb, an adjective or 이다 (ida, “to be”), though it rarely takes the sequential forms of the present-tense adjectives, not including 있다 (itda, “to exist”) and 없다 (eopda, “not to exist”). In all cases, if the stem ends in the consonant ㄹ (l), it drops out.

Synonyms

• 냐 (nya) / 느냐 (neunya)

Etymology 5

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

니 (ni)

1. 你, 呢, 尼, 怩, 柅, 泥, 祢, 禰, 膩, 妮