Easy Korean Level 4 - Unit 13: Word Builder 4 / 불(不)¶
Welcome back to Word Builder! Today’s Chinese character root (Hanja) is 불 (不), which is sometimes pronounced as 부.
The meaning of this character is "Not", "No", or "In-" / "Un-".
Adding this root to a word reverses its meaning to a negative state. Let's look at some common words!
Vocabulary¶
- 불편하다 (不便-) = to be uncomfortable, to be inconvenient
- 불 (not) + 편 (comfortable/convenient)
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의자가 불편해요. = The chair is uncomfortable.
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불안하다 (不安-) = to be anxious, nervous
- 불 (not) + 안 (peaceful/safe)
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셤 전이라서 불안해요. = I am anxious because it's before the exam.
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불가능하다 (不可能-) = to be impossible
- 불 (not) + 가능 (possible)
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그건 불가능해요. = That is impossible.
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부족하다 (不足-) = to be lacking, insufficient
- 부 (not) + 족 (enough/sufficient)
- 시간이 부족해요. = We lack time. / There is not enough time.
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Note: Before certain consonants like ㅈ, '불' is pronounced and written as '부'.
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부주의 (不注意) = carelessness
- 부 (not) + 주의 (attention/care)
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운전할 때 부주의하면 안 돼요. = You shouldn't be careless when driving.
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불만 (不滿) = complaint, dissatisfaction
- 불 (not) + 만 (full/satisfied)
- 불만이 있어요? = Do you have a complaint?
Example Sentences¶
- 이 신발은 너무 불편해요. (These shoes are too uncomfortable.)
- 돈이 부족해요. (I don't have enough money. / Money is lacking.)
- 내일 발표가 있어서 조금 불안해요. (I have a presentation tomorrow, so I'm a bit nervous.)
- 혼자서 다 하는 것은 불가능해요. (Doing it all alone is impossible.)