그

See also: ユ, コ, ㄈ, and ㄷ

그 U+ADF8, 그 HANGUL SYLLABLE GEU Composition: ㄱ + ㅡ ← 귷 [U+ADF7] Hangul Syllables 극 → [U+ADF9]

그극귺귻근귽귾 귿글긁긂긃긄긅 긆긇금급긊긋긌 긍긎긏긐긑긒긓
규 ←	→ 긔

Jeju

Pronunciation

• (Morphophonemic) IPA^(key): ⫽kɨ⫽
• (Jeju City) IPA^(key): [kɨ]
• Phonetic hangul: [그]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	geu
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	geu
Yale Romanization?	ku

Determiner

그 (geu)

1. (demonstrative) that

Usage notes

그 (geu) is used for items closer to the listener than to the speaker, and 저 (jeo) is used for items far from both the speaker and the listener

Korean

Etymology

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

The 3rd-person pronoun sense is widely believed to be introduced together with 그녀 (geunyeo) by Kim Dong-in in the early 20th century, probably calque of Japanese 彼(かれ) (kare), which became a personal pronoun in addition to a demonstrative pronoun due to the influence of European languages. However, the demonstratives 이〮 (í), 그 (ku), and 뎌〮 (tyé) were all used occasionally in Middle Korean as 3rd person pronouns as well.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [kɯ]

  • Audio:

    (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [그]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	geu
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	geu
McCune–Reischauer?	kŭ
Yale Romanization?	ku

Determiner

Ablaut/harmonic pair

Yin-form	그 (geu)
Yang-form	고 (go)

그 • (geu)

1. (demonstrative) that (of what has been already said or known)

   그 남자는 일본인입니까 아니면 중국인입니까? ― 그는 중국인입니다.

   geu namjaneun ilboninimnikka animyeon jungguginimnikka? ― geuneun jungguginimnida.

   Is that man Japanese or Chinese? ― He is Chinese.

   근데 방금 그 여자 누구에요?

   geunde banggeum geu yeoja nugueyo?

   By the way, who is that girl?

   그 사람들은 가족입니다. ― Geu saramdeureun gajogimnida. ― Those people are family.

Usage notes

그 (geu) is used for items closer to the listener than to the speaker, and 저 (jeo) is used for items far from both the speaker and the listener

Derived terms

• 그것 (geugeot, “that thing”)
• 그곳 (geugot, “that place”)
• 그때 (geuttae, “that moment”)
• 그대로 (geudaero, “like that”)
• 그렇다 (geureota, “to be that way”)
• 그이 (geu'i, “he”)
• 그놈 (geunom, “he”) (insulting)
• 그놈들 (geunomdeul, “they”) (insulting)
• 그년 (geunyeon, “she”) (insulting)

See also

• 이 (i, “this”)
• 저 (jeo, “that”)

Pronoun

그 • (geu)

1. (literary) he, she

   그는 아무런 말도 없이 가버렸다.

   geuneun amureon maldo eopsi gabeoryeotda.

   He/She left without saying anything.

Usage notes

그녀 (geunyeo, “she”) is an explicitly feminine third-person pronoun.

그 is never used as a pronoun in colloquial Korean. See 걔 (gyae, “he; she”) for the colloquial pronoun.

Synonyms

• (demonstrative, that): 저 (jeo)

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “demonstrative, this”): 이 (i)

Derived terms

• 그녀 (geunyeo, “she”)
• 그들 (geudeul, “they”)
• 그네들 (geunedeul, “they”)

See also

Korean demonstratives

Determiner		이 (i)	그 (geu)	저 (jeo)	어느 (eoneu)
Pronoun	Human	이이 (ii)	그이 (geu'i)	저이 (jeoi)	뉘 (nwi)
		이분 (ibun)	그분 (geubun)	저분 (jeobun)	어느 분 (eoneu bun)
		이자 (ija)	그자 (geuja)	저자 (jeoja)
		얘 (yae)	걔 (gyae)	쟤 (jae)
	Object	이 (i)	(그 (geu))1	(저 (jeo))1
		이것 (igeot)	그것 (geugeot)	저것 (jeogeot)	어느 것 (eoneu geot)
		이거 (igeo)	그거 (geugeo)	저거 (jeogeo)	어느 거 (eoneu geo)
	Place	여기 (yeogi)	거기 (geogi)	저기 (jeogi)	어디 (eodi)
		이곳 (igot)	그곳 (geugot)	저곳 (jeogot)	어느 곳 (eoneu got)
	Direction	이쪽 (ijjok)	그쪽 (geujjok)	저쪽 (jeojjok)	어느 쪽 (eoneu jjok)
	Time	이때 (ittae)	그때 (geuttae)	접때 (jeopttae)	언제 (eonje)
Verb		이러다 (ireoda)	그러다 (geureoda)	저러다 (jeoreoda)	어쩌다 (eojjeoda)
		이리하다 (irihada)	그리하다 (geurihada)	저리하다 (jeorihada)	어찌하다 (eojjihada)
Adjective		이렇다 (ireota)	그렇다 (geureota)	저렇다 (jeoreota)	어떻다 (eotteota)
		이러하다 (ireohada)	그러하다 (geureohada)	저러하다 (jeoreohada)	어떠하다 (eotteohada)
Adverb		이리 (iri)	그리 (geuri)	저리 (jeori)	어찌 (eojji)
		이렇게 (ireoke)	그렇게 (geureoke)	저렇게 (jeoreoke)	어떻게 (eotteoke)
		이만큼 (imankeum)	그만큼 (geumankeum)	저만큼 (jeomankeum)	얼마만큼 (eolmamankeum) (얼마큼 (eolmakeum))

¹ Not common.