성

성 U+C131, 성 HANGUL SYLLABLE SEONG Composition: ㅅ + ㅓ + ㅇ ← 섰 [U+C130] Hangul Syllables 섲 → [U+C132]

서석섞섟선섡섢 섣설섥섦섧섨섩 섪섫섬섭섮섯섰 성섲섳섴섵섶섷
섀 ←	→ 세

Jeju

Etymology

Sino-Korean word from 兄.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /səŋ/

Noun

성 (seong)

1. older brother (of a male)
2. older sister (of a male)

Derived terms

• 성님 (seongnim)

References

• “성” in Jeju's culture and language, Digital museum.

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Korean

Etymology 1

First attested in the Myobeomnyeonhwagyeong eonhae (妙法蓮華經諺解 / 묘법연화경언해), 1463, as Middle Korean 셔ᇰ〯 (Yale: syěng).

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	seong
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	seong
McCune–Reischauer?	sŏng
Yale Romanization?	sēng

Noun

성 • (seong)

1. anger; rage; wrath

   왜 고작 그런 것을 가지고 성을 내는 것이니?

   Wae gojak geureon geoseul gajigo seong'eul naeneun geosini?

   Why are [you] getting angry over such a trivial thing?

   그렇게 쓸데없이 성을 내면 못써.

   Geureoke sseuldeeopsi seong'eul naemyeon motsseo.

   It's no good getting angry for no apparent reason like that.

   Synonym: 화(火) (hwa)

Etymology 2

Sino-Korean word from 性, from the Middle Korean reading 셔ᇰ〯 (Yale: syěng).

“-ity, -ness”

From the Japanese usage of the character, an orthographic borrowing from Japanese 性(せい) (-sei).

Pronunciation

Noun

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	seong
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	seong
McCune–Reischauer?	sŏng
Yale Romanization?	sēng

Suffix

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [s͈ʌ̹ŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [썽]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	seong
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	seong
McCune–Reischauer?	ssŏng
Yale Romanization?	qseng

Noun

성 • (seong) (hanja 性)

1. sex, sexuality; gender

   교육에서 성 격차가 커지고 있다. 더 적은 숫자의 여아들만이 학교에 가고 있다.

   Gyoyugeseo seong gyeokchaga keojigo itda. Deo jeogeun sutjaui yeoadeulmani hakgyoe gago itda.

   The gender gap in education is widening; fewer girls are going to school.

2. one's true or inherent nature

   Synonym: 본성(本性) (bonseong)

3. (grammar) grammatical gender

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 성깔 (seongkkal)
• 성결 (seonggyeol)

Suffix

—성 • (-seong) (hanja 性)

1. -ity, -ness; the nature, quality, tendency, or characteristics of something

   잔혹성 (殘酷性) ― ruthlessness

   인간성 (人間性) ― ᅟhuman nature / humanity

   생산성 (生産性) ― productivity

Usage notes

The suffix is almost always tensed when attached to words with two or more syllables. See ㅅ (s#genitive) and Appendix:Sino-Korean tensing for more information on this phenomenon.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 먹성 (meokseong)
• 밉성 (mipseong)
• 귀염성 (gwiyeomseong)
• 마음성 (ma'eumseong)
• 믿음성 (mideumseong)
• 붙임성 (buchimseong)
• 사귐성 (sagwimseong)
• 엄포성 (eomposeong)
• 참을성 (chameulseong)
• 알칼리성 (alkalliseong)
• 부끄럼성 (bukkeureomseong)
• 알레르기성 (allereugiseong)

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 性 for Sino-Korean compounds of 성 (性, seong).

Etymology 3

Sino-Korean word from 姓, from the Middle Korean reading 셔ᇰ〯 (Yale: syěng).

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	seong
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	seong
McCune–Reischauer?	sŏng
Yale Romanization?	sēng

Noun

성 • (seong) (hanja 姓)

1. surname; last name

   Synonym: 성씨(姓氏) (seongssi)

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 姓 for Sino-Korean compounds of 성 (姓, seong).

Etymology 4

Sino-Korean word from 城, from the Middle Korean reading 셔ᇰ (Yale: syèng).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰʌ̹ŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [성]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	seong
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	seong
McCune–Reischauer?	sŏng
Yale Romanization?	seng

Noun

성 • (seong) (hanja 城)

1. castle; fortress

   우리는 끝까지 저항했다. 하지만 결국에는 적에 의해서 성이 함락됐다.

   Urineun kkeutkkaji jeohanghaetda. Hajiman gyeolgugeneun jeoge uihaeseo seong'i hamnakdwaetda.

   We fought to the end. But eventually, the castle was taken by the enemy

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 城 for Sino-Korean compounds of 성 (城, seong).

Etymology 5

Sino-Korean word from 聖, from the Middle Korean reading 셔ᇰ〯 (Yale: syěng).

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	seong
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	seong
McCune–Reischauer?	sŏng
Yale Romanization?	sēng

Determiner

성 • (seong) (hanja 聖)

1. (Catholicism) saint

   성 베드로 ― seong Bedeuro ― Saint Peter

Related terms

• 성인 (聖人, seong'in)

Noun

성 • (seong) (hanja 聖)

1. that which is holy or sacred
   • 2019, ““神(신)을 모른다는 것을 아는 것(無(무)知(지)의 知(지)), 이 말이 정답””, in Monthly Chosun‎^[1]:

     생명과 죽음의 문제를 […] 이야기하고 싶어 했다. 육과 영, 속과 성의 경계 허물기다.

     Saengmyeonggwa jugeumui munjereul [ … ] iyagihago sipeo haetda. Yukgwa yeong, sokgwa seong'ui gyeonggye heomulgida.

     [He] wanted to explain the question of life and death […] breaking the lines between the body and the soul, the secular and the sacred.

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 聖 for Sino-Korean compounds of 성 (聖, seong).

Etymology 6

Sino-Korean word from 星.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [sʰʌ̹ŋ]
• Phonetic hangul: [성]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	seong
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	seong
McCune–Reischauer?	sŏng
Yale Romanization?	seng

Suffix

—성 • (-seong) (hanja 星)

1. (astronomy, academic) star

   시리우스성 ― siriuseuseong ― Sirius (the star)

Derived terms

• See the hanja entry at 星 for Sino-Korean compounds of 성 (星, seong).

See also

• 별 (byeol, Native Korean)

Etymology 7

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

성 (seong)

More information

1. 姓:

   (MC reading: 姓 (MC sjengH))

2. 性:

   (MC reading: 性 (MC sjengH))

3. 成:

   (MC reading: 成 (MC dzyeng))

4. 城:

   (MC reading: 城 (MC dzyeng))

5. 誠:

   (MC reading: 誠 (MC dzyeng))

6. 盛:

   (MC reading: 盛 (MC dzyeng|dzyengH))

7. 省:

   (MC reading: 省 (MC sjengX))

8. 聖:

   (MC reading: 聖 (MC syengH))

9. 聲:

   (MC reading: 聲 (MC syeng))

10. 星:

    (MC reading: 星 (MC seng))

11. 醒:

    (MC reading: 醒 (MC seng|sengX|sengH))

12. 晟:

    (MC reading: 晟 (MC dzyengH))