Korean · Body & Health
"Nail (fingernail)" in Korean: 손톱
손톱sontop
Note: 손톱 is a fingernail; 발톱 is a toenail.
Nail (fingernail) in Korean is 손톱 (sontop). 손톱 means fingernail; 발톱 means toenail, so 손톱 does not cover every nail.
Personal care
손톱을 잘랐어요.sontobeul jallasseoyo.
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How to pronounce 손톱
Say it
sontop
/sontʰop̚/
손톱 (sontop) has 2 Hangul syllables. The final p in 손톱 closes without an English-style release; the sound links when a vowel particle follows.
"Nail (fingernail)" in Korean: quick reference
| Korean | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| 손톱sontop | Nail (fingernail) Basic dictionary noun. | Basic dictionary noun. |
| 손톱 부위sontop buwi | nail area A useful combination with 손톱. | A useful combination with 손톱. |
| 손톱을sontobeul | Nail (fingernail) (as an object) Use 을 when 손톱 is the object of an action. | Use 을 when 손톱 is the object of an action. |
How to use 손톱 in real life
- 1Personal care
손톱을 잘랐어요.
sontobeul jallasseoyo.
I cut my fingernails.
손톱을 uses 을 to mark an object.
- 2Explaining an injury
손톱이 부러졌어요.
sontobi bureojyeosseoyo.
My fingernail broke.
손톱이 marks 손톱 as the subject.
- 3A manicure
손톱에 색을 칠해요.
sontobe saegeul chilhaeyo.
I paint my fingernails.
손톱 appears in a complete sentence for nail (fingernail).
Mistakes English speakers make with 손톱
Incorrect: 손톱를 잘랐어요.
Correct: 손톱을 잘랐어요.
When practicing nail (fingernail), use the correct particle or copula after 손톱; the final sound determines whether a linking consonant is needed.
Incorrect: 손톱예요.
Correct: 손톱이에요.
When practicing nail (fingernail), when identifying something as 손톱, use 손톱이에요. The linking 이 follows a consonant-final noun.
Good to know
손톱 means fingernail; 발톱 means toenail, so 손톱 does not cover every nail. The combination 손톱 부위 (sontop buwi) means nail area.
Read this practice conversation aloud
Tutor-led body and health study exercise: two sentences with 손톱
Partner
이 표현을 사용해서 한 문장 말해 볼까요?
i pyohyeoneul sayonghaeseo han munjang malhae bolkkayo?
Shall we say a sentence using this expression?
You
손톱을 잘랐어요.
sontobeul jallasseoyo.
I cut my fingernails.
Partner
좋아요. 다른 문장으로도 연습해 볼까요?
joayo. dareun munjangeurodo yeonseupae bolkkayo?
Good. Shall we practice with another sentence too?
You
손톱이 부러졌어요.
sontobi bureojyeosseoyo.
My fingernail broke.
This is a sample dialogue for reading aloud. Try both parts, then replace a detail with one from your own life.
Explore ChatPal"Nail (fingernail)" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Nail (fingernail)" in Korean
What does 손톱 mean in Korean?
Nail (fingernail) in Korean is 손톱 (sontop). 손톱 means fingernail; 발톱 means toenail, so 손톱 does not cover every nail.
How do I use 손톱 부위?
손톱 부위 (sontop buwi) means nail area. 손톱 means fingernail; 발톱 means toenail, so 손톱 does not cover every nail.
Which object particle goes after 손톱?
Use 을: 손톱을. For example, 손톱을 잘랐어요. means “I cut my fingernails.”
How is 손톱 pronounced?
손톱 (sontop) has 2 Hangul syllables. The final p in 손톱 closes without an English-style release; the sound links when a vowel particle follows.
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