A2 adverb 2 min read

온통

온통 means everything or everywhere is covered by something.

ontong
Practice it

Explanation at your level:

You use 온통 when everything is one thing. If your room is full of books, you say 'My room is 온통 books.' It means 'all over' or 'everything.' It is very simple to use!

온통 helps you describe things that are completely covered. If it snows, the ground is 온통 white. It is a great way to make your sentences more descriptive and interesting for your friends.

At this level, you can use 온통 to describe abstract feelings. For example, 'My mind is 온통 about the exam.' It emphasizes that your focus is entirely on one specific thing, leaving no room for distractions.

온통 functions as a strong intensifier. You might use it in narrative writing to set a scene, such as 'The forest was 온통 covered in mist.' It creates a vivid image of total immersion in an environment.

In advanced usage, 온통 can imply a sense of overwhelming presence. It is often used in literary contexts to describe a character's internal state, such as being 온통 consumed by regret or joy. It carries a nuance of totality that standard descriptors lack.

Mastery of 온통 involves understanding its rhythmic role in sentences. It provides a sharp, percussive emphasis. In high-level discourse, it is used to highlight the absolute nature of a situation, often contrasting with subtle nuances to show how one element has completely eclipsed all others in a given context.

Word in 30 Seconds

  • Means entirely or all over.
  • Used for state and coverage.
  • Common in daily conversation.
  • Pairs well with '뿐이다' and '투성이다'.

When you use 온통, you are painting a picture of total saturation. Think of it as the Korean way of saying 'all over' or 'completely.' Whether it is a room covered in dust or your mind filled with worries, 온통 captures that feeling of being surrounded.

It is a very expressive word. Instead of just saying something is 'full,' 온통 adds a sense of intensity. It tells the listener that there is almost no room left for anything else. It is a fantastic word to add color to your descriptions!

The word 온통 is rooted in the native Korean word '온' (on), which means 'whole' or 'entire.' Historically, '온' was used to denote completeness in various contexts, from '온 세상' (the whole world) to '온종일' (the whole day).

The suffix '-통' acts as an intensifier, emphasizing the state of being 'entirely' or 'all over.' Over centuries, this combination solidified into a standard adverb. It is a classic example of how Korean builds descriptive power by combining root words with functional suffixes to create vivid, punchy adverbs.

You will hear 온통 in both casual and formal settings. It is most commonly paired with verbs like '뒤덮이다' (to be covered) or '바다' (sea/field). For example, '온통 빨간색이다' means 'it is all red everywhere.'

It is very versatile. You can use it for physical objects, like '온통 먼지' (covered in dust), or abstract concepts, like '온통 생각뿐이다' (my thoughts are entirely occupied by this). It is a neutral word, meaning it fits perfectly in almost any conversation.

1. 온통 세상이 ~로 보이다: To see the whole world as something (usually when in love). 2. 온통 뒤집히다: To be turned completely upside down. 3. 온통 땀범벅: Covered entirely in sweat. 4. 온통 하얗게 질리다: To turn completely pale (from fear). 5. 온통 엉망진창: A total, complete mess.

온통 is an adverb, so it does not change form. It does not have plurals or conjugations. In terms of pronunciation, it is pronounced [온통]. The 'ㄴ' and 'ㅌ' sounds create a crisp, sharp stop.

It is often used with the particle '으로' or just placed directly before the adjective or verb it modifies. It acts as a modifier for the state of the sentence, making it a very easy word to integrate into your daily Korean practice.

Fun Fact

The root '온' was used in the Joseon Dynasty for '100'.

Pronunciation Guide

UK /on-tong/

Sounds like 'on' plus 'tong'.

US /on-tong/

Clear 'o' sound, sharp 't' sound.

Common Errors

  • Softening the 't'
  • Mispronouncing the 'ng'
  • Adding vowel between syllables

Rhymes With

동동 통통 공공 몽몽 송송

Difficulty Rating

Reading 2/5

Easy to read

Writing 2/5

Easy to use

Speaking 2/5

Natural in speech

Listening 2/5

Clear sound

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

전부 모두 가득

Learn Next

온종일 뒤덮이다 투성이다

Advanced

점철되다 난무하다

Grammar to Know

Adverb usage

온통 빨갛다

Noun modifiers

온통 먼지

Sentence structure

온통 ~뿐이다

Examples by Level

1

방이 온통 장난감이다.

Room is all-over toys.

Simple subject-complement structure.

1

온통 하얀 눈이 내렸다.

2

거리가 온통 꽃으로 가득하다.

3

내 옷이 온통 흙투성이다.

4

그는 온통 그 생각뿐이다.

5

하늘이 온통 구름이다.

6

온통 시끄러운 소리뿐이다.

7

온통 빨간 사과가 열렸다.

8

온통 젖어 버렸다.

1

도서관은 온통 조용했다.

2

그녀의 얼굴은 온통 눈물범벅이었다.

3

온통 낯선 사람들뿐이었다.

4

온통 궁금한 것들 투성이다.

5

온통 숲으로 둘러싸인 집.

6

온통 어두운 밤이었다.

7

온통 땀을 흘리고 있다.

8

온통 거짓말뿐인 이야기.

1

마음이 온통 불안으로 가득 찼다.

2

온통 뒤집힌 방을 보고 놀랐다.

3

그의 머릿속은 온통 계획뿐이다.

4

온통 붉게 물든 노을을 보았다.

5

온통 얼음으로 덮인 호수.

6

온통 낡은 가구들뿐이었다.

7

온통 소문으로 퍼져 나갔다.

8

온통 잊혀진 기억들.

1

그의 열정은 온통 예술에 쏟아졌다.

2

온통 무기력함에 빠져 있었다.

3

온통 의문투성이인 상황이다.

4

온통 잿더미로 변해버렸다.

5

온통 혼란스러운 분위기였다.

6

온통 긍정적인 에너지로 가득하다.

7

온통 텅 빈 마음뿐이다.

8

온통 억측이 난무했다.

1

온통 사유의 바다에 잠긴 듯했다.

2

온통 모순으로 점철된 삶.

3

온통 적막만이 감도는 공간.

4

온통 비탄에 잠긴 모습.

5

온통 경이로움으로 가득 찬 세상.

6

온통 숭고한 정신이 깃들어 있다.

7

온통 파멸의 기운이 감돈다.

8

온통 찬란한 빛으로 가득하다.

Common Collocations

온통 ~뿐이다
온통 뒤덮이다
온통 ~투성이다
온통 ~이다
온통 ~로 가득하다
온통 젖다
온통 잊다
온통 붉게
온통 어둡다
온통 조용하다

Idioms & Expressions

"온통 엉망진창"

a complete mess

방이 온통 엉망진창이다.

casual

"온통 눈물바다"

a sea of tears

그곳은 온통 눈물바다였다.

literary

"온통 땀범벅"

covered in sweat

운동 후 온통 땀범벅이다.

casual

"온통 실수투성이"

full of mistakes

보고서가 온통 실수투성이다.

neutral

"온통 거짓말"

all lies

그의 말은 온통 거짓말이다.

neutral

"온통 머릿속이 복잡하다"

mind is completely cluttered

온통 머릿속이 복잡하다.

neutral

Easily Confused

온통 vs 전부

both mean 'all'

전부 is quantity, 온통 is state

전부 먹었다 vs 온통 젖었다

온통 vs 모두

both mean 'all'

모두 is for people/objects

모두 왔다 vs 온통 흙이다

Sentence Patterns

B1

온통 + [noun] + 뿐이다

온통 걱정뿐이다.

A2

온통 + [adjective]

온통 빨갛다.

A2

온통 + [verb]

온통 젖었다.

B2

온통 + [noun] + 로 가득하다

온통 꽃으로 가득하다.

B1

온통 + [noun] + 투성이다

온통 실수투성이다.

Word Family

Nouns

온 whole/entire

Related

온종일 related by '온' root

How to Use It

frequency

8

Formality Scale

Formal (rare) Neutral (common) Casual (common) Slang (N/A)

Common Mistakes

Using 온통 with partial amounts → Use it for total coverage
온통 implies 100%, not a part.
Confusing with 모두 → 온통 is for state/coverage, 모두 is for count/people
온통 describes a state of being.
Adding extra particles → 온통 + noun
It doesn't need extra particles usually.
Using in formal writing → Use '전부' or '전체' for formal reports
온통 is descriptive/emotional.
Misplacing in sentence → Place before the verb/adjective
Adverb placement matters for emphasis.

Tips

💡

Rhyme Time

Remember 'On-tong' rhymes with 'Tong-tong'.

💡

Use it for emphasis

Add it to describe messy rooms.

🌍

K-pop lyrics

Listen for '온통' in love songs.

💡

Placement

Put it right before the verb.

💡

Sharp T

Make the T sound crisp.

💡

Don't use for small parts

Only for total coverage.

💡

Ancient root

Root '온' means 100.

💡

Sentence building

Make 5 sentences daily.

💡

Visualizing

Close your eyes and imagine the word.

💡

Particles

It usually doesn't take particles.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

On (온) the tongue (통) - everything is covered in taste!

Visual Association

A room covered in sticky notes.

Word Web

전부 완전히 가득

Challenge

Describe your desk using '온통'.

Word Origin

Korean

Original meaning: Entire/Whole

Cultural Context

None.

Similar to 'all over' or 'completely'.

Used frequently in K-pop lyrics to describe love.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

Cleaning

  • 온통 먼지다
  • 온통 엉망이다
  • 온통 치웠다

Weather

  • 온통 눈이다
  • 온통 비다
  • 온통 흐리다

Emotions

  • 온통 걱정이다
  • 온통 기쁘다
  • 온통 슬프다

Nature

  • 온통 숲이다
  • 온통 꽃이다
  • 온통 바다다

Conversation Starters

"What is your room like right now? Is it 온통 messy?"

"When was the last time you were 온통 wet?"

"Do you have any thoughts that are 온통 in your head?"

"What color is your favorite place 온통?"

"Why is the street 온통 crowded?"

Journal Prompts

Describe a place you visited that was 온통 beautiful.

Write about a time you were 온통 worried.

If you could cover your room in one thing, what would it be 온통?

Describe your favorite season using the word 온통.

Frequently Asked Questions

8 questions

Yes, e.g., '온통 사람들뿐이다' (It's all people).

It is neutral and commonly used in speech.

온통 focuses on the state of coverage, 전부 on the quantity.

No, use 온종일 for time.

No, it is an adverb.

Yes, e.g., '온통 잊었다'.

Rarely, unless describing a situation.

On-tong.

Test Yourself

fill blank A1

방이 ___ 먼지 투성이다.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 온통

온통 describes the state of being covered.

multiple choice A2

Which sentence is correct?

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 온통 비가 온다.

Adverb goes before the verb/state.

true false B1

온통 means 'a little bit'.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: False

It means 'entirely'.

match pairs B1

Word

Meaning

All matched!

Matching phrases to meanings.

sentence order B2

Tap words below to build the sentence
Correct! Not quite. Correct answer:

Subject + adverb + complement + verb.

Score: /5

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