Explanation at your level:
You use this when you see snow. It is very easy. Just say: 눈이 와요 (It is snowing). You can use this with your friends or family.
When the weather is cold, snow falls. We say 눈이 오다. You can say 오늘 눈이 왔어요 to mean 'it snowed today'. It is a very useful phrase for daily life.
This phrase is the standard way to describe snowfall. You can modify it with adverbs like 많이 (a lot) or 조금 (a little). It is essential for talking about winter travel and seasonal activities.
Beyond simple weather reports, you might use this in descriptive writing. The phrase is versatile and can be conjugated to fit various sentence structures, such as 눈이 오면 (if it snows).
In literary contexts, the arrival of snow can symbolize change or purity. Using 눈이 오다 effectively allows you to set a scene or mood in a narrative, moving beyond mere reporting to evocative storytelling.
Mastery of this phrase involves understanding its cultural weight in Korean literature, where snow often represents a clean slate or a melancholic winter reflection. It is a foundational element of Korean descriptive language.
Word in 30 Seconds
- It means 'it snows'.
- Uses '이' subject marker.
- Very common in daily life.
- Can be formal or casual.
When you look outside and see white flakes falling, you are witnessing 눈이 오다. In Korean, this is the most natural way to describe the act of snowing. It combines the noun 눈 (snow) with the verb 오다 (to come).
Think of it literally as 'snow is coming' toward the ground. It is a very common phrase used by everyone from small children to weather reporters on the news. You will use this whenever the winter season arrives or during a cold snap.
The word 눈 has ancient roots in the Korean language, referring to both 'eye' and 'snow'—a classic homonym! The verb 오다 is a fundamental movement verb meaning 'to come'.
Historically, Koreans have always observed the seasons closely due to agriculture. The phrase evolved naturally as a way to describe the arrival of winter precipitation. It is fascinating how such a simple combination of two basic words creates a vivid image of the landscape changing color.
You use 눈이 오다 in almost every situation involving snow. It is neutral and appropriate for both casual chats with friends and formal weather reports.
Common collocations include 눈이 많이 오다 (it snows a lot) or 눈이 예쁘게 오다 (snow is falling beautifully). You can also use it in the past tense, 눈이 왔어요, to tell someone about the weather earlier in the day.
1. 눈이 오나 비가 오나: Meaning 'come rain or shine', used when doing something regardless of the weather. 2. 눈을 붙이다: Literally 'to attach eyes', meaning to take a short nap. 3. 눈이 높다: Meaning 'to have high standards'. 4. 눈에 넣어도 아프지 않다: Used to describe someone you love dearly. 5. 눈을 속이다: Meaning to deceive someone.
Grammatically, 눈 is the subject marked by the particle 이. Because 오다 is an intransitive verb, it does not take an object. Pronunciation is straightforward: 'nu-ni o-da'.
The stress is usually neutral, but you might emphasize '눈' if you are surprised by the snowfall. It follows standard Korean verb conjugation rules for the present and past tenses.
Fun Fact
The word for snow and eye are identical in Korean.
Pronunciation Guide
Crisp syllables
Clear articulation
Common Errors
- Mispronouncing 'nu' as 'noo'
- Dropping the 'i' particle
- Slurring the 'o-da'
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Very easy
Very easy
Very easy
Very easy
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Advanced
Grammar to Know
Subject Particles
눈이
Verb Conjugation
옵니다
Conditional
오면
Examples by Level
눈이 와요.
Snow is coming.
Present polite.
눈이 와요!
It's snowing!
Excited tone.
눈이 왔어요.
Snow came.
Past tense.
눈이 많이 와요.
A lot of snow.
Adverb usage.
눈이 조금 와요.
A little snow.
Adverb usage.
눈이 오면 좋아요.
If it snows, it's good.
Conditional.
눈이 오고 있어요.
Snow is falling right now.
Progressive.
내일 눈이 올까요?
Will it snow tomorrow?
Question form.
눈이 오니까 추워요.
겨울에 눈이 와요.
눈이 오면 스키를 타요.
어제 눈이 많이 왔어요.
눈이 오기를 기다려요.
눈이 오면 길이 미끄러워요.
눈이 오면 예뻐요.
눈이 오지 않아요.
눈이 오기 시작했어요.
눈이 오는데 우산이 없어요.
눈이 오면 교통이 복잡해요.
눈이 오면 분위기가 좋아요.
눈이 오나 안 오나 확인해요.
눈이 오면 눈사람을 만들어요.
눈이 오면 따뜻한 차를 마셔요.
눈이 오면 사진을 찍어요.
눈이 오면 세상이 조용해져요.
눈이 오나 비가 오나 출근해요.
눈이 오면 운전하기 위험해요.
눈이 오면 마음이 설레요.
눈이 오면 아이처럼 좋아해요.
눈이 오면 창밖을 봐요.
눈이 오면 겨울 느낌이 나요.
눈이 오면 모든 게 하얗게 변해요.
눈이 오면 지난 추억이 생각나요.
눈이 오면 세상의 소음이 덮여요.
눈이 오면 고요함이 찾아와요.
눈이 오면 겨울의 정취를 느껴요.
눈이 오면 낭만적인 분위기예요.
눈이 오면 모든 것이 정화되는 느낌이에요.
눈이 오면 발자국을 남겨요.
눈이 오면 겨울이 깊어짐을 느껴요.
눈이 오면 대지는 침묵에 잠깁니다.
눈이 오면 시적 영감이 떠오릅니다.
눈이 오면 시간마저 멈춘 듯합니다.
눈이 오면 차가운 공기가 폐부를 찌릅니다.
눈이 오면 고독이 밀려옵니다.
눈이 오면 세상은 순백의 캔버스가 됩니다.
눈이 오면 잊고 지낸 기억이 떠오릅니다.
눈이 오면 자연의 경이로움을 목격합니다.
Common Collocations
Idioms & Expressions
"눈이 오나 비가 오나"
Regardless of the weather
눈이 오나 비가 오나 매일 운동해요.
neutral"눈을 붙이다"
To take a nap
잠시 눈을 붙이고 올게요.
casual"눈이 높다"
To have high standards
그 사람은 눈이 정말 높아요.
neutral"눈에 띄다"
To stand out
그녀는 어디서나 눈에 띄어요.
neutral"눈을 속이다"
To deceive
사람들의 눈을 속일 수는 없어요.
formal"눈을 뜨다"
To open one's eyes/awaken
아침에 눈을 뜨자마자 책을 읽어요.
neutralEasily Confused
Same word '눈'
Eye vs Snow
눈이 와요 vs 눈을 떠요.
Similar structure
Rain vs Snow
비가 와요 vs 눈이 와요.
Synonym
To fall vs To come
눈이 내려요 vs 눈이 와요.
Part of phrase
To come vs To snow
사람이 와요 vs 눈이 와요.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + 이 + 오다
눈이 와요.
Conditional + (으)면
눈이 오면 좋아요.
Causal + (으)니까
눈이 오니까 추워요.
Progressive + 고 있다
눈이 오고 있어요.
Past + 았/었어요
눈이 왔어요.
Word Family
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Related
How to Use It
9/10
Formality Scale
Common Mistakes
Snow is the subject, not the object.
They are interchangeable, but '오다' is more common.
Confusing present continuous with past tense.
Using the wrong nominalizer.
Using casual speech in formal settings.
Tips
Association
Link snow to the cold season.
Weather Reports
Use it daily.
Winter Joy
Koreans love snow.
Subject Marker
Always use '이'.
Clear Vowels
Pronounce 'nu' clearly.
Subject vs Object
Don't use 을/를.
Homonym
Snow and eye are the same word.
Flashcards
Use pictures.
Weather News
Watch Korean news.
Practice
Say it aloud.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Imagine a giant eye (눈) falling from the sky!
Visual Association
A snowy landscape.
Word Web
Challenge
Say '눈이 와요' every time you see snow.
Word Origin
Korean
Original meaning: Snow coming
Cultural Context
None
Snow is a major part of winter culture in many English-speaking countries.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
weather report
- 눈이 많이 옵니다
- 내일 눈이 옵니다
- 눈이 그칠 것입니다
casual chat
- 눈이 와요!
- 눈이 오네
- 눈이 와서 좋아요
travel
- 눈이 와서 길이 미끄러워요
- 눈이 와서 비행기가 지연돼요
winter activities
- 눈이 오면 스키 타러 가요
- 눈이 오면 눈사람 만들어요
Conversation Starters
"오늘 눈이 오나요?"
"눈이 오면 무엇을 하고 싶어요?"
"작년에 눈이 많이 왔나요?"
"눈이 오는 날을 좋아하세요?"
"눈이 오면 어디로 가고 싶어요?"
Journal Prompts
Describe the first day it snowed this year.
How does snow change your mood?
Write about a memory involving snow.
What do you like to do when it snows?
Frequently Asked Questions
8 questionsNo, it is '눈이 오다' because snow is the subject.
Only if you are talking about a place where it snows in summer!
It is neutral.
눈이 왔어요.
The word '눈' means both, but the context clarifies.
눈이 그치다 (snow stops).
Yes, it is a synonym.
Extremely.
Test Yourself
오늘 ___ 와요.
Subject marker '이' is needed.
What does '눈이 오다' mean?
Direct translation.
눈이 오다 can be used in formal reports.
It is standard.
Word
Meaning
Basic vocabulary.
Standard Korean word order.
Score: /5
Summary
Always use the subject marker '이' with '눈이 오다' to correctly describe snowfall.
- It means 'it snows'.
- Uses '이' subject marker.
- Very common in daily life.
- Can be formal or casual.
Association
Link snow to the cold season.
Weather Reports
Use it daily.
Winter Joy
Koreans love snow.
Subject Marker
Always use '이'.
Related Content
This Word in Other Languages
More nature words
~에 대한
A2About, regarding; indicating the topic or subject.
~게
A2Suffix to turn adjectives or verbs into adverbs.
공기
A1Air, atmosphere.
몽땅
B1All of it, entirely, completely.
온갖
B1All sorts of, every kind of.
~을/를 따라서
A2Along; indicating movement or position parallel to something.
동물
A1animal
개미
A1A small insect typically living in large colonies.
주위에
A2Surrounding something or someone; around.
그대로
A2Without changing; as it is.
