며칠

Alternative forms

• 몇일 (myeochil) (misspelling)

Etymology

First attested in the Beonyeok Bak Tongsa (飜譯朴通事 / 번역박통사), before 1517, as Middle Korean 며츨 (Yale: myechul), from 몇 (Yale: myech, “how many”) + Proto-Koreanic *hoL (“day”). The modern form reflects a regular vowel shift after sibilants.

However, the great majority of Korean speakers today believe that the word is from 몇 (myeot, “how many”) + 일 (日, il, “day”), connecting it to a Sino-Korean word common in Modern Korean rather than the etymologically accurate but no longer productive Proto-Korean form. Accordingly, 몇일 (myeochil) is a very common misspelling.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [mjʌ̹t͡ɕʰiɭ]
• Phonetic hangul: [며칠]

Noun

며칠 • (myeochil)

1. how many days?
2. which day?, what date?

   생일이 며칠이에요?

   saeng'ir-i myeochirieyo?

   What date is your birthday?

3. several days, a few days

   며칠 뒤, 그가 아팠고 죽었습니다.

   Myeochil dwi, geu-ga apat-go jugeotseumnida.

   A few days later, he became ill and died.