게

(see here for particles and suffixes)

게 U+AC8C, 게 HANGUL SYLLABLE GE Composition: ㄱ + ㅔ ← 겋 [U+AC8B] Hangul Syllables 겍 → [U+AC8D]

게겍겎겏겐겑겒 겓겔겕겖겗겘겙 겚겛겜겝겞겟겠 겡겢겣겤겥겦겧
거 ←	→ 겨

See also: -게

Korean

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ke̞]
• Phonetic hangul: [게]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	ge
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	ge
McCune–Reischauer?	ke
Yale Romanization?	key

Dependent noun

게 • (ge)

1. (colloquial) contraction of 거이 (geo-i); nominative of 거 (geo)

   Synonym: (formal) 것이 (geos-i)

   그게 뭐야? ― geu-ge mwo-ya? ― What's that?

   공부하는 게 싫대. ― Gongbu-haneun ge sil-tae. ― He says he doesn't like studying.

Usage notes

• Expected 거가 (geo-ga) is not common.

Etymology 2

First attested as Late Old Korean 慨 in the Jīlín lèishì (鷄林類事 / 계림유사), 1103. In the hangul script, first attested in the Gugeupbang eonhae (救急方諺解 / 구급방언해), 1466, as Middle Korean 게〯 (Yale: kěy).

Middle Korean rising pitch implies an earlier bisyllabic form; Japanese 蟹 (kani) is a possible parallel.

Consider also Pyongan Korean 궝이 (gwong'i, “crab”) and Jeju 깅이 (ging'i, “crab”), although both could be secondary developments because Koreanic varieties sometimes insert /ŋ/ to break hiatus between vowels.

Pronunciation

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	ge
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	ge
McCune–Reischauer?	ke
Yale Romanization?	kēy

Noun

게 • (ge)

1. crab

Usage notes

• For many contemporary Seoul speakers, this word is homophonous with 개 (gae, “dog”). Speakers may resort to circumlocutions in ambiguous situations, e.g. 멍멍 개 (meongmeong gae, “dog that goes meong-meong”) or '꽃게' 할 때 게 (kkotge hal ttae ge, “'crab' as in 'horse crab'”).

Derived terms

• 거미게 (geomige)
• 게장(醬) (gejang)
• 꽃게 (kkotge)
• 대(大)게 (daege)
• 던지니스게 (deonjiniseuge)
• 소라게 (sorage)
• 왕게 (wangge)
• 참게 (chamge)
• 키다리게 (kidarige)
• 투구게 (tuguge)
• 홍(紅)게 (hongge)

Etymology 3

From Middle Korean 그ᅌᅦ (Yale: ku.ngey), contraction of 그ᅌᅥ긔 (Yale: ku.ngekuy).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ke̞]
• Phonetic hangul: [게]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	ge
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	ge
McCune–Reischauer?	ke
Yale Romanization?	key

Pronoun

게 • (ge)

1. (archaic) contraction of 거기 (geogi, “there”)

   Coordinate terms: (distal) 제 (je, “there”), (proximal) 예 (ye, “here”)

   게 누구 있느냐? ― ge nugu in-neunya? ― Is someone there?/Who's there?

Etymology 4

Korean reading of various Chinese characters.

Syllable

게 • (ge)

More information

1. 揭: to lift; to raise

   (eumhun reading: 높이 들 게 (nopi deul ge))
   (MC reading: 揭 (MC khjejH|gjot|gjet|khjet))

2. 偈:

   (MC reading: 偈 (MC gjejH|gjet))

3. 憩: to rest

   (eumhun reading: 쉴 게 (swil ge))
   (MC reading: 憩 (MC khjejH))

4. 卟:

   (MC reading: 卟 (MC kej|khejX))

5. 碣:

   (MC reading: 碣 (MC gjet))

References

• Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea (대한민국 대법원, Daehanmin'guk Daebeobwon) (2018). Table of hanja for personal names (인명용 한자표 / 人名用漢字表, Inmyeong-yong hanja-pyo).