Definition
Snow; the white, frozen precipitation that falls from the sky in cold weather. (Also a homonym meaning "eye," but this sense refers to snow.)
Example
어제 밤에 눈이 많이 왔어요.
Show translation
It snowed a lot last night.
Etymology
눈 (snow) is a native Korean word of Old Korean origin, reconstructed as *nun. It is one of the most ancient and fundamental vocabulary items in the Korean lexicon, appearing unchanged across centuries of written records. By coincidence — or perhaps through a very distant semantic link — 눈 is also the word for "eye," though the two are considered separate lexical entries with distinct Middle Korean tonal histories.
Cultural note
Korea experiences significant snowfall in winter, especially in the mountainous regions of Gangwon Province (강원도), which hosts ski resorts and even hosted the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The phrase 첫눈 (cheotnun, "first snow of the season") carries strong romantic connotations in Korean culture — a popular belief holds that if you see the first snowfall of the year with someone you like, you will fall in love. Many Korean dramas and songs use 첫눈 as a symbol of new love. Also watch out: 눈 meaning "eye" and 눈 meaning "snow" are homophones — context always makes it clear which is meant.