LingoDrop
Korean · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "너무" in Korean?
neo-mu. The first vowel is unrounded and the second is rounded, so the lips move in the middle of a very short word.
neomu
Two short blocks, level. The word carries the meaning 'too much', but none of that intensity is expressed by volume -- Korean adverbs of degree get their force from the word itself and from phrase-level pitch.
Listen: 너무
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Sound it out
Hear it in a sentence
너무 많이 먹었어요.
Neomu mani meogeosseoyo.
I ate too much.
Listen: 너무 많이 먹었어요.
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너무 많이 먹었어요 puts two adverbs in a row, and 많이 next door deletes its ㅎ to become ma-ni. Then 먹었어요 releases its trapped ㄱ and resyllabifies twice, giving meo-geo-sseo-yo.
Where English speakers slip
Rounding the first vowel gives 'no-mu', a real risk because the romanized 'eo' looks like an o to English eyes. Keep the lips flat for the first syllable and round them only for the second. The word is also short enough that learners reach for stress, which Korean simply does not use here.