advanced
Lists things one after another to show there's a lot: 옷이며 신발이며 (osimyeo sinbarimyeo), "clothes, shoes, everything".
Checked against the official learner dictionary from the National Institute of Korean Language
- After a consonant: 이며 imyeo. After a vowel: 며 myeo.
- It usually goes after every item, and 다 da or 모두 modu, "all", often follows.
Build it
When to use it
Lots of things
Listing to show how much there is.
A mess
Listing what's everywhere.
All the time
Day, night, every moment.
Watch out
After a consonant, use 이며 imyeo.
In context
9 examples- 1
가방 안에 지갑이며 휴대폰이며 다 들어 있어요.
Gabang ane jigabimyeo hyudaeponimyeo da deureo isseoyo.
My wallet, my phone, everything is in that bag.
- 2
집에 과일이며 과자며 먹을 게 많아요.
Jibe gwairimyeo gwajamyeo meogeul ge manayo.
There's fruit, snacks, plenty to eat at home.
- 3
방바닥에 책이며 옷이며 다 널려 있어요.
Bangbadage chaegimyeo osimyeo da neollyeo isseoyo.
Books, clothes, everything is lying all over my floor.
- 4
생일에 꽃이며 케이크며 선물을 많이 받았어요.
Saengire kkochimyeo keikeumyeo seonmureul mani badasseoyo.
For my birthday I got flowers, a cake, lots of presents.
- 5
시장에는 생선이며 과일이며 없는 게 없어요.
Sijangeneun saengseonimyeo gwairimyeo eomneun ge eopseoyo.
The market has fish, fruit, everything you can think of.
- 6
이사하면서 가구며 그릇이며 새로 샀어요.
Isahamyeonseo gagumyeo geureusimyeo saero sasseoyo.
When I moved, I bought new furniture, dishes, everything.
- 7
여행 가방에 옷이며 화장품이며 다 챙겼어요.
Yeohaeng gabange osimyeo hwajangpumimyeo da chaenggyeosseoyo.
I packed clothes, makeup, everything in my suitcase.
- 8
그 식당은 맛이며 분위기며 다 좋아요.
Geu sikdangeun masimyeo bunwigimyeo da joayo.
That restaurant has it all: the food, the atmosphere.
- 9
숙제며 시험이며 할 일이 너무 많아요.
Sukjemyeo siheomimyeo hal iri neomu manayo.
Homework, exams, I have way too much to do.
Practice
8 questions옷 + (이)며
The other 이며: "is, and"
In formal writing you'll also see 이며 after a noun in the middle of a description:
- 서울은 한국의 수도이며 가장 큰 도시입니다. seoureun hangugui sudoimyeo gajang keun dosiimnida "Seoul is the capital of Korea and its largest city."
That one is 이다 ida, "to be", plus the ending -며 myeo, "and". It isn't this particle, and you can tell because it isn't repeated after each item in a list.
In conversation
(이)며 has a slightly bookish, storytelling feel. For a plain "and" in speech, most people use (이)랑 or 하고: 옷이랑 신발이랑 osirang sinbarirang. Use (이)며 when you want to stress how many things there were.
Look it up in the dictionary
The entry for 이며 in two trusted Korean dictionaries.