# word for swim



## vientito

There seems to be two words for it.  One Sino-korean and another native korean

수영하다, 헤엄치다

I am wondering if both can happen in informal conversation.  I am aware that in most formal and scholar writings sino-korean equivalents are preferred

In this particular case, do both convey EXACT same meaning and could be used interchangeably in most everyday conversation?


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## kenjoluma

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1890325


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## vientito

I bet many learners have posted this question at some point.  Thanks


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## wonlon

I have read the thread mentioned by *kenjoluma*. And I also checked the following:

*헤엄*
사람이나 물고기 따위가 물속에서 나아가기 위하여 팔다리나 지느러미를 움직이는 일.
http://krdic.naver.com/detail.nhn?docid=42290800

*수영*
<운동> 스포츠나 놀이로서 물속을 헤엄치는 일.
http://krdic.naver.com/detail.nhn?docid=22680300

I feel that *수영* is limited to sports and has a set of rules, but then I encountered:

송장헤엄 / 배영 backstroke
개구리헤엄 / 평영 breaststroke

which indicates that -헤엄 can also be a sport and has rules, too.

Then, I would say that *수영 *(swimming) refers to a type of sport (among other types of sports) in a broad sense while the specific styles of swimming are in suffix -헤엄 or -영; whereas 헤엄 simply means an action "to swim or to move in water".


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## kenjoluma

I have never heard 송장헤엄 before.
I occasioally have heard 개구리헤엄, though. Still, this word sounds like you swim _unprofessionally_. Definitely you swim in a designated fashion, but not in a sporting manner.

It is quite sad for some of Koreans that Chinese-derived words are usually for something professional while Korean words are for somethign '_menial(?)'_. There are some counter-movements amongst the national linguists, to revive Korean words into real-life usage, that I have to say. So you can unerstand some people insist on calling 배영 or 평영, 송장헤엄 and 개구리헤엄 instead. 

My personal idea? Well, I can't care less about it. Then what about English? Eye doctor is for the stupid and a Greek-deriven word _ophthalmologist_ for the smart? Maybe.


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