Korean Words
Korean Words
Korean words no single translation can hold — hear them, see how they are used, then step into the research
Learn Hangul
Hangul stacks consonants and vowels like blocks to make each syllable. Try building one.
한
ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ
First sound · consonant
Middle sound · vowel
Final sound · optional
Words you’ll hear in K-dramas & K-pop
An editor’s selection, not a frequency ranking.
How is Korean spelled in English here? We follow the official Revised Romanization of Korean (2000), which spells words as they sound: 한류 [hal-lyu] becomes hallyu, and 감사합니다 [gam-sa-ham-ni-da] becomes gamsahamnida. Where the Oxford English Dictionary (which added 26 Korean words in 2021) uses a different spelling, we show it too — e.g. 언니 → unni. Paper titles and author names keep their originally published spelling (e.g. Cheong).
안녕하세요annyeonghaseyo
감사합니다gamsahamnida
사랑해saranghae
괜찮아gwaenchana
진짜jinjja
대박daebak
Oxford English Dictionary headword: daebak
오빠oppa
Oxford English Dictionary headword: oppa
언니eonni
Oxford English Dictionary headword: unni
아이고aigo
잠깐만jamkkanman
맛있다masitda
화이팅hwaiting
Standard Korean spelling: 파이팅 (paiting) — loanword rules write f as ㅍ · Oxford English Dictionary headword: fighting
Words of the Korean mind
Words no single translation can hold — each leads into the chapters’ research.
정jeong
한han
눈치nunchi
체면chemyeon
심정simjeong
신명sinmyeong
우리uri
팔자palja