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2  ·  40 words

Daily life in Korea

The things you meet in Korea that have no English name.

Some things in Korea have no English name because there is nothing quite like them elsewhere: a 찜질방 is a bathhouse with heated rooms where whole families spend a Saturday, and 회식 is the staff dinner that often ends in a 노래방. The two great holidays, 설날 and 추석, follow the lunar calendar, so their dates move every year. Most of these words are best learnt together with the thing itself.

The words

Noun (39)

설날Lunar New YearNoun2
설날에는 떡국을 먹어요.At the Lunar New Year we eat rice-cake soup.

Said [설랄].

추석Chuseok, the autumn harvest festivalNoun2
추석에 고향에 내려가요.At Chuseok I go back to my hometown.
고향hometown; home regionNoun2
제 고향은 바다 근처에 있어요.My hometown is near the sea.
한복hanbok, traditional Korean clothesNoun2
설날에 한복을 입고 사진을 찍었어요.We put on hanbok at the New Year and took photos.
한옥hanok, a traditional Korean houseNoun2
이 마을에는 오래된 한옥이 많아요.There are many old hanok in this village.
온돌ondol, underfloor heatingNoun2
온돌 때문에 겨울에도 방바닥이 따뜻해요.Thanks to the underfloor heating, the floor is warm even in winter.
만 나이age in full yearsNoun2
서류에는 만 나이를 써요.On forms you give your age in full years.

Traditionally a baby was already one at birth, so Koreans may give two ages.

경비실security office (in a block of flats)Noun2
택배는 경비실에서 찾을 수 있어요.You can collect parcels from the security office.
택배parcel delivery; a parcelNoun2
집에 없을 때 택배가 왔어요.A parcel came while I was out.
배달deliveryNoun2
비가 와서 저녁은 배달을 시켰어요.It was raining, so we ordered dinner for delivery.
짜장면jajangmyeon, noodles in black bean sauceNoun2
이사한 날에는 보통 짜장면을 시켜 먹어요.On moving day people usually order jajangmyeon.
한식Korean foodNoun2
외국 친구가 한식을 아주 좋아해요.My friend from abroad loves Korean food.
김밥gimbap, rice and fillings rolled in seaweedNoun1
소풍 갈 때 엄마가 김밥을 싸 주셨어요.Mum made me gimbap when I went on a school trip.
분식cheap snack food (noodles, gimbap, tteokbokki)Noun2
점심은 학교 앞 분식집에서 먹어요.I have lunch at the snack bar in front of the school.
떡볶이tteokbokki, rice cakes in a spicy sauceNoun2
학교 앞에서 떡볶이를 사 먹었어요.I bought tteokbokki in front of the school and ate it.
어묵fish cakeNoun2
추운 날에는 따뜻한 어묵 국물이 좋아요.On a cold day hot fish-cake broth is just right.
호떡hotteok, a sweet filled pancakeNoun2
겨울에는 길에서 호떡을 팔아요.In winter they sell hotteok in the street.
삼계탕samgyetang, chicken and ginseng soupNoun2
더운 여름에 삼계탕을 먹어요.We eat samgyetang in the hot summer.

Eaten on the hottest days: hot food against the heat.

미역국seaweed soupNoun2
생일 아침에 미역국을 먹었어요.I had seaweed soup on the morning of my birthday.

Eaten on birthdays, and by mothers after giving birth.

김장making kimchi for the winterNoun2
십일월에 온 가족이 김장을 해요.In November the whole family makes the winter kimchi.
수저spoon and chopsticksNoun2
수저 좀 놓아 주세요.Could you lay out the spoons and chopsticks, please?
소주sojuNoun2
친구들하고 소주를 한 병 마셨어요.I drank a bottle of soju with my friends.
막걸리makgeolli, milky rice wineNoun2
비 오는 날에는 파전에 막걸리를 마셔요.On rainy days people drink makgeolli with spring-onion pancakes.
안주food eaten with drinksNoun2
술만 마시지 말고 안주도 드세요.Do not just drink — have something to eat with it.
음식물 쓰레기food wasteNoun2
음식물 쓰레기는 따로 버려야 해요.Food waste has to be thrown away separately.
치맥fried chicken and beerNoun2
축구 경기를 보면서 치맥을 했어요.We had chicken and beer while watching the football.

Short for 치킨 and 맥주.

야시장night marketNoun2
주말 밤에는 야시장에 사람이 많아요.The night market is crowded at weekends.
김치냉장고kimchi refrigeratorNoun2
김장 김치는 김치냉장고에 넣어요.The winter kimchi goes into the kimchi fridge.
해장국hangover soupNoun2
술을 마신 다음 날에는 해장국을 먹어요.The day after drinking, people eat hangover soup.
포장마차street stall serving food and drinkNoun2
포장마차에서 친구하고 늦게까지 이야기했어요.I talked with a friend at a street stall until late.
노래방karaoke roomNoun2
회식이 끝나고 노래방에 갔어요.After the staff dinner we went to a karaoke room.
찜질방jjimjilbang, a bathhouse with heated roomsNoun2
주말에 친구들하고 찜질방에서 계란을 먹었어요.At the weekend I ate eggs with friends at a jjimjilbang.
목욕탕public bathhouseNoun2
일요일 아침마다 아버지와 목욕탕에 가요.Every Sunday morning I go to the bathhouse with my father.
피시방internet café (mainly for games)Noun2
동생은 친구들하고 피시방에 자주 가요.My younger brother often goes to the internet café with his friends.

Often written with the Latin letters PC.

학원private academy; after-school classNoun2
아이들은 학교가 끝나고 영어 학원에 가요.After school the children go to an English academy.
돌잔치first-birthday partyNoun2
조카 돌잔치에 가족이 다 모였어요.The whole family gathered for my nephew's first birthday.
띠zodiac sign (by year of birth)Noun2
저는 호랑이띠예요.I was born in the year of the tiger.

Asking 무슨 띠예요? is an indirect way to find out someone's age.

수능the national university entrance examNoun2
수능 날에는 많은 회사가 출근 시간을 늦춰요.On the day of the entrance exam, many companies start work later.

Short for 대학수학능력시험, taken by most final-year school students every November.

번호표number ticket (for a queue)Noun2
은행에 들어가서 번호표를 뽑았어요.I went into the bank and took a number ticket.

Phrase (1)

줄을 서다to queue, stand in linePhrase2
유명한 식당 앞에 사람들이 길게 줄을 서 있어요.There is a long queue in front of the famous restaurant.

In speech also without the particle: 줄 서다.

This list belongs to Korean culture and history — five lists and 200 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.