3 · 40 words
Nature and the environment
Forests, lakes, islands, sky and earth, and the words for looking after them.
Korean often has a native and a Sino-Korean word for the same thing in the sky: 해 and 태양 are both the sun, but only 해 is used for daylight and the sunrise, 해돋이, while 태양 belongs to science. Most landscape words are short native nouns — 숲, 섬, 돌, 흙 — and the colour word 푸르다 covers both the blue of the sky and the green of the hills, which English splits in two.
The words
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Verb (1)
아끼다to save, use sparingly; to cherishVerb3
양치할 때 컵을 쓰면 물을 아낄 수 있어요.If you use a cup when you brush your teeth, you can save water.
Noun (39)
자연natureNoun3
주말에는 도시를 떠나 자연 속에서 쉬고 싶어요.At the weekend I want to leave the city and relax in nature.
숲forest, woodsNoun3
숲에 들어가니까 공기가 훨씬 시원했어요.When we went into the forest, the air was much cooler.
사막desertNoun3
사막은 낮에는 아주 덥고 밤에는 추워요.In the desert it is very hot by day and cold at night.
호수lakeNoun3
호수 주변을 한 바퀴 도는 데 한 시간쯤 걸려요.It takes about an hour to walk once round the lake.
섬islandNoun2
배를 타고 작은 섬에 가 봤어요.I went to a small island by boat.
공기airNoun2
시골은 도시보다 공기가 훨씬 맑아요.The air in the countryside is much cleaner than in the city.
지구the earthNoun3
지구는 태양 주위를 일 년에 한 번 돌아요.The earth goes round the sun once a year.
우주space, the universeNoun3
어릴 때 꿈은 우주에 가 보는 것이었어요.As a child my dream was to go into space.
태양the sun (in science)Noun3
태양이 없으면 식물이 자랄 수 없어요.Without the sun, plants cannot grow.
해 is the everyday word; 태양 is the Sino-Korean one of science and poetry.
해the sun; daylightNoun2
여름에는 해가 길어서 저녁 여덟 시에도 밝아요.In summer the days are long, so it is still light at eight in the evening.
The sun 뜨다, rises, and 지다, sets.
달the moonNoun2
오늘 밤에는 달이 크고 밝게 떴어요.Tonight the moon has risen big and bright.
별starNoun2
시골 하늘에는 별이 정말 많이 보여요.In the countryside sky you can see so many stars.
환경 보호protecting the environmentNoun3
환경 보호를 위해서 장바구니를 들고 다녀요.I carry a shopping bag around with me to protect the environment.
계곡valley; mountain streamNoun3
여름이면 가족들과 계곡에 가서 발을 담가요.In summer I go to a mountain stream with my family and we dip our feet in.
폭포waterfallNoun3
폭포 소리가 멀리서도 크게 들렸어요.The sound of the waterfall could be heard loudly even from far away.
동굴caveNoun3
동굴 안은 여름에도 서늘해요.Inside the cave it is cool even in summer.
언덕hillNoun3
언덕 위에 올라가면 마을이 한눈에 보여요.If you go up the hill you can see the whole village at a glance.
바위rock, boulderNoun3
큰 바위 위에 앉아서 바다를 바라봤어요.I sat on a big rock and looked out at the sea.
돌stoneNoun2
강가에서 납작한 돌을 주워서 물에 던졌어요.At the riverside I picked up flat stones and threw them into the water.
흙soil, earthNoun3
화분에 새 흙을 넣고 꽃을 심었어요.I put fresh soil in the pot and planted flowers.
Said [흑] on its own and [흘글] in 흙을.
모래sandNoun2
아이들이 바닷가에서 모래로 성을 쌓고 놀아요.The children are playing at the seaside, building castles out of sand.
땅ground, landNoun2
오랫동안 비가 안 와서 땅이 말랐어요.It has not rained for a long time, so the ground has dried out.
파도wave (of the sea)Noun3
오늘은 파도가 높아서 수영을 할 수 없어요.The waves are high today, so we cannot swim.
해변beachNoun3
해변을 따라 걷다 보니 어느새 해가 졌어요.As I walked along the beach, the sun set before I knew it.
바닷가seaside, seashoreNoun3
바닷가 근처에 작은 집을 빌렸어요.We rented a small house near the seaside.
연못pondNoun3
절 앞 연못에 연꽃이 피었어요.Lotus flowers have come out on the pond in front of the temple.
시냇물stream, brookNoun3
시냇물이 졸졸 흐르는 소리가 들려요.I can hear the stream babbling.
Said [시낸물].
들판open field, plainNoun3
가을이 되면 들판이 온통 노랗게 변해요.In autumn the fields turn completely yellow.
해돋이sunriseNoun3
새해 첫날 아침에 산에 올라가서 해돋이를 봤어요.On the morning of New Year's Day we climbed a mountain and watched the sunrise.
Said [해도지].
노을glow of sunset or dawnNoun3
해 질 무렵 하늘이 노을로 붉게 물들었어요.Around sunset the sky turned red with the evening glow.
그늘shadeNoun3
너무 더워서 나무 그늘 밑에서 잠깐 쉬었어요.It was so hot that I rested for a moment in the shade of a tree.
밤하늘night skyNoun3
캠핑장에서 본 밤하늘은 정말 아름다웠어요.The night sky we saw at the campsite was truly beautiful.
생물living things, organismsNoun3
이 강에는 여러 가지 생물이 살고 있어요.Many kinds of living things live in this river.
생태계ecosystemNoun3
쓰레기가 바다 생태계를 망치고 있어요.Rubbish is ruining the ocean ecosystem.
북극the Arctic, the North PoleNoun3
북극의 얼음이 해마다 조금씩 녹고 있어요.The Arctic ice is melting a little more every year.
남극Antarctica, the South PoleNoun3
남극에는 펭귄이 많이 살아요.Many penguins live in Antarctica.
수평선horizon (over the sea)Noun3
배가 수평선 너머로 천천히 사라졌어요.The ship slowly disappeared over the horizon.
별자리constellationNoun3
아버지가 여름 밤하늘의 별자리를 가르쳐 주셨어요.My father taught me the constellations of the summer night sky.
갯벌tidal mudflatNoun3
썰물 때 갯벌에 나가서 조개를 캤어요.At low tide we went out onto the mudflats and dug for clams.
This list belongs to Nature, weather and environment — nine lists and 359 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.