List of English words of Korean origin

Last updated

This is a list of words of Korean origin which have entered into English usage. One metric for determining this is whether they appear in mainstream English language dictionaries.

Contents

General

WordKorean wordExplanation Merriam-Webster Oxford Remarks
Chaebol jaebeol
재벌
(財閥)
a large, usually family-owned, business group in South Korea (cognate with Japanese Zaibatsu )Yes check.svg [1] Yes check.svg [2]
Hangul hangeul
한글
Korean alphabetYes check.svg [3] X mark.svg
Jeonse jeonse
전세
(傳貰)
a long-held renting arrangement where tenants pay lump-sum deposit for usually two yearsX mark.svgX mark.svg
Korea Goryeo
고려
(高麗)
a historic dynasty of Korea (see Names of Korea)Yes check.svg [4] Yes check.svg [5]
Won won

()
the basic monetary unit of North and South KoreaYes check.svg [6] Yes check.svg [7]

Culture and martial arts

WordKorean wordExplanation Merriam-webster Oxford Remarks
Hapkido hapgido
합기도
(合氣道)
a Korean martial artYes check.svg [8] Yes check.svg [9]
Kisaeng gisaeng
기생
(妓生)
(archaic) a female entertainer who pours drinks to guests and entertain them with songs and dancesYes check.svg [10] X mark.svg
Manhwa manhwa
만화
(漫畫)
a style of Korean comic books, cartoons and animated cartoons (cognate with Japanese manga )X mark.svgX mark.svg
Mukbang meokbang
먹방
an online broadcast in which a host eats food while interacting with the audienceX mark.svgX mark.svg
Ondol ondol
온돌
(溫突/溫堗)
a system of underfloor heatingX mark.svgYes check.svg [11]
Sijo sijo
시조
(時調)
an unrhymed three-verse poem (usually in six shorter lines in English translations)Yes check.svg [12] X mark.svg
Taekwondo taegwondo
태권도
(跆拳道)
a Korean martial artYes check.svg [13] Yes check.svg [14]

Food

WordKorean wordExplanation Merriam-webster Oxford Remarks
Bibimbap bibimbap
비빔밥
a dish of rice topped with sautéed vegetables, meat, egg, and chilli pasteYes check.svg [15] Yes check.svg [16]
Bulgogi bulgogi
불고기
a dish of thin beef slices marinated and grilled on a barbecueYes check.svg [17] Yes check.svg [18]
Galbi galbi
갈비
a dish of beef or pork ribs marinated and grilled on a barbecueX mark.svgX mark.svg
Gochujang gochu-jang
고추장
Korean red chili pasteYes check.svgYes check.svg [19]
Kimchi gimchi
김치
a vegetable pickle that is the national dish of KoreaYes check.svg [20] Yes check.svg [21]
Makkoli makgeolli
막걸리
an alcoholic drink made from fermented riceX mark.svgYes check.svg [22]
Soju soju
소주
(燒酒)
a distilled liquor, usually made from rice or sweet potatoesYes check.svg [23] Yes check.svg [24]

Clothing

WordKorean wordExplanation Merriam-Webster Oxford Remarks
Hanbok hanbok
한복
(韓服)
traditional Korean clothesX mark.svgX mark.svg

Ideology and religion

WordKorean wordExplanation Merriam-Webster Oxford Remarks
Moonie Mun Seonmyeong
문선명
(文鮮明)
a member of the Unification Church, founded by Sun Myung Moon Yes check.svg [25] Yes check.svg [26]
Juche juche sasang
주체사상
(主體思想)
a political thesis formed by the former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung which states that the Korean masses are the masters of the country's developmentX mark.svgX mark.svg
Songbun seongbun
성분
(成分)
a system of ascribed status used in North Korea, based on the political, social, and economic background of one's direct ancestors as well as the behavior of their relativesX mark.svgX mark.svg

Other

WordKorean wordExplanation Merriam-Webster Oxford Remarks
Chobo chobo
초보
(初步)
a noviceX mark.svgX mark.svg
Gangnam gangnam
강남
(江南)
a regional district of Seoul popularized by 2012 chart topping single Gangnam Style by Psy X mark.svgX mark.svg
Gosu gosu
고수
(高手)
a person with great skillX mark.svgX mark.svg
Hantaan virus Hantan-gang
한탄강
(漢灘江)
a virus species transmitted by rodents (The rodents carrying the virus were collected near Hantan River.)Yes check.svg [27] Yes check.svg [28]
Hantavirus Hantan-gang
한탄강
(漢灘江)
a genus of viruses transmitted by rodents (The rodents carrying the virus were collected near Hantan River.)Yes check.svg [29] Yes check.svg [30]
Hwabyeong hwabyeong
화병
(火病)
a mental illness occurring when anger builds up in the mind without being ventedX mark.svgX mark.svg
Minjung minjung
민중
(民衆)
the mass of the people (See also: minjung theology and minjung art)X mark.svgX mark.svg

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korean cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Korean people

Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural environment and different cultural trends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taekwondo</span> Korean martial art

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving punching and kicking techniques. "Taekwondo" can be translated as tae, kwon, and do. In addition to its five tenets of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit, the sport requires three physical skills: poomsae (품새), kyorugi (겨루기) and gyeokpa (격파).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hapkido</span> Martial art from Korea

Hapkido is a Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, grappling, throwing techniques, kicks, punches, and other striking attacks. It also teaches the use of traditional weapons, including knife, sword, rope, nunchaku, cane, short stick, and middle-length staff, gun, and bō (Japanese), which vary in emphasis depending on the particular tradition examined.

<i>Soju</i> Distilled alcoholic beverage from Korea

Soju is a clear and colorless distilled alcoholic beverage, traditionally made from rice, but later from other grains and has a flavor similar to vodka. It is usually consumed neat. Its alcohol content varies from about 12.5% to 53% alcohol by volume (ABV), although since 2007 low alcohol soju below 20% has become more popular.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimchi</span> Korean side dish of fermented vegetables

Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish (banchan) consisting of salted and fermented vegetables, most often napa cabbage or Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including gochugaru, spring onions, garlic, ginger, and jeotgal. Kimchi is also used in a variety of soups and stews. Kimchi is a staple food in Korean cuisine and is eaten as a side dish with almost every Korean meal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of South Korea</span>

The contemporary culture of South Korea developed from the traditional culture of Korea which was prevalent in the early Korean nomadic tribes. By maintaining thousands of years of ancient Korean culture, with influence from ancient Chinese culture, South Korea split on its own path of cultural development away from North Korean culture since the division of Korea in 1945. The industrialization, urbanization and westernization of South Korea, especially Seoul, have brought many changes to the way Korean people live. Changing economics and lifestyles have led to urbanization—a concentration of population in major cities, with multi-generational households separating into nuclear family living arrangements. Today, many cultural elements from South Korea, especially popular culture, have spread across the globe and have become some of the most prominent cultural forces in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulgogi</span> Korean meat dish

Bulgogi is a gui made of thin, marinated slices of meat, most commonly beef, grilled on a barbecue or on a stove-top griddle. It is also often stir-fried in a pan in home cooking. Sirloin and rib eye are frequently used cuts of beef for the dish. Bulgogi is a very popular dish in South Korea, where it can be found anywhere from upscale restaurants to local supermarkets as pan-ready kits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bibimbap</span> Korean rice dish

Bibimbap, sometimes romanized as bi bim bap or bi bim bop, is a Korean rice dish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andong</span> City in North Gyeongsang, South Korea

Andong is a city in South Korea, and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city. Andong is a market centre for the surrounding agricultural areas.

<i>Gochujang</i> Spicy fermented Korean condiment

Gochujang or red chili paste is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu, glutinous rice, meju powder, yeotgireum, and salt. The sweetness comes from the starch of cooked glutinous rice, cultured with saccharifying enzymes during the fermentation process. Traditionally, it would be naturally fermented over years in jangdok (earthenware) on an elevated stone platform called jangdokdae in the backyard.

<i>Makgeolli</i> Korean raw rice wine

Makgeolli, sometimes anglicized to makkoli, is a Korean alcoholic drink. It is a milky, off-white, and lightly sparkling rice wine that has a slight viscosity, and tastes slightly sweet, tangy, bitter, and astringent. Chalky sediment gives it a cloudy appearance. As a low proof drink of six to nine percent alcohol by volume, it is often considered a "communal beverage" rather than hard liquor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choi Yong-sool</span> Founder of Hapkido (1904–1986)

Choi Yong-sool, alternative spelling Choi Yong-sul, was the founder of the martial art Hapkido. He was born in today's North Chungcheong Province, South Korea and was taken to Japan during the Japanese occupation of Korea when he was eight years old. Choi later stated that he became a student of Takeda Sōkaku, and studied a form of jujutsu known as Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu (大東流合気柔術) while in Japan. Choi returned to Korea after the end of World War II and in 1948 began teaching his art at a brewery owned by the father of his first student Seo Bok-seob. He first called his art "Yu Sul (유술)" or "Yawara " later changing it to "Yu Kwon Sool " and "Hap Ki Yu Kwon Sool " and eventually Hapkido.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hello</span> Salutation or greeting

Hello is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is first attested in writing from 1826.

<i>Gui</i> (food) Korean grilled dish

Gui refers to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. Gui most commonly has meat or fish as the primary ingredient, but may, in some cases also have grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb gupda, which literally means "grill". At traditional restaurants, meats are cooked at the center of the table over a charcoal grill, surrounded by various banchan and individual rice bowls. The cooked meat is then cut into small pieces and wrapped with fresh lettuce leaves, rice, thinly sliced garlic, ssamjang, and other seasonings. The suffix gui is often omitted in the names of meat-based gui such as galbi, originally named galbi gui.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korean barbecue</span> Regional style of food preparation

Korean barbecue is a popular method in Korean cuisine of grilling meat, typically beef, pork or chicken. Such dishes are often prepared on gas or charcoal grills built into the dining table itself, though some restaurants provide customers with portable stoves for diners to use at their tables. Alternatively, a chef uses a centrally displayed grill to prepare dishes that are made to order.

Hantaan orthohantavirus (HTNV) is an enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA virus species of Old World Orthohantavirus. It is the causative agent of Korean hemorrhagic fever in humans. It is named for the Hantan River in South Korea, and in turn lends the name to its genus Orthohantavirus and family Hantaviridae.

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References

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  2. "chaebeol". Oxford Dictionaries . Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
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