Korean Kitchen Vocabulary: 40 Words with Romanization and Audio

Korean Kitchen Vocabulary at a Glance

A Korean kitchen has the usual items, but also a few that surprise visitors: a metal spoon-and-chopsticks set, an earthenware pot for stews, a rice cooker that is almost always on the counter and a second refrigerator just for kimchi. Learning the words in groups, with the dish or job each tool is used for, makes them easier to remember than a flat list.

The list holds 40 words. By origin, the list has 18 native Korean, 7 Sino-Korean (built from Chinese-derived syllables), 6 loanwords and 9 mixed. Knowing the origin helps you guess how a new word will behave. The groups are:

Most utensil names are native Korean words and are short: 칼, 솥, 국자, 도마. Appliance names are usually Sino-Korean or loanwords, such as 냉장고 and 인덕션. The nouns on this page are the names only. Cooking verbs such as 끓이다 (boil) and 볶다 (stir-fry) belong in the verb lists, and the example sentences use them in simple polite forms. This list sits inside House and Home, where you can find the related topics.

Which Kitchen Words Should You Learn First?

Start with five words that you see on every Korean table and stove: 수저, 숟가락, 젓가락, 뚝배기 and 밥솥. Press play, then the slow button, and say each word aloud.

수저 (sujeo) means spoon and chopsticks (a set). At a restaurant, 수저 주세요 means "Please give me a spoon and chopsticks". It is usually explained as 술, an old native word for a spoon (still heard in 한 술, a spoonful), joined to 저, chopsticks, from Chinese. Example: 수저를 놓아요. (I set out the spoon and chopsticks.)

숟가락 (sutgarak) means spoon, the one used for rice and soup. Spell it with ㄷ in the first syllable (숟), not with ㅅ. It is said [숟까락], with a tense ㄱ in the middle. Example: 숟가락으로 국을 먹어요. (I eat soup with a spoon.)

젓가락 (jeotgarak) means chopsticks. In Korea they are usually thin metal, a feature that surprises many visitors. Spell it with ㅅ in the first syllable (젓), unlike 숟가락. Example: 젓가락을 사용해요. (I use chopsticks.)

뚝배기 (ttukbaegi) means earthenware pot. It is a heavy earthenware pot used for stews such as 된장찌개, and it keeps the stew boiling at the table. The word begins with a tense ㄸ, so the first sound is a firm tt. Example: 뚝배기에 된장찌개를 끓여요. (I boil soybean paste stew in an earthenware pot.)

밥솥 (bapsot) means rice cooker, a machine found in most Korean homes. The two parts are 밥 (cooked rice) and 솥 (cooking pot). Say it as [밥쏟]. Example: 밥솥으로 밥을 해요. (I make rice with the rice cooker.)

Cutlery and Tableware

Eleven words cover what is on the table. In Korea soup and rice are eaten with a spoon, and side dishes with chopsticks.

• 수저 is the full set and the word used when setting a table or asking for utensils. 숟가락 and 젓가락 are the two separate parts. The word 수저 is also used in idioms about family wealth, but that sense is for advanced learners.
• 그릇 is the general word for any dish, bowl or container. 공기 is the small bowl for rice, and 접시 is a flat plate.
• 반찬통 is a container for 반찬 (side dishes). Korean fridges usually hold many of these boxes, each with a different side dish.

Example Sentences

The tool frame is tool + (으)로 + food + verb. Use 으로 after a consonant and 로 after a vowel: 젓가락으로 먹어요 (I eat with chopsticks) and 숟가락으로 국을 먹어요 (I eat soup with a spoon). For a container or place, use 에: 냄비에 라면을 끓여요 (I boil ramen in a pot). To count utensils, use a thing counter such as 개: 숟가락 두 개 (two spoons). The counter is taught in counters for things. The single-word page kitchen in korean explains the word 부엌 on its own.

How Do You Say Pots and Pans in Korean?

Pots and pans are the main place where Korean differs from English: each shape matches a dish. Learn the dish with the pot.

• 냄비 is the everyday pot for ramen, soup and boiling. The word itself came into Korean from Japanese (nabe). 솥 is deeper and heavier, and is the word for the large pot used for rice or for a 가마솥 (gamasot, a traditional iron pot).
• 뚝배기 is paired with 찌개 (stew) and 국밥 (soup with rice). For stew words, see stews.
• 불판 is the grill plate in a Korean barbecue restaurant. It may be flat or round, and a 가위 (scissors) cuts the meat on it.

Appliances

Appliance words show how Korean homes use technology. Two items, the rice cooker and the kimchi refrigerator, are standard in Korean kitchens and have no common English twin.

• 김치냉장고 keeps kimchi at a steady cool temperature while it ferments. It is a second, separate unit, and the name is long enough that Koreans sometimes shorten it to 김냉.
• 가스레인지 and 전자레인지 end in 레인지 (range). The first part tells the energy source: 가스 (gas) or 전자 (electronic), which here means a microwave oven.
• 정수기 gives clean and sometimes hot or cold water. Many offices and homes have one, and rental ones are common.

How Do You Say Prep Tools in Korean?

Prep tools are small, and most are native Korean words that are short and easy to say. Several use the same pattern: noun + (으)로, meaning with the tool.

• Korean cooks use 가위 in the kitchen for more than paper: they cut noodles, kimchi and grilled meat with kitchen scissors. Restaurant staff often hand you a pair at the table.
• 집게 and 가위 are often served together at a barbecue restaurant. 집게 turns the meat and 가위 cuts it.
• Many tool names come from the verb they do: 뒤집개 comes from 뒤집다 (flip) and 밀대 from 밀다 (push or roll).

Sink and Cleaning

The last group has four words for the sink, the cleaning cloths and the kitchen itself.

• 부엌 is the native word for the kitchen, and 주방 is the Sino-Korean word used in restaurants and for a professional kitchen. At home, say 부엌.
• The final ㅋ in 부엌 is said [ㄱ], so alone it sounds like bueok. When a vowel follows, the ㅋ returns: 부엌에 is said [부어케].
• 싱크대 names the whole sink unit with its counter and cupboards, not only the basin.

How Do You Pronounce These Words?

Kitchen words are rich in the sound rules where a final consonant makes the next sound tense. The table shows five, following the Standard Pronunciation rules (표준 발음법) of the 국립국어원.

Revised Romanization is the official romanization system of South Korea, announced on 7 July 2000. It follows most sound changes, but it does not show tensing caused by a neighbouring sound, so it is only a learning aid. Always read the Hangul as well.

Audio and Slow Playback

Each headword and each example sentence has its own audio clip, and the 5 words in the first-words section also have a slow clip at 0.8 times the speed. Nothing plays until you press a button. Listen once, repeat aloud, and only then check the romanization.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Kitchen Words?

• Spelling 숟가락 with ㅅ or 젓가락 with ㄷ. The spelling is 숟가락 (ㄷ) and 젓가락 (ㅅ).
• Saying 수저 for only a spoon. 수저 is the set of spoon and chopsticks.
• Using 냄비 for every pot. Use 뚝배기 for an earthenware stew pot and 솥 for a large rice pot.
• Calling the kimchi refrigerator an ordinary 냉장고. The names differ because the two machines do different jobs.
• Reading the romanization instead of the sounds. Words such as 숟가락 are said with a tense ㄱ, but Revised Romanization does not show it.

Practice: Flashcards and Worksheet

Drill these 40 words with the vocabulary flashcard decks: each card shows the Hangul on one side and the meaning on the other, so you can test recall instead of recognition. Print a labelling sheet from the vocabulary worksheets and write the Korean word for each numbered object in the scene above. A simple plan is to learn 8 to 10 words a day: read the table, press play, say the word, cover the English, then write one sentence of your own. Come back after a day and again after a week.

Self-Test: 10 Sentences

Fill each blank with a word from this page. Say the whole sentence aloud when you have it. The answers follow the test.

1. ___를 놓아요. (I set out the spoon and chopsticks.)
2. ___에 반찬을 담아요. (I put side dishes on a plate.)
3. ___을 씻어요. (I wash the water glass.)
4. ___에 계란을 부쳐요. (I fry an egg in the frying pan.)
5. ___로 만두를 쪄요. (I steam dumplings with a steamer.)
6. ___에 김치를 넣어요. (I put kimchi in the kimchi refrigerator.)
7. ___은 안전해요. (The induction cooktop is safe.)
8. ___ 위에서 채소를 썰어요. (I cut vegetables on the cutting board.)
9. ___로 고기를 집어요. (I pick up meat with tongs.)
10. ___가 깨끗해요. (The sink is clean.)

Answers: 1. 수저; 2. 접시; 3. 물컵; 4. 프라이팬; 5. 찜기; 6. 김치냉장고; 7. 인덕션; 8. 도마; 9. 집게; 10. 싱크대.

A score of 8 or more suggests the words are settling in. If you scored lower, reread the groups where you missed words.

Where to Go Next

After kitchen words, many learners move on to Korean House and Furniture Vocabulary and Korean Bathroom Vocabulary. This list sits inside House and Home.

FAQ

How Do You Say Spoon and Chopsticks in Korean?

Say 수저 (sujeo) for the set of spoon and chopsticks. For only the spoon say 숟가락 (sutgarak), and for only the chopsticks say 젓가락 (jeotgarak). At a restaurant, 수저 주세요 asks for the set.

How Do You Pronounce 숟가락 (sutgarak)?

숟가락 is read sutgarak but said [숟까락]. The final ㄷ closes the first syllable, and the ㄱ that follows becomes tense. In the first syllable, the vowel ㅜ is said with rounded lips, as in English "too".

How Many Kitchen Words Should I Learn First?

Learn the 19 words in the cutlery and pots groups first, because they cover the table and stove. At 8 to 10 new words a day that takes two days; then add appliances, prep tools and the sink words, and keep reviewing for a week.

Where Can I Practise Kitchen Words with Flashcards?

Use the vocabulary flashcard decks. Start with the first 10 words of this page, then add 10 more each day. Review the older cards before you add new ones, so the earlier words do not fade.

Is the Romanization on This Page Official?

Yes, as a learning aid. It follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, the system South Korea has officially used since 7 July 2000, and the page also gives the Hangul for every word. It follows most sound changes, but it does not show tensing caused by a neighbouring sound: 숟가락 is written sutgarak but said [숟까락]. Treat the Hangul as the real spelling.

Is There a Printable Worksheet for Kitchen Words?

The vocabulary worksheets page lists the printable sheets. The sheet for this topic is a labelling task built on the same illustrated scene as this page, so you write the Korean word next to each numbered object.