Korean Webtoon Vocabulary: 30 Words with Romanization and Audio

What you'll learn

• Match all 30 webtoon words to their English meanings.
• Tell 웹툰 from 만화, and 작가 from 독자.
• Say five of the words aloud with the help of the Revised Romanization and the audio.
• Write two original sentences with words such as 웹툰 and 만화.

Prerequisites: you can read Hangul and know the polite ending -아요/-어요. Estimated time: about 50 minutes, plus short reviews on the following days.

Korean Webtoon Vocabulary at a Glance

A webtoon is a comic made to be read on a phone, usually by scrolling down. Korean webtoons are published in weekly episodes on apps and websites, and many have been turned into TV dramas and films. The word 웹툰 joins 웹 (web) and 툰 (toon, from cartoon). The general word for a comic of any kind, in print or online, is 만화.

The vocabulary has two layers. The creator and story words, such as 작가, 연재 and 줄거리, are mostly Sino-Korean or native Korean words. The platform and fan words, such as 앱, 플랫폼 and 업데이트, are loanwords. This page is part of Movies and TV, because many webtoons become dramas. For those, see K-drama words.

By origin, the list has 17 Sino-Korean words, 10 loanwords, 1 native Korean word (줄거리) and 2 mixed words: 댓글 joins Sino-Korean 대 (對) to native 글, and 드라마화 joins English drama to Sino-Korean 화 (化).

Which Webtoon Words Should You Learn First?

Start with five words: 웹툰, 만화, 작가, 연재 and 댓글. They cover the format, the creator, the weekly release and the comment section. Press the slow button, say each word, then listen to the sentence.

The scene below shows twelve of the 30 words. Each number matches a word in the lists that follow.

Word · 12

1. 1

   웹툰

   Play

   weptun

   webtoon

2. 2

   만화

   Play

   manhwa

   comic, manhwa

3. 3

   작가

   Play

   jakga

   author, artist

4. 4

   연재

   Play

   yeonjae

   serialisation (publishing in parts)

5. 5

   회차

   Play

   hoecha

   episode (installment number)

6. 6

   컷

   Play

   keot

   panel, frame

7. 7

   로맨스

   Play

   romaenseu

   romance

8. 8

   판타지

   Play

   pantaji

   fantasy

9. 9

   주인공

   Play

   juingong

   main character

10. 10

    앱

    Play

    aep

    app

11. 11

    댓글

    Play

    daetgeul

    comment (reply)

12. 12

    정주행

    Play

    jeongjuhaeng

    binge-reading from the start

Twelve numbered objects match twelve words from the lists. Use the list under the picture if you cannot see the numbers.

Webtoon Basics

Six words for the format and the people who make it. The word 회차 counts episodes, and many readers also say 화 for the same thing.

• 웹툰: Joins 웹 (web) and 툰 (toon). Say 웹툰을 보다 (to read a webtoon), because the verb for reading comics is 보다 (to see) as often as 읽다.
• 만화: The general word for comics, in print or online. In English, manhwa is the usual term for Korean comics.
• 작가: The word covers a writer or a comic artist. Said [작까], with a tense second consonant.
• 연재: The verb is 연재하다. A weekly webtoon comes out on a fixed day, such as 월요일 (Monday).
• 회차: Counts the installments. People also write 화, as in 십 화 for episode ten. 올라오다 means to be posted.
• 컷: From English cut. In webtoons a 컷 is one picture on the scroll, and the white space between panels also tells the story.

Example Sentences

Press play and repeat each sentence aloud. The sentences show the common verbs for webtoons: 보다, 그리다, 연재하다 and 올라오다.

Notice that the sentence about the artist uses 그려요, the polite form of 그리다. The next groups sort the genres and the story words.

Genres

Six common genre labels. Webtoon apps sort their stories with these tags, and most are loanwords.

• 로맨스: The first syllable is 로, with the rounded ㅗ. Apps often add 판타지 to make 로맨스 판타지.
• 판타지: Three syllables: pan-ta-ji.
• 액션: Said aek-syeon. The second syllable has a glide: syeon.
• 스릴러: Said seu-ril-leo, with a long l sound in the middle.
• 일상: Said [일쌍]. Use it as a genre tag for stories about ordinary days.
• 코미디: Three syllables: ko-mi-di. A funny story is also called 개그, from English gag.

Characters and Plot

Six words for talking about a story: who is in it, what happens and how it ends.

• 주인공: Use it for the lead of any story, in a comic, a drama or a film.
• 악당: Said [악땅], because the ㄷ after a final ㄱ becomes tense.
• 등장인물: 등장 (appearance) plus 인물 (person). It means all the characters, not one.
• 줄거리: A native Korean word. Said [줄거리], though you will often hear [줄꺼리]. It is the story outline, as in a book blurb.
• 장면: 장 (place) plus 면 (surface). Webtoon scenes are made of several panels.
• 반전: 반 (reverse) plus 전 (turn). The word 있어서 means because there is.

Reading Apps

Six words for the apps and websites where webtoons are read.

• 앱: From English app, with the ㅐ vowel and a final ㅂ. The verb 설치하다 means to install.
• 플랫폼: Three syllables: peul-laet-pom. The final ㅅ of 랫 is said as t, so Revised Romanization writes peullaetpom.
• 구독: The verb 구독하다 means to subscribe to or follow a series.
• 무료: Many apps make early episodes free. The opposite is 유료.
• 유료: The opposite of 무료. Both end in 료, said ryo.
• 업데이트: Used for a new episode as well as an app update. The word has four syllables: eop-de-i-teu.

Fan Culture

Six words that readers use online. Several are informal and mostly found in comments and social media.

• 댓글: The comment section under an episode. Readers often read the best comments first.
• 정주행: An informal word for reading a whole series from episode one. The verb is 정주행하다.
• 휴재: A pause in a series. 휴재 공지 is a hiatus notice.
• 독자: Said [독짜]. The opposite side of the page is 작가.
• 완결: A finished series is 완결 웹툰. 이미 means already.
• 드라마화: The ending -화 (化) means "turning into". 드라마화 means being made into a drama, and 영화화 means being made into a film.

How Do You Pronounce These Words?

Most webtoon words are easy to read, but a few have tense sounds that are not visible in the spelling. The table follows the standard pronunciation rules (표준 발음법) of the 국립국어원 (National Institute of Korean Language).

Revised Romanization does not show tensing caused by a neighbouring sound, so 작가 is written jakga even though it is said [작까]. The 웹툰 spelling is weptun: the final ㅂ of 웹 is written p. 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 to 작가 and 독자 one after the other and hear how both second consonants become tense.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Webtoon Words?

• Using 웹툰 and 만화 as exact synonyms. 웹툰 is the online scroll format, and 만화 is the general word for any comic, including printed books.
• Reading 작가 with a plain ㄱ. The second syllable is tense: [작까].
• Using 회차 for the whole series. It counts the single installments, such as the fifth episode.
• Mixing up 구독 (subscription) with 독자 (reader). Both contain 독, but they are different words.
• Treating 정주행 and 휴재 as formal vocabulary. They are common among readers, but 정주행 is informal slang.
• Spelling 판타지 as 환타지. The standard form uses ㅍ.

Practice: Flashcards and Worksheet

Drill all 30 words with the vocabulary flashcard decks: each card shows the Hangul on one side and the meaning on the other. A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. A simple plan is to open a Korean webtoon app and name each part of the screen with a word from this page.

Quick Quiz

Choose the best answer. The explanation after each question tells you why.

Write two sentences of your own, one about the genre you like and one about how often a series comes out. For example, 저는 판타지 웹툰을 좋아해요 or 이 웹툰은 매주 연재해요.

Where to Go Next

This webtoon list sits inside Movies and TV. Many webtoons become dramas, so continue with K-drama words or Korean variety show vocabulary.

FAQ

How Do You Say Webtoon in Korean?

Say 웹툰 (weptun). It joins 웹 (web) and 툰 (toon). To say you read one, use 웹툰을 봐요 (I read a webtoon). The general word for a comic is 만화.

How Do You Pronounce 만화 (manhwa)?

Say man-hwa, with a clear n at the end of the first syllable and a quick hwa in the second. Revised Romanization writes it manhwa. English often spells the same word manhwa for Korean comics.

How Many Webtoon Words Should I Learn First?

Learn the five words in the first-words section: 웹툰, 만화, 작가, 연재 and 댓글. Then add one group a day and review the older words before new ones.

Where Can I Practise Webtoon Words with Flashcards?

Use the vocabulary flashcard decks. Start with the basics and the genres, then add the fan culture words.

Is the Romanization on This Page Official?

It follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, the system South Korea has officially used since 2000, as a learning aid. It does not show tensing caused by a neighbouring sound, so 작가 is written jakga but said [작까]. Always read the Hangul as well.

Is There a Printable Worksheet for Webtoon Words?

A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. For additional practice, write the Korean name next to each numbered object in the scene above.

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