Korean Space and Planets Vocabulary: Word List with Audio and Examples

Korean Space and Planets Vocabulary at a Glance

Space words reach far beyond the science class. The moon is part of Korean holidays and folk tales, constellations appear in conversation about birthdays and personality, and the names of the planets turn out to be the same syllables as the days of the week. This list starts with what you see in the night sky, moves through the planets of our solar system, covers rockets and astronauts, names the tools and events of astronomy and ends with the moon in Korean tradition. It sits in Geography and Countries. For a single-word lookup of one star, see star in Korean.

Which Space Words Should You Learn First?

Learn 별, 달, 태양, 지구, 우주 and 행성 first. They are the words children learn first, and you will meet them in songs, stories and news. After that, add 보름달 and 별똥별, which are words people say out loud when they see something beautiful.

• Words to say. 별, 달, 태양, 지구, 우주, 행성.
• Words to recognise. 은하수, 별자리, 혜성, 일식. They appear in stories, poems and science news.
• Words to match. 수성, 금성, 화성, 목성, 토성. These five are the same syllables as five weekdays, so one memory trick learns both sets.

Note the double meaning of 달. It is the moon, and it is also a month, as in 한 달 (one month) and 다음 달 (next month). The sentence tells you which one. The scene below shows a night sky with numbered objects that match the list.

Word · 10

1. 1

   태양

   Play

   taeyang

   sun

2. 2

   달

   Play

   dal

   moon

3. 3

   별

   Play

   byeol

   star

4. 4

   은하수

   Play

   eunhasu

   Milky Way

5. 5

   행성

   Play

   haengseong

   planet

6. 6

   지구

   Play

   jigu

   Earth (the planet)

7. 7

   화성

   Play

   hwaseong

   Mars

8. 8

   우주선

   Play

   ujuseon

   spaceship

9. 9

   로켓

   Play

   roket

   rocket

10. 10

    망원경

    Play

    mangwongyeong

    telescope

Sun, Moon and Stars

Six words cover the sky you can see. 태양 is the sun, and the native word is 해, which is also the word for year in some uses. 달 is the moon and 별 is a star. 별똥별 is a shooting star, 별자리 is a constellation and 은하수 is the Milky Way. A constellation groups stars into a recognisable pattern in the night sky. Keep this word separate from 별, which refers to an individual star.

Example Sentences

Sky sentences use three simple frames. The first is noun + 이/가 + adjective, as in 달이 밝아요 (the moon is bright). The second is place + 에 + noun + 이/가 + 많아요, as in 밤하늘에 별이 많아요 (there are many stars in the night sky). The third is noun + 을/를 + 봤어요 (I saw), as in 별똥별을 봤어요. The past tense 봤어요 is the polite past of 보다 (to see). Read each sentence aloud after its audio.

Beyond the sky you can see with the eye are the planets, which have names with a surprising link to the calendar.

How Do You Say Planets in Korean?

Planet is 행성, and the planets use a set of Sino-Korean names built from the five elements. 수성 is Mercury (water star), 금성 is Venus (metal or gold star), 화성 is Mars (fire star), 목성 is Jupiter (wood star) and 토성 is Saturn (earth star). Earth is 지구, which means the earth ball. Outer planets 천왕성 (Uranus) and 해왕성 (Neptune) follow the same -성 pattern, where 성 means star. Because the weekdays use the same five elements, you can learn both lists at once.

Learn the five planet names 수성, 금성, 화성, 목성 and 토성, and you can already read five of the weekday names. The table below shows the link.

For the full list of weekday names, see days of the week.

Space Travel

Space travel words are mostly Sino-Korean or loanwords. 우주 is space and also the universe. 우주선 is a spaceship, and 우주인 is an astronaut in everyday speech, with 우주비행사 as the formal term. 로켓 is a rocket, borrowed from English. 위성 is a satellite and 발사 is a launch. Korea has built its own launch rocket, called 누리호 (Nuriho), and a national space agency, 우주항공청. Check the agency site for current news, since facts about launches change over time.

Use 우주인 in conversation and 우주비행사 in writing and news. The word 인공위성 (man-made satellite) is the full form.

How Do You Say Astronomy in Korean?

Astronomy words cover the places and tools of stargazing. 천문대 is an observatory and 망원경 is a telescope. 은하 is a galaxy, and 혜성 is a comet with a tail. 블랙홀 is a black hole, written with the English loanword. 일식 is a solar eclipse, when the moon covers the sun. A lunar eclipse is 월식. Astronomy clubs and school science centres use these words, and news about eclipses and comets uses them all.

Learn 은하 and 은하수 as a pair. The first is any galaxy and the second is our own Milky Way.

Space in Culture

The moon matters in Korean customs. On Chuseok and on the first full moon of the lunar year, many people go out to see the 보름달, the full moon. 초승달 is the thin crescent moon. In folk tradition the dark patches on the moon look like a rabbit pounding rice cake, called 달토끼. 달맞이 is the custom of welcoming the full moon, and 소원 is a wish, often made to the moon. These words come up in songs, children's stories and holiday greetings.

The moon words are good for holidays and songs. Learn them with the stories behind them, and they stay in your head.

How Do You Pronounce These Words?

Space words are mostly said as written, but several have a tense consonant. Standard pronunciation follows the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) rules, and the romanization follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, which does not show tensing caused by a neighbouring sound.

The tense sounds in 목성 and 별자리 are the hardest. Close your throat slightly and say ㅆ or ㅉ without a puff of air. Compare the plain ㅅ in 수성 and the plain ㅈ in 지구.

Audio and Slow Playback

Each word and sentence has its own clip. The five clips below replay the hardest words slowly. Play one, repeat it aloud, then play it again and compare.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Space Words?

Five mistakes come up again and again.

1. Mixing up 달 as moon and month. 달이 밝아요 is about the moon, and 한 달 is one month.
2. Using 지구 for soil. 지구 is the planet Earth. For ground or soil, use 땅 or 흙.
3. Mixing up 별 and 별자리. 별 is one star, and 별자리 is a constellation.
4. Forgetting the tense sound in 목성. It is said [목썽], not [목성].
5. Mixing up 일식 and 월식. 일식 is a solar eclipse and 월식 is a lunar eclipse.

The practice section turns the list into drills.

Practice: Flashcards and Worksheet

Use three steps. Run the flashcard deck in recognition mode until the 30 words come quickly. Switch to listening mode, then take the quiz. The deck holds every word on this page with audio, and your progress stays in your browser. The vocabulary flashcard decks page lists the other decks.

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 practice, draw the night sky and label five things in Korean: 달, 별, 태양, 지구, 우주선.

Where to Go Next

After this page, return to the shore on Korean Ocean and Beach Vocabulary, or learn the weekdays alongside the planets on days of the week. To move up a level, return to Geography and Countries.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Say Planet in Korean?

Planet is 행성 (haengseong). The planets are 수성 (Mercury), 금성 (Venus), 지구 (Earth), 화성 (Mars), 목성 (Jupiter) and 토성 (Saturn). Say 지구는 행성이에요 for the Earth is a planet.

Why Do Planet Names Match the Days of the Week?

Both sets use the same five elements. 화 (fire) is in 화성 and 화요일, 수 (water) is in 수성 and 수요일, 목 (wood) is in 목성 and 목요일, 금 (metal) is in 금성 and 금요일, and 토 (earth) is in 토성 and 토요일.

How Do You Say Space and Universe in Korean?

Both are 우주 (uju). Say 우주는 아주 넓어요 for space is very wide. A spaceship is 우주선 and an astronaut is 우주인 in everyday speech.

How Do You Say Star and Moon in Korean?

Star is 별 (byeol) and moon is 달 (dal). The word 달 also means month, so 한 달 is one month. Say 밤하늘에 별이 많아요 for there are many stars in the night sky.

How Many Space Words Should I Learn First?

Start with about six: 별, 달, 태양, 지구, 우주 and 행성. The whole list of 30 takes about six days at five new words a day, with review.

Is the Romanization on This Page Official?

It follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, which South Korea adopted on 7 July 2000 and whose rules the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) publishes. It is a learning aid and does not mark every sound change, so rely on the Hangul and the audio.

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