Key Facts
- Hangul: 앱 (aep)
- Meaning: app, mobile application
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: loanword
- Register: neutral; the short form of 애플리케이션
- Level: A1
App in Korean: What Does 앱 Mean?
앱 is a neutral loanword for an app on a phone or computer. It is the shortened form of 애플리케이션, the full formal word. In speech you will also hear 어플, a casual abbreviation, but 앱 is the standard short form, so it is the one to write.
How Do You Pronounce 앱?
The Revised Romanization is aep. It is a single syllable that ends in a closed lip sound. When a particle follows, the final consonant carries over: the first example is romanised aebeul, where 을 follows 앱. Play the headword, then the examples.
How Do You Use 앱 in a Sentence?
이 앱을 써 봤어요?
Have you tried this app?
i aebeul sseo bwasseoyo? 이 앱을 means this app as the object. 써 봤어요 is the experience form, asking whether you have ever tried it.
앱으로 택시를 불러요.
I call a taxi with an app.
aebeuro taeksireul bulleoyo. 앱으로 uses 으로 to mean by means of, so the app is the tool for calling a taxi. 불러요 is the polite verb for calling.
새 앱을 설치했어요.
I installed a new app.
sae aebeul seolchihaesseoyo. 새 앱을 is a new app as the object, and 설치했어요 is the past tense of installing. It is the phrase that goes with downloading from a store.
Common Word Combinations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 앱을 설치하다 | to install an app |
| 앱을 열다 | to open an app |
| 앱을 삭제하다 | to delete an app |
| 배달 앱 | delivery app |
The verbs follow the life of an app: 앱을 설치하다 (install), 앱을 열다 (open) and 앱을 삭제하다 (delete). 배달 앱 is a compound meaning delivery app, where 배달 names the service.
Common Mistake
Learners copy the casual spoken form into writing.
- Wrong: 어플 in formal text
- Right: 앱
어플 is common in speech, but 앱 is the standard short form.
How Does 앱 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | Meaning | How to tell it from 앱 |
|---|---|---|
| 애플리케이션 | application (full form) | 애플리케이션 is the formal full form of 앱. You will see it in system menus and official notices. |
| 어플 | app (casual) | 어플 is a common casual abbreviation. It is spoken far more than written, while 앱 is the standard short form. |
Helping a Friend Install a Delivery App
Two friends want to order food. One already has a delivery app and helps the other get started.
Jisu
이 배달 앱 있어요?
I baedal aep isseoyo?
Do you have this delivery app?
Alex
아니요. 지금 설치할게요.
Aniyo. Jigeum seolchihalgeyo.
No. I will install it now.
Jisu
앱을 열어 보세요.
Aebeul yeoreo boseyo.
Try opening the app.
Alex
네, 이제 주문할 수 있어요.
Ne, ije jumunhal su isseoyo.
Yes, now I can order.
The first question leaves out the subject marker after 앱, which is natural in a quick conversation about a phone screen. In the instruction, 앱을 explicitly marks the app as the object of opening. 열어 보세요 is a polite suggestion to try an action. The friends are talking about using the software, rather than opening a physical package.
Where Will You See 앱 on a Phone?
앱 appears in store listings, phone settings and messages about services. A button labelled 설치 means install; 열기 means open. 업데이트 means update, usually when a newer version is available. These words describe different stages: you install software you do not yet have, open software to use it, and update an existing installation.
앱을 삭제하다 means to delete or remove an app. 계정 삭제 means deleting an account. The objects differ, so the actions differ too: removing an app from a phone and deleting the service account are separate ideas. When reading an instruction, check the noun attached to 삭제 rather than translating only the action word.
앱으로 in the taxi example means “using an app” or “through an app.” It tells you the method. 앱에서 means “in the app,” locating something such as a menu or a setting. The two particles answer different questions: how you did something, and where you found or did it.
Common App Types and Troubleshooting Phrases
배달 앱 means a delivery app, often for ordering food. 지도 앱 means a map app and 번역 앱 means a translation app. In each phrase, the word before 앱 names its purpose. You do not need a different Korean word for “application” each time the service changes.
앱이 안 열려요 means “the app won't open.” This describes what happens when you try to launch it. 앱이 자꾸 꺼져요 means “the app keeps closing.” 자꾸 adds the idea of repetition. The first report is about opening; the second can describe an app closing again after it has started.
앱을 열다 and 앱이 열리다 describe the action from different sides. With 을, someone opens the app. With 이, the app opens. This helps explain why the troubleshooting phrase uses 앱이 even though the earlier instruction uses 앱을.
Screen Words to Recognize Next
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 설치 | installation | Gets an app onto the device. |
| 업데이트 | update | Brings an installed app to a newer version. |
| 로그인 | login | Signs you into an account. |
| 설정 | settings | The place to change options. |
| 알림 | notification | A message or alert from an app or service. |
The technology vocabulary lesson groups these screen words with device vocabulary. Recognizing 앱 tells you what software the instruction concerns; the action and object around it tell you what to do.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 앱으로 describe a method or a location?
- Which phrase reports an app that will not open?
- Are 앱 삭제 and 계정 삭제 the same action?
Show answers
- A method: using or through an app. 앱에서 gives the location.
- 앱이 안 열려요.
- No. One removes the app; the other deletes an account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 앱 the Full Word?
No. It is the short form of 애플리케이션, which is the formal full form.
Can I Say 어플?
People do in speech, but 앱 is the standard short form to write.
How Do I Say I Installed an App?
Say 새 앱을 설치했어요, which is the third example's pattern.
How Do I Name a Delivery App?
Use the compound 배달 앱.
Where to Go Next
For more technology words, open the daily life technology vocabulary list or browse Korean words A to Z. The device you run apps on is covered in the cell phone entry.