Key Facts
- Word: 침대 (chimdae)
- Part of speech: noun; origin: sino-korean
- Meaning: bed
- Register: Neutral everyday word for a Western-style bed; traditional floor bedding is 요 and 이불.
- Hanja: 寢臺 (寢 sleep + 臺 platform)
Bed in Korean: Meaning and Register
침대 is a Western-style bed with a frame. The register is neutral and everyday. There is a cultural contrast: traditional floor bedding is 요 (a thin mattress) with an 이불 (blanket or quilt), so 침대 is specifically the raised piece of furniture.
Word Origin
The hanja 寢臺 combines 寢 (sleep) and 臺 (platform), a sleeping platform.
Pronunciation
Two syllables, chim-dae. Close your lips on the m at the end of the first syllable, then open into dae. With 에서 it becomes chimdaeeseo, with two vowels in a row and no break between them.
Example Sentences
저는 침대에서 자요.
jeoneun chimdaeeseo jayo.
I sleep in a bed.
에서 here marks where the action of sleeping happens. 자요 is the polite form of to sleep.
새 침대가 필요해요.
sae chimdaega piryohaeyo.
I need a new bed.
필요해요 means need, and 새 means new. The sentence is useful in a shop or when moving house.
고양이가 침대 위에 있어요.
goyangiga chimdae wie isseoyo.
The cat is on the bed.
위 means above or on top of, and 침대 위에 means on the bed. The cat sits there, so 에 marks location, not action.
Reading the Examples Together
The three examples cover the three particle jobs that matter most with furniture: 에서 for an action, a plain subject for need, and 에 with 위 for location. The same contrast explains the collocations. 눕다 and 일어나다 are movements onto and off the bed, so they behave differently from 자요. Traditional bedding also changes how you read a Korean home: someone who sleeps on 요 has no 침대 at all, and the word would not apply to a floor mattress.
Collocations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 침대에 눕다 | to lie on the bed |
| 침대에서 일어나다 | to get up from the bed |
| 2인용 침대 | double bed |
| 침대 시트 | bed sheet |
침대에 눕다 is lie down on the bed, 침대에서 일어나다 is get up from it, 2인용 침대 is a double bed and 침대 시트 is a sheet. The particle changes with the verb, which is exactly the mistake below.
Common Mistake
Mistake: 침대에 자요 for sleeping in a bed. Correct: 침대에서 자요, because 에서 marks where an action happens. Lying down is different: 침대에 누워요 takes 에, because the verb points to a destination.
침대 vs 이불
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 침대 | bed | Neutral everyday word for a Western-style bed; traditional floor bedding is 요 and 이불. |
| 이불 | blanket / quilt | Bedding that covers you; 침대 is the bed frame. |
| 요 | sleeping mattress (floor) | A thin mattress laid on the floor in traditional bedding. |
이불 is the cover you sleep under, while 침대 is the bed beneath you. 요 is the thin floor mattress of traditional bedding.
Asking about Beds at a Hotel
A guest needs separate beds for two travellers. Asking about the number of beds avoids confusing one large bed with two smaller ones.
Guest
방에 침대가 두 개 있어요?
Bange chimdaega du gae isseoyo?
Are there two beds in the room?
Receptionist
아니요. 큰 침대가 하나 있어요.
Aniyo. Keun chimdaega hana isseoyo.
No. There is one large bed.
Guest
침대가 두 개 있는 방도 있어요?
Chimdaega du gae inneun bangdo isseoyo?
Do you also have a room with two beds?
Receptionist
네. 있어요.
Ne. Isseoyo.
Yes, we do.
두 개 counts two beds. 하나 means one when the number stands on its own. In 침대가 두 개 있는 방, the words before 방 describe the room: “a room that has two beds”. Both speakers use polite endings, which suit a hotel reception desk.
What Does 침대 Tell You in a Room Description?
침대 tells you that the room has a bed, but it does not tell you the size or the number. 싱글 침대 means a single bed, 더블 침대 a double bed, and 이층 침대 a bunk bed. A room with one double bed and a room with two single beds may both sleep two people. Ask about the beds themselves if you need separate sleeping places.
In a furniture shop, 침대 프레임 means the bed frame and 매트리스 means the mattress. A listing that names a 침대 프레임 may describe only the frame. Check whether the mattress is included before assuming that 침대 refers to a complete set. 침대 시트 names the sheet, another separate part of the bedding.
침대에서 자다 literally describes sleeping on a bed. English often uses “go to bed” to mean starting the night's sleep, but Korean can simply use 자다, “to sleep”. Use 침대 when the furniture matters, such as choosing between a bed and floor bedding.
Phrases for Being on or Getting out of Bed
침대에 눕다 describes lying down onto the bed. 침대에 누워 있다 describes the resulting position, “to be lying in bed”. The first phrase focuses on the movement; the second focuses on how someone is resting. Neither phrase by itself says the person is asleep.
침대에서 일어나다 means getting up from the bed. Here 에서 marks where the movement starts. In 침대에서 자다, the same particle marks the place where sleeping happens. Read the verb with the particle: 에서 can describe either an action's setting or its starting point.
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 베개 | pillow | Goes under your head; it is separate from the bed. |
| 매트리스 | mattress | The padded part you lie on. |
| 침실 | bedroom | Names the room rather than the furniture. |
| 침대 프레임 | bed frame | Useful when checking exactly what a shop sells. |
The house and furniture lesson puts these words alongside the other objects in a home. For a room description, 침실 answers “what room?”, while 침대 answers “what furniture?”.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 침대가 두 개 mean one double bed or two beds?
- Which names the pillow: 베개 or 이불?
- Does 침대에 누워 있다 necessarily mean someone is asleep?
Show answers
- Two beds. 개 counts the individual beds.
- 베개. 이불 is the blanket or quilt.
- No. It says the person is lying in bed.
FAQ
Which Particle Do I Use for Sleeping in a Bed?
Use 에서, as in 침대에서 자요. 침대에 자요 is a common learner error.
What Is the Difference between 침대 and 이불?
침대 is the bed you lie on. 이불 is the blanket or quilt that covers you.
What Is 요?
It is the thin mattress laid on the floor in traditional bedding.
How Do I Say a Double Bed?
Say 2인용 침대.
Keep Learning
- Theme list: Korean House and Furniture Vocabulary, where 침대 sits alongside related words.
- Index: Korean words A to Z
- Practice: vocabulary flashcard decks include 침대.