Key Facts
- Korean: 이불, Revised Romanization ibul
- Part of speech: noun; origin: native Korean
- Register: Neutral everyday word for bedding that covers you.
- Theme page: home and furniture vocabulary
Blanket in Korean: What 이불 Means and When to Use It
이불 is whatever covers you in bed, from a light blanket to a thick quilt or comforter. It is a neutral everyday word. A thin throw for a sofa or lap is usually 담요 instead.
How to Pronounce 이불
Two syllables, i-bul. Before a vowel the final ㄹ links over as a light r, so 이불이 is i-bu-ri and 이불을 is i-bu-reul.
Examples with 이불
이불이 따뜻해요.
iburi ttatteutaeyo.
The blanket is warm.
A simple description: the blanket is warm. 따뜻해요 is the adjective, and 이불이 is the subject.
저는 이불을 덮고 자요.
jeoneun ibureul deopgo jayo.
I sleep under a blanket.
The verb 덮다 appears in the form 덮고, meaning 'cover (and then)'. The sentence says you sleep under it.
아침에 이불을 개요.
achime ibureul gaeyo.
I fold the blanket in the morning.
A morning routine sentence. 개다 (to fold) is the right verb for bedding, as the mistake note below shows.
Collocations with 이불
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 이불을 덮다 | to cover oneself with a blanket |
| 이불을 개다 | to fold the bedding |
| 이불을 펴다 | to spread out the bedding |
| 두꺼운 이불 | thick blanket |
Four collocations show the life cycle of bedding: 이불을 펴다 (spread out), 이불을 덮다 (cover oneself), 이불을 개다 (fold) and the description 두꺼운 이불 (thick blanket).
Origin and Background
In traditional homes the bedding (이불 and 요) is folded and stored in a closet during the day and laid out at night.
A Common Mistake with 이불
Mistake: using 입다 or 쓰다, the "wear" verbs, with 이불. Correct: 이불을 덮다 (to cover yourself with it) and 이불을 개다 (to fold it).
이불 Compared with 담요
Two nearby words separate by type: 담요 is a small, thin throw, while 베개 is the pillow, which is not a cover at all.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 이불 | blanket | The word this page covers. |
| 담요 | small blanket | A thin blanket or throw, used on a sofa or lap. |
| 베개 | pillow | A pillow, not a cover. |
Quick Recall for 이불
- The blanket is warm. (이불이 따뜻해요.)
- I sleep under a blanket. (저는 이불을 덮고 자요.)
- I fold the blanket in the morning. (아침에 이불을 개요.)
Asking for Bedding at a Guesthouse
A guest is cold at night and asks the host for another cover. The request names the item and the quantity, so the host knows what to bring.
Guest
이불 하나 더 주세요.
Ibul hana deo juseyo.
Please give me one more blanket.
Host
추우세요?
Chuuseyo?
Are you cold?
Guest
네. 이불이 좀 얇아요.
Ne. Iburi jom yalbayo.
Yes. The blanket is a little thin.
Host
두꺼운 이불을 드릴게요.
Dukkeoun ibureul deurilgeyo.
I’ll give you a thicker blanket.
하나 더 means “one more”. The guest leaves out the object marker in the request, which is natural in conversation. The host uses 드릴게요, a respectful way to say “I’ll give you”. The noun 이불 stays the same on both sides; politeness comes from the sentence ending and the verb.
Which Bedding Phrase Do You Need?
이불을 덮다 describes putting the cover over yourself. In English, you might “get under the covers”; Korean makes the cover the object of 덮다. 이불을 덮고 자다 joins that action to sleeping. You can use the expression for sleeping on a bed or on floor bedding.
이불을 펴다 means spreading the bedding out so it is ready to use. 이불을 개다 means folding it neatly afterward. These are different jobs: spreading, covering and folding. Learning each verb with 이불 helps you describe a whole bedtime or morning routine without translating the English verb “make” in “make the bed”.
For laundry, 이불 빨래 means washing bedding. 빨래 names laundry or the washing of it. On a laundromat notice, the phrase concerns the bedding load, rather than ordinary clothes. 이불 커버 is a cover for the quilt or comforter. A cover can be washed separately from the item inside it.
Where Will You See 이불?
Guesthouse messages and accommodation descriptions may mention 이불 when explaining what bedding is provided. A request for another 이불 asks for the cover itself. It does not automatically ask for a pillow, mattress or another bed. If you need a complete sleeping setup for another guest, name the other items too.
In a bedding shop, 여름 이불 means summer bedding and 겨울 이불 means winter bedding. The season word helps you choose warmth and weight. 두꺼운 describes thickness; 얇은 describes thinness. A thick quilt and a light summer cover can both be 이불, so the noun alone does not tell you how warm it will be.
담요 is useful when asking for a lap blanket in a cafe or a small throw on a sofa. The boundary is about the kind of cover and its use, rather than a fixed size rule. An 이불 is associated with sleeping, while a 담요 can keep you warm while you sit.
Bedding Words to Learn Together
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 침대 | bed | The furniture, rather than the cover on it. |
| 요 | floor mattress | Bedding that goes underneath you on the floor. |
| 베개 | pillow | Supports your head; ask for it separately. |
| 이불 커버 | quilt or duvet cover | The removable outer cover. |
The home and furniture lesson places bedding alongside the other things in a bedroom. Keep 요 and 이불 apart when reading a floor-bedding description: one cushions you from below and the other covers you from above.
Quick Self-Test
- Which verb describes folding bedding neatly?
- What does 이불 하나 더 주세요 ask for?
- Does 여름 이불 mean a separate bed?
Show answers
- 개다, as in 이불을 개다.
- One more blanket or quilt.
- No. It means summer bedding used as a cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Verb Goes with 이불?
Use 덮다 for covering yourself, 펴다 for spreading it out and 개다 for folding it.
Is 이불 the Same as a Thin Blanket?
Not necessarily. 이불 covers anything from a blanket to a thick quilt, while 담요 is the thin blanket or throw for a sofa or lap.
What Is the Korean for Pillow?
베개. It is a separate item and not a cover.
What Happens to the Bedding in a Traditional Home?
It is folded and stored in a closet by day and laid out at night.
Related Words and Next Steps
- Browse the full set of home and furniture vocabulary for neighbours of 이불.
- Return to the Korean words A to Z index.
- Related page: chair in Korean.
- Add 이불 to your vocabulary flashcard decks.