Body in Korean: 몸 (mom) Meaning and Pronunciation

Key Facts

• Korean: 몸, Revised Romanization mom
• Part of speech: noun; origin: native Korean
• Register: Neutral everyday word.
• Theme page: body part vocabulary

Body in Korean: What 몸 Means and When to Use It

몸 has one sense, the body as a whole, and it is neutral and everyday. In practice it often means your physical condition: 몸이 아파요 means you feel unwell all over, and 몸살 is the aching that comes with a cold or overwork.

How to Pronounce 몸

The Revised Romanization is mom: one syllable that opens and closes with the lips. It does not sound like the English word mom, because the vowel ㅗ is a rounded o, close to the o in "more".

Examples with 몸

A basic complaint that the whole body aches. For one specific part you would name that part instead.

몸에 좋아요 means something is good for the body, which is the standard way to praise healthy food.

몸조심하세요 is a caring farewell, 'take care of yourself'. It is built on 몸 and a verb of caution, with the honorific ending.

Collocations with 몸

몸 also shows up in 몸이 좋다 (in good shape), 몸무게 (body weight) and 몸살 (aches from a cold or overwork).

A Common Mistake with 몸

Mistake: using 몸 only for the torso.

Correction: 몸 is the whole body; the torso is 몸통.

몸 Compared with 신체

Two words contrast with 몸: 신체, the formal or medical word, and 몸통, the trunk.

Use 신체 where English would say "physical" in an official sense, for example on a medical form or in a health report, and 몸 for most everyday conversation. 몸통 is narrower than 몸: only the trunk, without the head, arms and legs.

Quick Recall for 몸

• My body aches. (몸이 아파요.)
• This is good for your health. (이것은 몸에 좋아요.)
• Take care of yourself. (몸조심하세요.)

Notice how the three examples stretch 몸 across meanings. In the first it is a felt condition, in the second a target of benefit, and in the third something you are asked to look after. That range is why 몸 turns up in health talk far more often than in anatomy lessons, where you would name a specific part instead.

Telling a Coworker You Feel Unwell

Two coworkers meet in the morning. One notices that the other looks tired and asks about their condition.

Jisu

Alex

Jisu

Alex

몸은 어때요? literally asks “how is your body?”, but the natural English meaning is “how are you feeling?” 아직 means “still”, so the answer suggests that the person was already unwell. 푹 쉬세요 is a polite suggestion to rest well. The exchange concerns general physical condition, without identifying a particular symptom.

Phrases Where 몸 Means More than Anatomy

몸이 안 좋다 means feeling physically unwell. Literally, the body is “not good”, but the phrase does not criticize someone’s appearance. 몸에 좋다 means being good for the body or health. The particle matters: 이 makes 몸 the subject being described, while 에 marks the target of the benefit.

몸이 좋다 can describe someone as fit or well built, especially when people are discussing exercise or physique. It does not always mean the person has recovered from an illness. Context tells you whether the speaker means physical condition or an impressive build. For recovery, 몸이 괜찮아지다 expresses getting better more directly.

몸을 풀다 literally suggests loosening the body. In exercise talk it means warming up or loosening stiff muscles before activity. 몸을 움직이다 means moving your body. Both take 을 because the body is what you move or warm up. These expressions belong naturally in a gym, dance class or sports lesson.

몸에 익다 means becoming familiar through practice, as when a movement or skill begins to feel natural. The literal image is something becoming accustomed to the body. The phrase can describe a dance step or a familiar way of working; it does not mean a physical object has entered the body.

Where Will You Hear or See 몸?

Friends and coworkers use 몸 in questions about health, fatigue and recovery. Exercise instructors use it when giving movement instructions. In a personal conversation, 몸 usually sounds more natural than the formal 신체. A doctor can also use 몸 when speaking plainly to a patient; the setting alone does not force the formal word.

Written expressions such as 신체 활동, “physical activity”, use 신체 as part of a formal label. 몸무게 is the everyday word for body weight, while 체중 is another common label for weight on scales and forms. Both concern the measurement; neither names the shape of someone’s body.

From the Whole Body to a Specific Part

Use the body vocabulary lesson to move from a general statement about 몸 to the part you mean. Naming the location adds information that 몸이 아파요 alone leaves open.

Quick Self-Test

1. What is the difference between 몸이 안 좋아요 and 몸에 좋아요?
2. Does 몸을 풀다 describe warming up or weighing yourself?
3. Which word names only the torso?

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 몸 Mean Torso?

No. It means the whole body. The torso is 몸통.

What Does 몸살 Mean?

Aches from a cold or overwork.

How Do I Say 'Take Care of Yourself'?

몸조심하세요. It is the third example on the page.

When Should I Use 신체?

In formal, medical or written contexts. 몸 is the everyday word.

Related Words and Next Steps

• Browse the full set of body part vocabulary for neighbours of 몸.
• Return to the Korean words A to Z index.
• Related page: mom in Korean, for the English word mom, not to be confused with the romanization of 몸.
• Add 몸 to your vocabulary flashcard decks.