Key Facts
- Korean: 빵, Revised Romanization ppang
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: loanword
- Register: neutral everyday word
- Theme page: ingredient vocabulary
Bread in Korean: What Does 빵 Mean?
빵 has two senses: bread in the strict sense, and baked goods such as buns and pastries. A plain loaf, a red bean bun and a sweet roll are all 빵. Cake is the exception, as the comparison below shows.
How Do You Pronounce 빵?
빵 is one syllable (ppang). The ㅃ is a tense consonant: tighten the lips and throat and release without breath. The vowel is a short "a", and the final ㅇ is the "ng" of "sing".
Examples with 빵
빵을 좋아해요.
Ppangeul joahaeyo.
I like bread.
A simple preference. 빵을 marks bread as the object, and 좋아해요 is the polite form of "like".
아침에 빵을 먹어요.
Achime ppangeul meogeoyo.
I eat bread in the morning.
A breakfast habit. 아침에 means "in the morning", and 먹어요 is the polite form of "eat".
빵집에서 빵을 사요.
Ppangjibeseo ppangeul sayo.
I buy bread at the bakery.
The word appears twice: 빵집에서 means "at the bakery", and 빵을 사요 means "buy bread".
Collocations with 빵
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 빵을 굽다 | to bake bread |
| 빵집 | bakery |
| 식빵 | sliced bread |
| 단팥빵 | red bean bun |
Types of bread are compounds ending in 빵: 식빵 is the square sandwich loaf, and 단팥빵 is the red bean bun. The verb for baking is 굽다, the same verb used for grilling meat.
A Common Mistake with 빵
- Wrong: saying 빵 with an English "p", a breathy "pang".
- Correct: 빵 (ppang), with a tense ㅃ and no puff of air, like the "p" in "spin".
A breathy p sounds closer to ㅍ, which would be a different syllable. Hold a hand in front of your mouth: for 빵 you should feel almost no air.
빵 Compared with 떡 and 케이크
Two foods often sit beside 빵 in a shop but belong to other categories.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 빵 | bread | Baked, wheat-based |
| 떡 | rice cake | Rice-based, usually steamed or pounded |
| 케이크 | cake | A separate category, not called 빵 |
If it is made of rice flour and chewy, it is 떡; there is a full entry for rice cake in Korean. A birthday cake is always 케이크, even though it comes from a 빵집.
Buying a Loaf at a Bakery
A customer asks for sandwich bread. The bakery worker checks whether to slice the loaf before packing it.
Customer
식빵 하나 주세요.
Sikppang hana juseyo.
One loaf of sandwich bread, please.
Bakery worker
잘라 드릴까요?
Jalla deurilkkayo?
Would you like me to slice it for you?
Customer
네. 얇게 잘라 주세요.
Ne. Yalge jalla juseyo.
Yes. Please slice it thinly.
Bakery worker
네. 잠시만 기다려 주세요.
Ne. Jamsiman gidaryeo juseyo.
Okay. Please wait a moment.
식빵 narrows the broad category 빵 to sandwich-style bread. 하나 asks for one item; in this situation, the item is a loaf. 잘라 드릴까요? offers a service to the customer. 얇게 means thinly, so the reply specifies how the customer wants it sliced.
How Do You Ask for an Amount of Bread?
빵 하나 means one bread item, such as a bun, when the item is clear. 빵 두 개 means two items. For slices, 식빵 한 장 means one slice of sandwich bread, and 식빵 두 장 means two slices. The counter 장 counts flat pieces, so it gives a more precise amount than the general item counter 개.
A request for 빵 alone does not tell the worker whether you mean a bun, loaf or slice. Pointing or naming the type makes the amount clear. In the dialogue, 식빵 and the whole loaf on display establish what 하나 refers to before the worker asks about slicing.
Bakery Phrases and Labels
갓 구운 빵 means freshly baked bread. 갓 marks something just done, and 구운 describes bread that has been baked. The phrase tells you about preparation time rather than whether the bread is sweet. 빵을 굽다 is the action; 구운 빵 describes the result.
크림빵 is a cream-filled bun, and 소금빵 is salt bread, a buttery roll with salt on top. These labels name types of baked goods. 식빵 is a useful choice when you want bread for toast or sandwiches rather than a filled sweet bun. The wider word 빵 includes all of them.
More Words at the Bakery
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 우유 | milk | A common drink served with bread. |
| 버터 | butter | A spread or baking ingredient. |
| 잼 | jam | Often spread on toast. |
| 봉투 | bag | Useful when asking to carry a purchase away. |
The ingredient vocabulary lesson connects bread with ingredients and foods you might eat alongside it. These are neutral everyday words, suitable for an order or a breakfast conversation.
Quick Self-Test
- Which counter specifies slices in 식빵 한 ___?
- What does 갓 구운 빵 mean?
- Does 빵 always mean a plain, unsweetened loaf?
Show answers
- 장: 식빵 한 장.
- Freshly baked bread.
- No. It can also refer to filled buns and pastries.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Pronounce the ㅃ in 빵?
ㅃ is a tense p. Press your lips together firmly, build a little pressure and release it without a puff of air, like the p in "spin" rather than the p in "pin". Keep the vowel short and finish with the ng sound: 빵 (ppang).
What Is a Bakery Called in Korean?
A bakery is 빵집 (ppangjip), literally "bread house". It is the everyday word for any shop that bakes and sells bread and buns, from a neighborhood bakery to a chain store. You can say 빵집에서 빵을 사요 for "I buy bread at the bakery".
Is 떡 a Kind of 빵?
No. 떡 (tteok) is a rice cake made from rice flour and usually steamed or pounded, while 빵 is baked from wheat flour. Koreans treat them as separate food groups, so a rice cake shop and a bakery are different places.
What Is 단팥빵?
단팥빵 is a soft bun filled with sweet red bean paste. 단 means sweet, 팥 is red bean and 빵 is bread. It is one of the most familiar buns in Korean bakeries and a good example of how 빵 names filled buns as well as loaves.
Related Words and Next Steps
- Browse the ingredient vocabulary for other words like 빵.
- Find more single words like bread in the Korean words A to Z index.
- Another wheat staple: noodles in Korean.
- Review bread (빵) with the vocabulary flashcard decks.