Key Facts
- Word: 당근 (danggeun)
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: uncertain (see below)
- Register: Neutral; used in all registers.
- Meaning: carrot
Carrot in Korean: Meaning and Register
당근 is the word for carrot and is neutral in every register. Its origin is often explained as partly Sino-Korean, but that has not been confirmed, so this page gives no hanja.
You will meet it in kitchen verbs: 썰다 is slice and 볶다 is stir-fry. It also names foods made from it: 당근 주스 and 당근 케이크.
Pronunciation
당근 has two syllables, dang-geun, and the RR is danggeun. The first ends in ng, and the second starts with a soft g followed by ㅡ (eu), an unrounded vowel made with spread lips.
Example Sentences
당근을 썰어요.
Danggeuneul sseoreoyo
I cut the carrot.
당근을 썰어요. (I cut the carrot.) 썰어요 means I cut, and 을 marks 당근 as the object. It is a cooking step.
저는 당근을 좋아해요.
Jeoneun danggeuneul joahaeyo
I like carrots.
저는 당근을 좋아해요. (I like carrots.) 좋아해요 is like. The sentence states a taste.
카레에 당근을 넣어요.
Karee danggeuneul neoeoyo
I put carrots in the curry.
카레에 당근을 넣어요. (I put carrots in the curry.) 카레에 means in the curry, and 넣어요 means put in.
Collocations
- 당근을 썰다: to slice a carrot
- 당근 주스: carrot juice
- 당근 케이크: carrot cake
- 당근을 볶다: to stir-fry a carrot
당근을 썰다 is slice a carrot, and 당근을 볶다 is stir-fry one. 당근 주스 is carrot juice, and 당근 케이크 is carrot cake.
Common Mistake
Learners hear the unfamiliar vowel ㅡ as ㅜ.
Wrong: 당군.
Correct: 당근. The second syllable is 근, with the vowel ㅡ (eu), as the RR danggeun shows.
당근 vs 무
| Word | Meaning | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|---|
| 당근 | carrot | this page's word |
| 무 | radish | Another root vegetable, but white and much larger. |
| 감자 | potato | A tuber, often cooked with carrots in curry and stews. |
| 채소 | vegetable | The category, not one vegetable. |
무 is radish, and 감자 is potato. 채소 is the general word for vegetable. 당근 is a specific vegetable, and 채소 is the category.
Cooking Curry: Preparing the Carrots
Two housemates are making curry. One checks how much carrot to use and how to cut it before adding it to the pot.
Mina
당근 몇 개 넣어요?
Danggeun myeot gae neoeoyo?
How many carrots do we add?
Jisu
한 개만 넣어요.
Han gaeman neoeoyo.
Just add one.
Mina
작게 썰까요?
Jakge sseolkkayo?
Shall I cut it into small pieces?
Jisu
네, 감자도 같이 썰어 주세요.
Ne, gamjado gachi sseoreo juseyo.
Yes, please cut the potatoes too.
몇 개 asks “how many”, and 한 개만 means “only one”. The reply can leave out 당근 because the question has already named it. 작게 describes cutting the carrot into small pieces. In the last line, 도 adds the potatoes to the task: cut those too, along with the carrot.
Where Will You See 당근?
당근 appears on vegetable labels, ingredient lists and recipe instructions. A produce label names the vegetable you can buy. In a recipe, the amount and cutting instruction matter as well: 당근 한 개 means one carrot, while 당근 반 개 means half a carrot. The counter 개 counts individual carrots here.
In cooking videos, 당근 often comes with 썰다, “slice or cut”, and 볶다, “stir-fry”. These name different steps. You may first cut the carrot and then cook it. The noun stays 당근 throughout, so listening for the verb helps you follow what happens next.
당근 주스 and 당근 케이크 name carrot juice and carrot cake. On a menu, 당근 tells you the featured ingredient, rather than describing an orange colour. A food can contain carrot without being named after it, so the dish name alone is not a complete ingredient list.
Useful Kitchen Combinations
당근을 씻다 means to wash a carrot. 당근 껍질 means carrot skin or peel, and 당근 껍질을 벗기다 means to peel a carrot. 껍질 names the outer layer being removed. These phrases let you distinguish washing the whole vegetable from removing its skin.
당근을 채 썰다 means to cut a carrot into thin strips. The phrase describes the shape of the pieces, rather than a separate kind of carrot. You may meet it when preparing vegetables for dishes such as gimbap. 당근을 썰다 alone only says to cut or slice it; the exact shape needs more information.
당근 한 개 counts a whole carrot, but 당근 조금 means a little carrot. 조금 is useful when the amount is small or you are talking about prepared pieces. A request for a little carrot need not mean one small whole carrot. Context tells you whether you are handling whole vegetables or chopped ingredients.
Can 당근 Mean “of Course”?
In playful conversation, 당근 can stand for 당연하지, “of course”. The joke relies on the similar opening sounds. If someone asks whether you are coming and you reply 당근, you are expressing agreement rather than asking for a vegetable. This use belongs to informal, joking exchanges.
The vegetable meaning is neutral; the joking reply has a different tone. For a straightforward polite “of course”, 물론이죠 is clearer. In a recipe or shopping list, read 당근 as carrot unless the surrounding conversation gives you a reason to hear the joke.
Related Words for Preparing Vegetables
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 양파 | onion | Another vegetable commonly cut before cooking. |
| 오이 | cucumber | Thin strips can be prepared alongside carrot. |
| 칼 | knife | The tool used for slicing. |
| 도마 | chopping board | The surface used while cutting vegetables. |
The vegetable vocabulary lesson teaches the food set around 당근. 칼 and 도마 are kitchen equipment, while 당근 and 양파 are ingredients. That distinction helps when someone asks you to bring an item before the cooking begins.
Quick Self-Test
- What amount is 당근 반 개?
- Does 당근을 썰다 specify thin strips by itself?
- Is 당근 as a reply meaning “of course” suitable for every situation?
Show answers
- Half a carrot.
- No. 채 썰다 specifically means cutting into thin strips.
- No. It is playful and informal; 물론이죠 gives a straightforward polite reply.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say carrot in Korean? It is 당근, with the RR danggeun.
How do I spell 당근? The second syllable is 근. Do not write 당군.
What is the difference between 당근 and 무? 당근 is a carrot; 무 is a radish.
What does 당근 케이크 mean? It means carrot cake.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Korean vegetable vocabulary puts 당근 next to its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z lists every word page.
- Practice: vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next word: Chili pepper in Korean