Key Facts
- Korean: 구름, Revised Romanization gureum
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: neutral everyday word
- Cloudy day: 구름이 많아요
Cloud in Korean: What Does 구름 Mean?
구름 means cloud. Types of cloud are compounds ending in 구름, such as 먹구름 and 뭉게구름.
How Do You Pronounce 구름?
구름 has two syllables, gu-reum. The ㄹ is a quick tap. For the second vowel ㅡ, keep your tongue high and toward the back of your mouth, with your lips unrounded.
Example Sentences with 구름
구름이 많아요.
Gureumi manayo.
There are many clouds.
많아요 means "there are many". This is the natural way to say the sky is cloudy.
하늘에 구름이 있어요.
Haneure gureumi isseoyo.
There are clouds in the sky.
하늘에 means "in the sky". This simply notes that clouds are there.
구름이 하얘요.
Gureumi hayaeyo.
The clouds are white.
하얘요 means "are white".
Phrases with 구름
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 구름이 끼다 | clouds gather |
| 먹구름 | dark clouds |
| 뭉게구름 | cumulus clouds |
| 구름 한 점 없다 | not a cloud in the sky |
끼다 is the verb for clouds or fog settling in.
A Common Mistake with 구름
- Wrong: 구름이 있어요 to say "it's cloudy".
- Correct: 구름이 많아요 or 구름이 끼었어요.
구름이 있어요 is grammatical but only says that clouds exist, which is weak for a grey day.
구름 Compared with 안개 and 하늘
Deciding Whether to Take an Umbrella
Two coworkers look out of the window before leaving for lunch. One notices the clouds; the other considers whether they might need an umbrella.
Jisu
밖에 구름이 많아요.
Bakke gureumi manayo.
There are lots of clouds outside.
Alex
비가 올까요?
Biga olkkayo?
Do you think it will rain?
Jisu
아마 올 거예요. 우산 가져가요.
Ama ol geoyeyo. Usan gajyeogayo.
It probably will. Let’s take an umbrella.
Alex
네. 제 우산 가져갈게요.
Ne. Je usan gajyeogalgeyo.
Okay. I’ll take my umbrella.
The cloud observation is certain, but the rain is a guess. 아마 means “probably”, and the future expression 올 거예요 gives the speaker’s expectation. 구름이 많아요 alone says nothing definite about whether rain will fall, so the conversation keeps the observation and the prediction separate.
Reading Clouds in a Weather Forecast
Weather apps and forecasts use 구름 많음 for “mostly cloudy” or “many clouds”. The ending in 많음 turns the description into a compact label. In conversation, expand it to 구름이 많아요 rather than reading the label as a complete polite sentence.
흐림 means “overcast” in a forecast. It describes the sky’s overall condition. 구름 names the clouds themselves, which you can describe as white, dark or moving. A photo caption about a single cloud and a forecast about a grey afternoon therefore need different kinds of wording.
구름이 끼다 describes clouds forming or covering the sky. 구름이 걷히다 describes them clearing. These verbs point in opposite directions: the first helps explain why the sky is getting grey; the second fits the return of clearer skies. Both keep 구름 as the subject with 이.
What Do Familiar Cloud Expressions Picture?
구름 한 점 없다 literally says there is not one speck of cloud. Its everyday meaning is a completely cloudless sky. 점 is the small “dot” or “speck” in this expression; the phrase emphasizes absence rather than counting individual clouds for a report.
먹구름 names dark clouds. In a weather conversation it describes what people can see overhead. In news about a business or someone’s future, dark clouds can suggest trouble ahead. The subject of the sentence tells you whether the clouds are literal or figurative.
뭉게구름 refers to fluffy, billowing clouds. You may meet it in descriptions of a summer sky, picture books or photo captions. Its shape is central to the image. It is more specific than 구름, so it is useful when you want to describe the appearance rather than just report cloudy weather.
Words for a Fuller Sky Description
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 맑다 | to be clear | Describes clear weather or a clear sky. |
| 흐리다 | to be cloudy / overcast | Describes the overall weather condition. |
| 비 | rain | A separate observation from cloud cover. |
| 바람 | wind | Useful when clouds are moving across the sky. |
The weather vocabulary lesson brings these words together. A sky can have visible clouds without rain, and wind is another separate feature. Naming each one helps you give a more useful description than treating every grey sky as the same weather.
Does 구름 Also Mean Digital Cloud Storage?
For technology, Korean uses the loanword 클라우드, as in 클라우드 서비스, “cloud service”. 구름 is the everyday sky word. An icon shaped like a cloud may represent online storage, but the service name or settings label will normally use 클라우드. This distinction is especially useful when switching your phone or computer to Korean.
Quick Self-Test
- What does 구름 많음 on a forecast describe?
- Which phrase describes clouds clearing: 구름이 끼다 or 구름이 걷히다?
- What word is normally used for a digital cloud service?
Show answers
- A sky with many clouds, or mostly cloudy conditions.
- 구름이 걷히다.
- 클라우드, as in 클라우드 서비스.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Say Cloud in Korean?
Say 구름 (gureum). It is the native everyday word for a cloud of any kind. Dark rain clouds are 먹구름, fluffy cumulus clouds are 뭉게구름, and a clear sky with no clouds at all is described with 구름 한 점 없다, "not a single cloud".
How Do You Say "It's Cloudy" in Korean?
Say 구름이 많아요, "there are a lot of clouds", or 구름이 끼었어요, "clouds have gathered". Plain 구름이 있어요 just notes that some clouds are visible, so it sounds weak for a grey day. Use it when you are simply pointing at clouds.
What Does 먹구름 Mean?
먹구름 means dark clouds, the heavy grey clouds that bring rain. 먹 is the black ink used in traditional calligraphy, so the word paints the clouds as ink-dark. It is also used figuratively for trouble ahead, much like "dark clouds" in English.
What Is the Difference between 구름 and 안개?
구름 is a cloud up in the sky. 안개 is fog or mist at ground level, the kind that makes it hard to see the road. Physically they are similar, but Korean keeps them as separate words, just as English does with cloud and fog.
Related Words and Next Steps
- See more weather vocabulary.
- Find more single words like cloud in the Korean words A to Z index.