Key Facts
- Hangul: 디저트; Revised Romanization: dijeoteu
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: loanword
- Register: Neutral; from English 'dessert', common in cafes and menus.
Dessert in Korean: What Does 디저트 Mean?
디저트 means dessert. It is a neutral loanword from English, common in cafes and on menus.
How Do You Pronounce 디저트?
Three syllables, di-jeo-teu. Korean adds the light vowel ㅡ (eu) after the final t of the English word, so the word ends in teu, not t.
Example Sentences with 디저트
디저트를 먹어요.
Dijeoteureul meogeoyo.
I eat dessert.
The simplest sentence: 먹어요 means eat, and 디저트를 is the object.
디저트는 뭐예요?
Dijeoteuneun mwoyeyo?
What is the dessert?
A menu question. 뭐예요 means "what is it?", so this asks what the dessert is.
저는 디저트로 아이스크림을 좋아해요.
Jeoneun dijeoteuro aiseukeurimeul joahaeyo.
I like ice cream for dessert.
A preference: 디저트로 means "as dessert", and 좋아해요 means like.
How the Examples Fit Together
Because 디저트 is a loanword, it reads easily but its Hangul spelling is the only thing to memorise. The examples show it in three positions: as an object of eating, as the topic of a menu question, and with 로 meaning as. That last pattern is how you say what you pick for dessert. Cafes use the word in their own names, which is why 디저트 카페 appears among the collocations. The pairing with 후식 is worth noting: the borrowed word dominates menus, while the older term still describes the sweet or drink that closes a meal, and 간식 is a different thing, eaten between meals.
Collocations
Phrases include 디저트 카페 for dessert cafe, 디저트를 주문하다 for to order dessert, and 후식 for the after-meal sweet.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 디저트 카페 | dessert cafe |
| 디저트를 주문하다 | to order dessert |
| 후식 | after-meal sweet |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: 디져트.
Correct: 디저트. Standard loanword spelling does not use the double vowel ㅕ after ㅈ, because Korean does not distinguish the two sounds there.
디저트 Compared with Similar Words
One older word and one easily confused word.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 디저트 | dessert | The borrowed word, common on cafe menus |
| 후식 | after-meal dessert | Sino-Korean term for a dessert or drink after a meal |
| 간식 | snack | A snack between meals, not a post-meal dessert |
Where Does the Word Come From?
디저트 is a loanword from English "dessert", spelled to match the English sounds.
At a Cafe: Choosing Something Sweet
A customer has finished lunch and asks the cafe worker about dessert. The question asks what is available today, rather than assuming a particular cake is on the menu.
Customer:
디저트는 뭐가 있어요?
Dijeoteuneun mwoga isseoyo?
What do you have for dessert?
Worker:
케이크하고 아이스크림이 있어요.
Keikeuhago aiseukeurimi isseoyo.
We have cake and ice cream.
Customer:
그럼 케이크 하나 주세요.
Geureom keikeu hana juseyo.
Then one cake, please.
Worker:
네, 음료도 주문하시겠어요?
Ne, eumnyodo jumunhasigesseoyo?
Would you like to order a drink too?
In the first line, 뭐가 있어요 asks what options exist. Compare that with the earlier 디저트는 뭐예요, which asks what the dessert is. The customer then names the actual item. 하나 means one item here; pointing at a slice in the display makes the intended portion clear. 음료도 adds “a drink too,” so a drink is a separate order in this scene.
What Do Dessert Menus Tell You?
A menu heading 디저트 groups sweet dishes together. The items beneath it tell you what you can order: cake, ice cream, or another named sweet. The heading alone gives no information about portion size, ingredients, or whether a drink comes with it. A cafe may serve dessert throughout the day, so the word on a menu does not require you to have eaten a meal first.
A restaurant's 후식 can be fruit or a drink that finishes the meal. The difference is useful when translating a menu: the restaurant may call a small serving of fruit 후식 even when an English menu would simply list “fruit.” The food's role in the meal helps explain the word choice.
Useful Combinations beyond the Menu Heading
디저트로 먹다 means “to eat as dessert.” The 로 identifies the role of the food; it does not name a special type of cake or ice cream. 디저트를 주문하다 means “to order dessert,” and the object marker 를 attaches directly to 디저트.
디저트 카페 means a cafe focused on desserts. It describes the kind of business, rather than an after-dinner opening time. 디저트 메뉴 means the dessert menu or dessert selection. These are literal combinations, so there is no hidden idiomatic meaning to decode.
Sweet Foods to Recognize Next
| Korean | Meaning | Menu or conversation clue |
|---|---|---|
| 케이크 | cake | Name the cake when ordering, rather than just asking for dessert. |
| 아이스크림 | ice cream | Can be a dessert after a meal or a snack at another time. |
| 떡 | rice cake | A broad food category; some varieties are served as sweets. |
| 과일 | fruit | Can be served as 후식 without being a sugary prepared dish. |
The Korean desserts and rice cakes lesson introduces more names. A single food can fill different roles: ice cream after dinner is dessert, while the same ice cream between meals can be a snack. That is why 간식 and 디저트 describe the eating situation as well as the food.
Quick Self-Test
- Which spelling is standard: 디저트 or 디져트?
- What does 로 contribute in 디저트로 먹다?
- Does a 디저트 카페 only serve sweets after dinner?
Show answers
- 디저트 is standard.
- It means “as”: to eat something as dessert.
- No. The phrase names a dessert-focused cafe, not a serving time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I spell dessert?
Write 디저트, with 저 in the middle, not 져. The romanization is dijeoteu.
What is 후식?
후식 is the Sino-Korean word for the dessert or drink served after a meal, often fruit or a sweet drink in a restaurant. It is older and a little more formal than 디저트.
What is 간식?
간식 is a snack eaten between meals, not after one. A mid-afternoon bag of chips is 간식; the cake after dinner is 디저트.
Where is 디저트 common?
On cafe menus and in cafe names. A 디저트 카페 specializes in cakes, pastries and sweet drinks.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Korean dessert and rice cake words groups 디저트 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add dessert in Korean to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Compare with rice cake and snack.