Key Facts
- Hangul: 달러; Revised Romanization: dalleo
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: loanword
- Register: Neutral loanword; counted with Sino-Korean numbers.
Dollar in Korean: What Does 달러 Mean?
달러 is a neutral loanword for the dollar. It is counted with Sino-Korean numbers, which is why the examples say 백 달러 and 십 달러 rather than using the native number words.
How Do You Pronounce 달러?
Two syllables, dal-leo. Revised Romanization doubles the l because the ㄹ at the end of the first syllable and the start of the second run together into one long l sound.
Example Sentences with 달러
백 달러 주세요.
baek dalleo juseyo.
Please give me one hundred dollars.
A request for an amount. 백 달러 is the number plus the currency, and 주세요 asks politely.
오늘 달러 환율이 올랐어요.
oneul dalleo hwanyuri ollasseoyo.
The dollar exchange rate went up today.
A news-style remark. 달러 환율 is the dollar exchange rate, and 올랐어요 says it rose.
달러로 바꿔 주세요.
dalleoro bakkwo juseyo.
Please exchange it for dollars.
A money-changing request. 달러로 means into dollars, and 바꿔 주세요 asks for the exchange.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Four phrases are worth knowing. 달러로 바꾸다 means to exchange into dollars, 달러 환율 is the dollar rate, 미국 달러 is the US dollar and 십 달러 is ten dollars.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 달러로 바꾸다 | to exchange into dollars |
| 달러 환율 | dollar exchange rate |
| 미국 달러 | US dollar |
| 십 달러 | ten dollars |
The Mistake to Avoid
Keep the last vowel ㅓ in 러. 달라 is a different written form, not the standard spelling of the currency name.
- Wrong: 달라
- Right: 달러
Remember also that dollars take Sino-Korean numbers, as in 십 달러.
달러 Compared with Related Words
Two companions complete the money picture. One is the home currency and the other is the act of changing money.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 달러 | dollar | This page's word |
| 원 | won | The Korean currency. |
| 환전 | currency exchange | Changing money from one currency to another. |
At an Exchange Counter: Dollars into Won
A customer has dollars and wants Korean won. The clerk confirms how much the customer wants to exchange.
Customer:
달러를 원으로 바꾸고 싶어요.
Dalleoreul woneuro bakkugo sipeoyo.
I’d like to exchange dollars for won.
Clerk:
얼마나 바꾸시겠어요?
Eolmana bakkusigesseoyo?
How much would you like to exchange?
Customer:
백 달러요.
Baek dalleoyo.
One hundred dollars.
Clerk:
여권 보여 주세요.
Yeogwon boyeo juseyo.
Please show me your passport.
The customer puts 를 after the currency they have and 으로 after the currency they want. Compare the earlier 달러로 바꿔 주세요: that request goes in the opposite direction, into dollars. The passport request belongs to this example exchange; it does not state a universal identification policy.
Saying and Reading Dollar Amounts
달러 follows Sino-Korean numbers: 일 달러 is one dollar, 오 달러 is five dollars, and 십 달러 is ten dollars. The currency word stays the same after a larger number. Korean does not add an English plural ending to 달러, so 백 달러 still means one hundred dollars.
On price lists, you may see Arabic numerals such as 10달러. Read the number as 십 and then the currency as 달러. When writing the number in Hangul for a learning example, 십 달러 makes the number and unit easy to see. There is no need to add the general object counter 개 to a dollar amount.
A dollar amount and a number of banknotes are different. 백 달러 states the total value. It does not say whether the money is one note or several smaller notes. If the denominations matter at a counter, the amount alone will not communicate that choice.
달러를 받다 means “to receive dollars,” while 달러로 내다 means “to pay in dollars.” In the second phrase, 로 identifies the currency used for payment. That differs from its use with 바꾸다, where it identifies the currency you want after exchanging money.
Which Dollar Does 달러 Mean?
미국 달러 specifies US dollars. 캐나다 달러 and 호주 달러 name Canadian and Australian dollars. 달러 is a currency name shared by several countries, so the country word matters when the context includes more than one of them. A bare dollar sign also needs context.
In Korean financial news, 달러 often refers to the US dollar when that is the currency under discussion. At a bank or exchange counter, use the country name when you need to remove doubt. This is a naming distinction, not a claim that different dollar currencies have the same value.
Words on an Exchange Display
| Korean | Meaning | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| 환율 | exchange rate | The rate relating two currencies. |
| 환전 | currency exchange | The service or act of changing currencies. |
| 수수료 | fee | A charge shown separately from the amount exchanged. |
| 현금 | cash | Physical money rather than a card balance. |
The money and banking lesson introduces these terms, and the Sino-Korean numbers lesson explains the number system used with 달러.
달러 환율 names an exchange rate involving the dollar. 달러로 바꾸다 names the direction of an exchange into dollars. The 로 does not give a rate or final payout. To understand an exchange display, identify both currencies and the label beside each figure before reading the amount aloud.
Quick Self-Test
- Which is ten dollars: 십 달러 or 열 달러?
- In 달러를 원으로 바꾸다, which currency do you receive?
- Does 달러 always identify the US currency without context?
Show answers
- 십 달러 uses the required Sino-Korean number.
- Won: 원으로 marks the target currency.
- No. Add 미국 for US dollars when needed; other countries also use dollars.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "dollar" in Korean?
Say 달러 (dalleo).
How do you spell it?
Write 달러, not 달라.
Which numbers go with 달러?
Sino-Korean numbers, such as 십 달러.
What is 환전?
It is currency exchange, changing money from one currency to another.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Money and Banking places 달러 with the other words of its topic.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Flashcards: put 달러 into the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next entry: The money list moves on to the fee, so continue with fee.
- Compare: 원 is covered on its own page.
- Compare: 환전 is covered on its own page.