Key Facts
- Hangul: 만두; Revised Romanization: mandu
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 饅頭 (饅 steamed bun + 頭 head)
- Register: Neutral; mandu are filled dumplings that can be steamed, fried or boiled.
Dumplings in Korean: What Does 만두 Mean?
만두 means dumplings, and English menus often keep the Korean name, mandu. The register is neutral. 만두 are filled dumplings that can be steamed, fried or boiled, so the word names the whole family, not one cooking style: 군만두 are pan-fried, 물만두 are boiled and 왕만두 are large ones.
How Do You Pronounce 만두?
Two syllables, man-du. The first ends in n, and the second begins with a clear d and ends with the vowel u, with no extra ending.
Example Sentences with 만두
저는 만두를 좋아해요.
Jeoneun mandureul joahaeyo
I like dumplings.
A statement of taste. 만두를 is the object of the verb of liking.
만두 한 접시 주세요.
Mandu han jeopsi juseyo
One plate of dumplings, please.
An order at a restaurant. 한 접시 is one plate, and 주세요 politely asks for it.
만두를 쪄서 먹었어요.
Mandureul jjyeoseo meogeosseoyo
I steamed dumplings and ate them.
A cooking report. 쪄서 gives the method, steaming, before the eating happened.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Four terms cover making, cooking and eating 만두. 만두를 빚다 is to make, or wrap, dumplings. 군만두 are fried and 물만두 are boiled dumplings. 만둣국 is dumpling soup.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 만두를 빚다 | to make (wrap) dumplings |
| 군만두 | fried dumplings |
| 물만두 | boiled dumplings |
| 만둣국 | dumpling soup |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: calling every Korean dumpling 교자 (gyoza).
Correct: 만두. 만두 is the general Korean word and covers steamed, fried and boiled types; 교자 names only a gyoza-style dumpling.
만두 Compared with Related Words
Three related items mark what 만두 is and is not.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 만두 | dumplings | The general word for any filled dumpling |
| 교자 | gyoza-type dumpling | One thin-skinned, gyoza-style kind |
| 왕만두 | large dumpling | A big 만두; 왕 means "king" |
| 송편 | half-moon rice cake (Chuseok) | A filled rice cake, not a dumpling |
Where Does the Word Come From?
만두 is Sino-Korean, from the hanja 饅頭 (饅 steamed bun + 頭 head). In Chinese the same characters name a plain steamed bun, while Korean uses them for filled dumplings.
Ordering Dumplings at a Snack Shop
A customer is choosing dumplings to take away. The employee offers two fillings, and the customer asks for one portion. Both speakers use polite service language.
Customer
만두는 어떤 게 있어요?
Manduneun eotteon ge isseoyo?
What kinds of dumplings do you have?
Employee
고기만두하고 김치만두가 있어요.
Gogimanduhago gimchimanduga isseoyo.
We have meat dumplings and kimchi dumplings.
Customer
김치만두 일 인분 주세요. 포장해 주세요.
Gimchimandu il inbun juseyo. Pojanghae juseyo.
One portion of kimchi dumplings, please. To go, please.
Employee
네. 잠시만 기다려 주세요.
Ne. Jamsiman gidaryeo juseyo.
Certainly. Please wait a moment.
어떤 게 asks which kinds are available. 고기만두 and 김치만두 describe the filling, while 군만두 and 물만두 describe cooking styles. A restaurant can therefore sell kimchi-filled dumplings that are steamed or fried: filling and method answer different questions.
일 인분 is one person’s portion, not one individual dumpling. The number of pieces depends on the shop. 포장해 주세요 asks for takeaway packaging, so it is useful after naming the food and amount. It does not change which dumplings you ordered.
How Do You Choose from a Dumpling Menu?
찐만두 means steamed dumplings. 군만두 refers to fried dumplings, but the exact frying method can vary by restaurant. 물만두 are boiled dumplings, often small ones. 왕만두 emphasizes size: 왕, “king,” signals a large dumpling rather than one fixed filling.
고기만두 identifies a meat filling without promising a particular meat. 김치만두 identifies kimchi as a feature of the filling; it does not mean the dumplings contain only kimchi. If an ingredient matters to you, ask about the filling rather than treating the dish name as a complete ingredient list.
만둣국 is dumpling soup. 떡만둣국 adds rice cakes as well as dumplings, so the extra 떡 changes what you can expect in the bowl. On a menu, 국 tells you the order is a soup dish rather than just a plate of dumplings.
Making and Counting 만두
만두를 빚다 is the usual phrase for shaping and filling dumplings by hand. 빚다 focuses on forming them, while 만두를 만들다 is the broader “make dumplings.” When people prepare them together at home, the first phrase describes the hands-on task of wrapping the filling.
만두 한 개 means one dumpling, using the general counter 개. 만두 한 접시 means one plate, and 만두 일 인분 means one portion. These quantities can produce very different orders. In particular, 한 접시 does not tell you a fixed number of pieces unless the menu supplies it.
Words for Fillings and Serving
| Korean | Meaning | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 만두피 | dumpling wrapper | The thin outer layer that holds the filling. |
| 만두소 | dumpling filling | The mixture inside, rather than the wrapper. |
| 간장 | soy sauce | A common base for a dipping sauce. |
| 찜기 | steamer | The equipment used to cook 찐만두. |
The Korean dishes vocabulary lesson gives the surrounding menu words. When discussing a recipe, 만두피 and 만두소 let you say which part you mean: a torn wrapper and a seasoned filling are separate topics, even though both belong to one dumpling.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 김치만두 tell you the filling or the cooking method?
- Which order asks for a single dumpling: 한 개 or 일 인분?
- What does 떡 add to the meaning of 떡만둣국?
Show answers
- It identifies the filling; it does not specify how the dumplings are cooked.
- 한 개 asks for one piece. 일 인분 asks for one portion.
- Rice cakes, alongside the dumplings in the soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "dumplings" in Korean?
Dumplings in Korean is 만두 (mandu). The word covers steamed, fried and boiled dumplings, and the cooking style goes in front: 군만두 for fried and 물만두 for boiled.
Is 만두 the same as gyoza?
Not exactly. 만두 is the general Korean word for dumplings, while 교자 names a gyoza-style dumpling, one kind among many.
How do you say "fried dumplings"?
Say 군만두 (gunmandu). They are pan-fried until crisp and often come as a side order with noodles or tteokbokki at snack shops.
What is 송편?
송편 is a half-moon rice cake eaten at Chuseok, the autumn harvest holiday. It is filled like a dumpling but made from rice dough and steamed, so it counts as a rice cake, not 만두.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Korean dish words places 만두 with the other dishes.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Flashcards: add dumplings in Korean to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next entry: fried chicken.
- Compare: 송편, the Chuseok rice cake, has its own page.