Key Facts
- Hangul: 봉투 (bongtu)
- Meaning: envelope, bag (paper/plastic)
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Hanja: 封套 (封 seal + 套 cover)
- Syllables: two (bong-tu)
- Register: Neutral everyday word for envelopes and also for paper or plastic bags.
- Level: A2
Envelope in Korean: What Does 봉투 Mean?
봉투 is a Sino-Korean noun, 封套, that means envelope and also bag, meaning a paper or plastic bag. The characters read as seal and cover. It is a neutral everyday word. Which sense you hear depends on the setting: in a post office it is an envelope, at a checkout it is the bag you are handed.
How Do You Pronounce 봉투?
Two syllables: bong-tu. The ㅇ closing 봉 is ng, and 투 starts with an aspirated t, a small puff of air. RR writes bongtu. With the marker 에 it joins as bongtue.
How Do You Use 봉투 in a Sentence?
봉투에 편지를 넣어요.
I put the letter in the envelope.
bongtue pyeonjireul neoeoyo. 에 marks where the letter goes, 편지를 is the letter, and 넣어요 means put in. The sentence is the plain envelope sense.
봉투 하나 주세요.
Please give me a bag.
bongtu hana juseyo. 하나 means one and 주세요 means please give. This is what you say at a shop counter, and it uses the bag sense.
비닐봉투는 따로 사야 해요.
You have to buy plastic bags separately.
binilbongtuneun ttaro saya haeyo. 따로 means separately and 사야 해요 means must buy. 비닐 is vinyl, so the compound 비닐봉투 is a plastic bag.
Common Word Combinations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 편지 봉투 | letter envelope |
| 비닐봉투 | plastic bag |
| 종이봉투 | paper bag |
| 쓰레기봉투 | trash bag |
Compounds make the meaning exact: 편지 봉투 for a letter, 종이봉투 for paper, 비닐봉투 for plastic and 쓰레기봉투 for rubbish.
Cultural Note
Money gifts for weddings and funerals are given in special envelopes, which Koreans also call 봉투.
Common Mistake
Wrong: Believing 봉투 only means envelope, and asking for a 가방 at the checkout.
Correct: 봉투 하나 주세요 for a shop bag.
가방 is a carried bag such as a handbag or school bag. The thing a shop gives you is a 봉투.
How Does 봉투 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | Meaning | How to tell it from 봉투 |
|---|---|---|
| 가방 | bag | A bag you carry, such as a handbag. |
| 편지 | letter | The letter that goes into the envelope. |
At a Convenience-Store Checkout
A cashier has finished scanning a customer’s groceries. The question is about carrying the purchases home, so 봉투 means a shopping bag.
Cashier
봉투 필요하세요?
Bongtu piryohaseyo?
Do you need a bag?
Customer
네, 하나 주세요.
Ne, hana juseyo.
Yes, one, please.
Cashier
종이봉투로 드릴까요?
Jongibongturo deurilkkayo?
Shall I give you a paper bag?
Customer
네, 감사합니다.
Ne, gamsahamnida.
Yes, thank you.
필요하세요 asks politely whether the customer needs something. 하나 is enough in the reply because both people know what is being counted. 드릴까요 is a respectful offer from the cashier. The exchange does not establish a price; any charge is a separate part of the transaction.
Phrases for Filling, Opening and Counting 봉투
봉투에 넣다 means to put something into an envelope or bag. The marker 에 gives the destination. 봉투를 열다 means to open the envelope or bag, with 를 marking the thing opened. This small marker change helps you describe the whole action: the letter goes into a container, and later someone opens that container.
봉투를 뜯다 means to tear open an envelope or bag. It suggests breaking the paper, seal or packaging. 열다 is the broader “open”, so it also works when you lift a flap or open a bag without tearing it. Choose the verb that matches what your hands actually do.
봉투 한 장 means one envelope; 장 counts flat items such as sheets of paper. For a shopping bag, 봉투 하나 is an easy everyday choice. The earlier request 봉투 하나 주세요 works because the counter situation supplies the meaning. In a stationery shop, adding 편지 makes the envelope sense clear.
Where Will You Hear or See 봉투?
At a supermarket or convenience store, listen for 봉투 near the end of the purchase. You can answer a bag offer with a short yes or no. If you already have your own bag, 아니요, 괜찮아요 means “No, that’s all right.” The polite ending softens the refusal without requiring a long explanation.
At a post office or stationery shop, 봉투 refers to the container for a letter or documents. Look at the nouns around it: 편지 points to personal correspondence, while 서류 means documents. A large document envelope is still a 봉투 even though it is much bigger than a personal letter envelope.
At a wedding or funeral, a reference to a 봉투 may concern the envelope holding a money gift. The word itself just names the container; it does not tell you the amount, the relationship or the wording to write on it. Ask about those separately when you need help with the occasion.
쓰레기봉투 appears around household waste. It is a bag intended for rubbish, rather than a letter envelope or a reusable handbag. The word before 봉투 often does the work that English distributes across separate words such as envelope, shopping bag and rubbish bag.
Related Words for Bags and Letters
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 장바구니 | shopping basket / reusable shopping bag | Something you bring or use for shopping. |
| 편지 | letter | The written message inside an envelope. |
| 우표 | postage stamp | Goes on mail, rather than naming the envelope. |
| 주소 | address | Identifies where a letter should go. |
For the checkout side of 봉투, continue with shopping vocabulary.
Quick Self-Test
- A cashier offers a 봉투. Are they probably offering a letter envelope?
- Which phrase means tearing the container open: 봉투에 넣다 or 봉투를 뜯다?
- What does 장 count in 봉투 한 장?
Show answers
- No. At a checkout, it normally means a shopping bag.
- 봉투를 뜯다. 봉투에 넣다 means putting something inside.
- One flat envelope.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 봉투 Mean Bag as Well?
Yes. At a shop it means the plastic or paper bag.
How Do I Ask for a Bag?
Say 봉투 하나 주세요.
What Is a Plastic Bag Called?
비닐봉투. A paper bag is 종이봉투.
What Is a Letter Envelope?
편지 봉투.
Where to Go Next
More shop words are on the daily life shopping vocabulary page. Compare bag and letter, then learn card in Korean. To practise, try the vocabulary flashcard decks or return to Korean words A to Z.