Key Facts
- Hangul: 얼굴; Revised Romanization: eolgul
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native
- Register: Neutral everyday word; 안면 is a formal/medical term.
Face in Korean: What Does 얼굴 Mean?
얼굴 has one sense, the face. Use it in everyday speech; 안면 belongs to medical and formal writing. Note that 얼굴 never stretches to the whole head: that is 머리.
How Do You Pronounce 얼굴?
Two syllables: eol-gul. The final ㄹ is a light l, with the tongue tip touching the ridge behind the teeth, not a dark English l.
Example Sentences with 얼굴
얼굴이 예뻐요.
Eolguri yeppeoyo.
Her face is pretty.
예뻐요 is "is pretty". When 이 follows, the final ㄹ moves into the next syllable and becomes a light tap: eol-gu-ri.
얼굴을 씻어요.
Eolgureul ssiseoyo.
I wash my face.
The object marker 을 shows the face is the thing washed, and 씻어요 is the verb.
오늘 얼굴이 안 좋아 보여요.
Oneul eolguri an joa boyeoyo.
You look unwell today.
안 negates 좋아, and 보여요 means "looks". Koreans use this to comment on someone's health.
Common Phrases with 얼굴
These three show the common ways Koreans describe faces.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 얼굴을 씻다 | to wash one's face |
| 얼굴이 붉어지다 | to blush |
| 얼굴이 크다 | to have a big face |
The Mistake to Avoid
Mistake 1: ending the word with a dark English l, as in "full".
Right: a light, clear l with the tongue tip on the ridge behind the teeth.
Mistake 2: using 얼굴 for the head.
Right: the head is 머리; 얼굴 is only the face.
얼굴 Compared with Similar Words
Two nearby words are easy to mix up. 낯 is an older literary face word found in idioms, and 표정 is the expression on the face.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 얼굴 | face | This page's word |
| 낯 | face (literary) | 낯 is an older/literary word for face, used in idioms. |
| 표정 | facial expression | 표정 is the expression, not the face itself. |
Where Does 얼굴 Come From?
얼굴 is a native Korean word with no hanja.
Getting Ready for a Photograph
A photographer helps a customer pose for a portrait. The request concerns the direction of the face, rather than a change of facial expression.
Photographer
얼굴을 조금 오른쪽으로 돌려 주세요.
Eolgureul jogeum oreunjjogeuro dollyeo juseyo.
Please turn your face a little to the right.
Customer
이렇게요?
Ireokeyo?
Like this?
Photographer
네, 이제 웃어 주세요.
Ne, ije useo juseyo.
Yes, now please smile.
Customer
네, 좋아요.
Ne, joayo.
Yes, all right.
오른쪽으로 gives the direction, “to the right”, and 조금 limits the movement to “a little”. The photographer first positions the face and then asks for a smile. 얼굴 names the physical face; 표정 would name the expression the customer makes.
Which 얼굴 Expressions Go beyond Appearance?
얼굴이 붉어지다 means that the face turns red. It can describe blushing from embarrassment, but a red face can also come from heat or exertion. The phrase reports a visible change; the surrounding scene explains the cause. In a story, look for what happened just before the person’s face changed colour.
얼굴을 내밀다 literally means to put one’s face forward or out. It can also mean to show up briefly, such as making an appearance at a gathering. A friend asking you to come even for a short time may use this expression. The social meaning is about attendance, rather than a particular movement of the head.
얼굴이 알려지다 means to become recognisable or publicly known. Its literal image is that someone’s face becomes known. You may encounter it in an article about an actor who has started appearing on television. The emphasis is public recognition, rather than a change in the person’s looks.
Where Will You Hear or See 얼굴?
In a morning routine, 얼굴을 씻다 is the everyday phrase for washing your face. 세수하다 also means to wash your face, so 세수 in a routine list concerns the same activity. It does not mean washing the whole body. At a skincare counter, 얼굴 and 피부, “skin”, often appear near each other, but 피부 can refer to skin anywhere on the body.
In conversation, 얼굴이 안 좋아 보여요 expresses concern that someone looks unwell. Because it comments directly on their appearance, it fits a caring conversation with someone you know better than an introduction to a stranger. The sentence describes an impression; it does not identify an illness.
In a drama, facial expression and facial appearance may matter in different ways. 표정이 밝다 describes a bright or cheerful expression. 얼굴을 기억하다 means to remember someone’s face, even if you cannot remember their name. A character can recognise a face without knowing what that person is feeling.
Comments about face size or attractiveness can feel personal. 얼굴이 크다 is a literal description learners may hear, but knowing its meaning does not make it a useful compliment. When describing a photograph for class, direction, expression and visible features give you more precise things to talk about.
Name the Facial Feature
| Korean | Meaning | One useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 눈 | eye; eyes | Use this when the eyes, rather than the whole face, matter. |
| 코 | nose | A facial feature, not the head as a whole. |
| 입 | mouth | The mouth itself; lips have a separate word. |
| 입술 | lips | Useful for describing lip colour or dryness. |
| 이마 | forehead | The area above the eyebrows. |
The body vocabulary lesson teaches these features together. If only the forehead is visible in a photograph, 이마 is more exact than 얼굴. If you mean the entire head, including the back, choose 머리 instead.
Quick Self-Test
- Which word means the whole head: 얼굴 or 머리?
- In the photograph dialogue, does 오른쪽으로 ask for a smile or a direction?
- What can 얼굴을 내밀다 mean at a social gathering?
Show answers
- 머리. 얼굴 is the face.
- A direction: to the right.
- To show up or make a brief appearance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "face" in Korean?
Say 얼굴 (eolgul).
Is 얼굴 the same as head?
No. 얼굴 is the face, and the head is 머리.
How do you say "to blush"?
얼굴이 붉어지다.
What is 표정?
표정 is facial expression, not the face itself.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: people body vocabulary groups 얼굴 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 얼굴 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- The next body word is on the page for finger. See the page for finger.