Key Facts
- Hangul: 안개 (angae)
- Meaning: fog, mist
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Syllables: two (an-gae)
- Register: Neutral everyday word.
- Level: A2
Fog in Korean: What Does 안개 Mean?
안개 is a native Korean noun for fog and mist. It is a neutral, everyday weather word, equally at home in a forecast and in a chat about the morning commute. Fog is not just a thing that exists in Korean: it settles, and it lifts. The phrases you learn with 안개 are mostly built on those two movements.
How Do You Pronounce 안개?
Two syllables: an-gae. Close the first with the tongue on the ridge behind the teeth, then open straight into gae. RR writes angae. With 가 it becomes angaega.
How Do You Use 안개 in a Sentence?
안개가 많아요.
There is a lot of fog.
angaega manayo. 가 marks 안개 as the subject, and 많아요 means there is a lot. The sentence is a simple report of heavy fog.
아침에 안개가 꼈어요.
There was fog this morning.
achime angaega kkyeosseoyo. 아침에 gives the time. 꼈어요 is the past of 끼다, the verb that Korean uses for fog setting in. Compare it with the mistake below.
안개 때문에 앞이 안 보여요.
I can't see ahead because of the fog.
angae ttaemune api an boyeoyo. 때문에 means because of, 앞이 is the front, and 안 보여요 means cannot be seen. It is a common complaint on foggy roads.
Common Word Combinations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 안개가 끼다 | fog sets in |
| 짙은 안개 | thick fog |
| 안개가 걷히다 | fog lifts |
| 안개 주의보 | fog advisory |
안개가 끼다 and 안개가 걷히다 are a pair: fog sets in, fog lifts. 짙은 안개 is thick fog, with 짙은 as the adjective in front. 안개 주의보 means a fog advisory; in a notice, read the surrounding wording for the area and conditions being described.
Common Mistake
Less specific: 안개가 있어요 says that fog is present. It can be understood and is possible in context.
More idiomatic for fog forming: 안개가 껴요.
끼다 is the usual weather verb for fog forming or hanging over an area. Learn it together with 안개 rather than treating 있어요 as the only way to describe weather.
How Does 안개 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | Meaning | How to tell it from 안개 |
|---|---|---|
| 구름 | cloud | Cloud in the sky. 안개 is the same vapour at ground level. |
| 미세먼지 | fine dust | Dust pollution that also blurs the view, but is not fog. |
Before a Morning Drive
Two coworkers are looking out of the office window before leaving for a meeting.
Mina
밖에 안개가 많이 꼈어요.
Bakke angaega mani kkyeosseoyo.
There is a lot of fog outside.
Jun
앞이 잘 보여요?
Api jal boyeoyo?
Can you see ahead clearly?
Mina
아니요. 조금 기다릴까요?
Aniyo. Jogeum gidarilkkayo?
No. Shall we wait a little?
Jun
네, 안개가 걷히면 출발해요.
Ne, angaega geotchimyeon chulbalhaeyo.
Yes, let’s leave when the fog lifts.
The final line uses 걷히면, “when it clears”, so departure depends on the fog lifting. The speakers have not promised a particular departure time. In the question, 잘 adds “clearly” or “well” to 보여요. That makes the question about visibility, rather than simply asking whether the other person can see at all.
Where Will You Hear 안개?
Weather forecasts use 안개 with a place and time: morning fog and fog around rivers are typical contexts. Traffic reports focus on what the fog does to the view. In everyday talk, the existing sentence 안개 때문에 앞이 안 보여요 gives a concrete reason for difficulty seeing ahead. The noun stays the same in a formal broadcast and a polite conversation; the sentence ending changes with the setting.
A forecast may mention 안개가 끼다 without anyone causing it. The fog takes 가 because it is the subject of the weather change. In the visibility example, 앞이 is the thing that cannot be seen.
A travel photo caption may use 안개 for mist around mountains or a lake. English sometimes chooses “mist” where Korean still uses 안개. You do not need a separate word simply because the scene looks light or attractive. If the thickness matters, describe it with 짙은 안개, “thick fog”, or 옅은 안개, “light fog”.
Describe the Fog, Its Arrival, or Its Clearing
The phrase 안개가 끼다 describes fog forming or covering an area. 안개가 꼈어요 can report the foggy conditions you are seeing now, even though its ending is past tense: the fog has formed and is still there. It does not always mean the fog has already disappeared.
짙은 안개 describes density. The literal idea is fog that is deep or dense, while natural English usually says “thick”. This combination tells the listener more than simply saying there is a lot of fog. Use the existing phrase 안개가 걷히다 for the opposite change, when the view clears as the fog goes away.
With 안개 때문에, the fog is the cause of something else: poor visibility, a delay, or a changed plan. Keep 때문에 after the noun. The expression names the cause; the rest of the sentence tells the listener what happened because of it.
Words for Understanding a Blurred View
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 구름 | cloud | Usually describes what you see in the sky. |
| 미세먼지 | fine dust | Airborne particles; a hazy view alone does not prove there is fog. |
| 시야 | field of vision / visibility | Helps explain how much of the road or landscape can be seen. |
| 이슬 | dew | Water droplets on a surface, such as grass, rather than fog in the air. |
The weather vocabulary lesson groups weather terms for describing the same morning. Choose the noun for the thing you mean, then describe its effect. A cloudy sky, dust pollution, and fog can all change the view, but they call for different words.
Quick Self-Test
- Which phrase describes fog lifting?
- Does 안개가 꼈어요 always mean the fog is gone now?
- What does 안개 때문에 introduce?
Show answers
- 안개가 걷히다.
- No. It can mean fog has formed and is still present.
- Fog as the cause of the situation described next.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Verb Goes with 안개?
끼다. Say 안개가 껴요.
How Do I Say the Fog Lifted?
Use 걷히다, as in 안개가 걷히다.
Is 안개 the Same as 구름?
No. 구름 is cloud in the sky and 안개 is fog near the ground.
What Is Thick Fog?
짙은 안개.
Where to Go Next
More weather words are on the nature weather vocabulary page. Compare cloud and fine dust, then learn lightning in Korean. To practise, try the vocabulary flashcard decks or return to Korean words A to Z.