Key Facts
- Korean: 개구리, Revised Romanization gaeguri
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: neutral everyday word
- Toad: 두꺼비
Frog in Korean: What Does 개구리 Mean?
개구리 means frog. The life cycle has its own words: 개구리 알 for frog eggs and 올챙이 for tadpole.
How Do You Pronounce 개구리?
개구리 is [gae-gu-ri]. Both ㄱ sounds are soft, and the ㄹ is a quick tap.
Example Sentences with 개구리
개구리가 뛰어요.
Gaeguriga ttwieoyo.
The frog jumps.
뛰어요 means "jumps".
연못에 개구리가 있어요.
Yeonmose gaeguriga isseoyo.
There is a frog in the pond.
연못에 means "in the pond".
비가 오면 개구리가 울어요.
Biga omyeon gaeguriga ureoyo.
When it rains, frogs croak.
비가 오면 means "when it rains", and 울어요 is the verb for croaking.
Phrases with 개구리
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 개구리가 울다 | a frog croaks |
| 올챙이 | tadpole |
| 청개구리 | tree frog |
| 개구리 알 | frog eggs |
울다 means "to cry"; Korean uses it for many animal sounds, including croaking.
A Common Mistake with 개구리
- Wrong: calling a toad 개구리.
- Correct: 두꺼비
Toads have bumpy skin and heavier bodies, and Korean gives them a separate name.
개구리 Compared with 두꺼비 and 올챙이
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 개구리 | frog | This page's word |
| 두꺼비 | toad | Toad, not frog |
| 올챙이 | tadpole | Baby frog |
The Green Frog Tale
The tale of the green frog, 청개구리, who always disobeyed his mother, is a classic Korean story.
By a Pond: Hearing a Frog
Two visitors stop beside a pond during a walk. One hears a sound before either of them spots the animal.
Mina
무슨 소리예요?
Museun soriyeyo?
What’s that sound?
Jisu
개구리가 우는 소리예요.
Gaeguriga uneun soriyeyo.
It’s the sound of a frog croaking.
Mina
개구리가 어디 있어요?
Gaeguriga eodi isseoyo?
Where is the frog?
Jisu
저기 연못에 있어요.
Jeogi yeonmose isseoyo.
It’s over there in the pond.
우는 소리 means “the sound of crying or calling”. With 개구리, English naturally translates that sound as croaking. 어디 asks where, and 저기 points to somewhere over there. The final answer leaves out 개구리 because both speakers already know which animal they are looking for.
What Does a Korean Frog Say?
개굴개굴 is the conventional Korean imitation of a frog’s croak. It appears in children’s books and songs, much as “ribbit” does in English. It represents a sound, while 개구리 names the animal. The two look similar enough that remembering them together can help you follow a picture book read aloud.
개구리가 울다 describes a frog calling. 울다 also means to cry, but a sentence about a frog usually describes its sound rather than sadness. The animal named as the subject helps you choose the natural English translation. In the rain example above, the frogs are croaking; the sentence does not say that they are upset.
개구리 한 마리 means one frog. 마리 is the animal counter, so it follows the counting form 한. 개구리 알 means frog eggs: here the second noun identifies a different stage of the life cycle. A nature activity may ask you to spot eggs, tadpoles or frogs, and each label points to something different.
Two Frog Proverbs You May Meet
우물 안 개구리 literally means “a frog inside a well”. Figuratively, it describes someone whose experience or outlook is limited. The image is of an animal that knows only its small surroundings. In an essay or conversation about discovering a wider world, it comments on perspective rather than an actual frog’s location.
개구리 올챙이 적 생각 못 한다 means that a frog does not remember its tadpole days. People use it for someone who forgets their earlier struggles or humble beginnings. For example, an experienced person who mocks a beginner’s mistakes may be criticized with this proverb. Its focus is forgetting where you started, rather than simply having a narrow outlook.
Both sayings can sound critical when aimed at another person. Recognizing one in a drama or article is useful even if you choose a gentler explanation in your own conversation. In a self-reflective story, a speaker may apply the well image to their own past outlook.
Where Will You See 개구리 Used beyond Nature Talk?
The 청개구리 story gives the animal name a second life in everyday descriptions. Calling someone a 청개구리 suggests that they do the opposite of what they are told. Depending on tone, it can be teasing or a complaint. It does not simply mean that the person likes frogs or wears green.
In nature programs and school materials, the surrounding words are more literal: a pond, eggs and tadpoles help identify the topic. A character description built around disobedience points toward the story. That difference is especially helpful when the same animal word appears in both a children’s tale and a real pond scene.
Related Words for a Pond Scene
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 연못 | pond | The setting in the existing frog example. |
| 올챙이 | tadpole | The earlier life stage mentioned in the proverb. |
| 두꺼비 | toad | A separate everyday animal word. |
| 울음소리 | cry / animal call | Refers to the sound rather than the animal making it. |
The animal vocabulary lesson teaches the wider set of animal names. For 개구리, learning one sound word and one life-stage word makes nature descriptions much easier to follow.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 울다 imply that a frog is sad?
- What does 우물 안 개구리 suggest about a person?
- Which word names the tadpole stage?
Show answers
- No. With a frog, it normally describes croaking.
- A limited outlook or limited experience of the wider world.
- 올챙이 means tadpole.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Say Frog in Korean?
Say 개구리 (gaeguri). It is the native everyday word for a frog. A tree frog is 청개구리, a tadpole is 올챙이, and a toad is 두꺼비. The sound frogs make is described with the verb 울다, so 개구리가 울다 means "a frog croaks".
What Is the Story of 청개구리?
청개구리, the green frog, is a classic Korean tale about a son who always does the opposite of what his mother says. Before dying, she asks to be buried by the stream, expecting him to disobey. This time he obeys, and he worries about her grave whenever it rains. A contrary child is still called a 청개구리.
What Is the Difference between 개구리 and 두꺼비?
개구리 is a frog: smooth, usually green or brown, and a strong jumper that lives near water. 두꺼비 is a toad: bumpy, drier skin and a heavier body. Korean keeps them as separate words, so call a toad 두꺼비.
How Do You Say Tadpole in Korean?
A tadpole is 올챙이. Korean has a proverb about a frog that forgets it was once a tadpole, used for people who become successful and forget their humble beginnings. Frog eggs are 개구리 알, the clumps of jelly found in ponds in spring.
Related Words and Next Steps
- See more animal words.
- Find more single words like frog in the Korean words A to Z index.
- Review frog (개구리) with the vocabulary flashcard decks.