Key Facts
- Hangul: 유리 (yuri)
- Meaning: glass (material)
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Hanja: 琉璃 (琉 + 璃, glassy gem)
- Syllables: two (yu-ri)
- Register: Neutral.
- Level: A2
Glass in Korean: What Does 유리 Mean?
유리 is a Sino-Korean noun, 琉璃, for glass as a material. The characters name a glassy gem, though a modern speaker simply hears the word for the stuff windows are made of. It is neutral. Pay attention to what it does not mean: 유리 is the material and does not name the drinking glass on the table. Eyeglasses are a different word again; see glasses in Korean.
How Do You Pronounce 유리?
Two syllables: yu-ri. The first begins with a y glide, and the second has a tap ㄹ. RR writes yuri, and with 가 it becomes yuriga.
How Do You Use 유리 in a Sentence?
유리가 깨졌어요.
The glass broke.
yuriga kkaejyeosseoyo. 가 marks 유리 as the subject, and 깨졌어요 means broke, in the past. RR writes it kkaejyeosseoyo.
이 창문은 유리로 만들었어요.
This window is made of glass.
i changmuneun yuriro mandeureosseoyo. 로 marks the material, and 만들었어요 means made, with no maker named, so the sentence reads as "is made of glass". 이 창문은 is this window as topic. This is how you give a material in Korean.
유리 조각을 조심하세요.
Be careful of the glass pieces.
yuri jogageul josimhaseyo. 조각을 is the pieces as the object, and 조심하세요 is a polite instruction to be careful. It is a typical warning after something breaks.
Common Word Combinations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 유리창 | glass window |
| 유리병 | glass bottle |
| 유리가 깨지다 | glass breaks |
유리창 is a glass window and 유리병 is a glass bottle. 유리가 깨지다 is the verb phrase for glass breaking. 유리창 and 유리병 are written as single words. 유리 조각, “pieces of glass”, is written with a space.
Common Mistake
Wrong: Using 유리 for a drinking glass.
Correct: 컵 or 유리잔 for a drinking glass; 유리 for the material.
유리 is what the cup is made of, not the cup itself.
How Does 유리 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | Meaning | How to tell it from 유리 |
|---|---|---|
| 유리잔 | drinking glass | A cup made of glass. |
| 컵 | cup | A general cup, not a material. |
| 거울 | mirror | A reflective surface, usually made of glass. |
A Broken Glass at a Café
A customer has accidentally knocked a drinking glass onto the floor.
Customer
죄송해요. 유리잔이 깨졌어요.
Joesonghaeyo. Yurijani kkaejyeosseoyo.
I’m sorry. The drinking glass broke.
Staff member
괜찮아요. 다치셨어요?
Gwaenchanayo. Dachisyeosseoyo?
It’s okay. Did you get hurt?
Customer
아니요. 그런데 바닥에 유리 조각이 있어요.
Aniyo. Geureonde badage yuri jogagi isseoyo.
No. But there are glass pieces on the floor.
Staff member
제가 치울게요. 잠시만 기다려 주세요.
Jega chiulgeyo. Jamsiman gidaryeo juseyo.
I’ll clean it up. Please wait a moment.
The first line names the object, 유리잔. The third names the material in the broken pieces, 유리 조각. This is why English “glass” cannot always be translated with the same Korean noun. The staff member uses a respectful question about the customer's condition and then offers to clear up.
Where Will You Hear or See 유리?
Product descriptions use 유리 to identify a material: a bottle, table surface, or container may be made of it. The material tells you something different from the object's name. 유리병 identifies a glass bottle, while 병 alone identifies a bottle without specifying what it is made from.
A cleaning instruction may mention 유리창, the glass window or pane. 유리를 닦다 means “to wipe or clean glass”. The verb describes cleaning the surface, rather than replacing a broken pane. In an accident, 유리가 깨지다 describes the break itself, and 유리 조각 names the pieces left afterward.
Notice the spelling in 유리로: it is one word with the particle attached. By contrast, 유리 조각 has a space between two nouns. The spacing helps distinguish a grammatical ending from the next word in the phrase.
On packaging, 유리 제품 means “glass products” or “glassware”. Treat the phrase as information about the contents. It does not tell you that the object is a drinking glass, and it does not promise that the item is safe for hot water or an oven. Those are separate product properties.
Material, Container, and Amount
유리로 만들다 means “to make something from glass”. The particle 로 follows 유리 because the noun ends in a vowel. It identifies the material. In the existing window example, the maker is left unstated; the sentence still uses the active verb meaning “made”.
유리잔 combines 유리, the material, with 잔, a drinking vessel. For an amount of a drink, 잔 can act as a counter: 물 한 잔 means “a glass of water”. That phrase counts one serving. It does not guarantee that the container is physically made of glass; a paper cup of water can still be one 잔.
This gives you three useful questions when translating English “glass”: is the speaker naming the material, the drinking vessel, or one serving? Use 유리 for the material, 유리잔 for the glass vessel, and the 잔 counting pattern for a serving of a drink.
Related Material and Household Words
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 유리잔 | drinking glass | Names the vessel and specifies its material. |
| 컵 | cup | A general container word; the material can vary. |
| 창문 | window | Names the window as a whole. |
| 거울 | mirror | Names the object by its reflective function. |
| 플라스틱 | plastic | A different material used for bottles and cups. |
The materials vocabulary lesson helps you describe what household objects are made from. For example, a glass bottle and a plastic bottle share the object name 병, while their material words differ. Recognizing the material first is useful when comparing two otherwise similar containers.
Quick Self-Test
- What word names glass as a material?
- Does 물 한 잔 guarantee a container made of glass?
- Which phrase names the pieces after glass breaks?
Show answers
- 유리.
- No. 잔 counts a serving here.
- 유리 조각.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 유리 Mean a Drinking Glass?
No. A drinking glass is 컵 or 유리잔.
What Is a Glass Window?
유리창.
What Is a Glass Bottle?
유리병.
How Do I Say the Glass Broke?
Say 유리가 깨졌어요.
Where to Go Next
Material words are on the descriptions materials vocabulary page. Compare cup and mirror, then learn leather in Korean. To practise, try the vocabulary flashcard decks or return to Korean words A to Z.