Key Facts
- Hangul: 금색; Revised Romanization: geumsaek
- Syllables: 2
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Hanja: 金色 (金 gold + 色 color)
- Register: Neutral, standard noun for the color gold.
Gold in Korean: What Does 금색 Mean?
The senses are gold as a colour and golden as a description. Use 금색 when you want to say that an object looks gold, such as a ring, a watch or a box. The register is neutral, so you can say it to a shop assistant or write it in a product list. In the third example the box is described with 이에요, which turns the noun into a statement about colour.
How Do You Pronounce 금색?
Two syllables, geum-saek. The first closes on m with the lips together. The second begins with s and ends on a k sound that is not released, so the word stops abruptly. When a particle that starts with a vowel follows, as in the third example, the final k moves across and you hear geum-sae-gi-e-yo.
Example Sentences with 금색
금색 반지를 샀어요.
Geumsaek banjireul sasseoyo.
I bought a gold ring.
The colour comes before the thing it describes. 금색 반지 is a gold-coloured ring, and the object marker follows the whole phrase.
금색 시계가 예뻐요.
Geumsaek sigyega yeppeoyo.
The gold watch is pretty.
The same pattern works with 시계, a watch or clock. 예뻐요 is the polite form of pretty, so the sentence is a compliment.
상자가 금색이에요.
Sangjaga geumsaegieyo.
The box is gold.
This time 금색 is the answer to what colour the box is. The ending 이에요 links the noun to 상자, and the final consonant carries over into the next syllable.
Common Phrases and Collocations
The collocations combine 금색 with accessories and with hair, and 금빛 is listed as a close relative with a different feel.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 금색 반지 | gold ring |
| 금색 시계 | gold watch |
| 금색 머리 | gold hair |
| 금빛 | golden glow |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong for the award category: ✗ 금색 메달
Correct: ✓ 금메달
Why: A gold medal as an award is 금메달. 금색 메달 can describe a medal that is gold-coloured, but it does not name the award category. Similarly, 금반지 names a ring made of gold, while 금색 반지 describes the colour and might refer to painted brass.
금색 Compared with Similar Words
Gold sits between the metal itself, a poetic glow and a plain colour, so three neighbours help you pick the right word.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 금색 | gold (color); golden | The word on this page. |
| 금 | gold (metal) | The metal itself, as in 금반지, a ring made of gold. |
| 금빛 | golden glow | A poetic golden shine rather than a paint colour. |
| 노란색 | yellow | Plain yellow with no metallic look. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
금색 is Sino-Korean. The hanja 金色 join 金, gold, and 色, colour, so the word is literally the colour of gold.
Choosing a Colour in an Accessory Shop
A customer is comparing two versions of the same ring.
Customer
이 반지는 금색도 있어요?
I banjineun geumsaekdo isseoyo?
Does this ring also come in gold?
Shop assistant
네, 금색하고 은색이 있어요.
Ne, geumsaekhago eunsaegi isseoyo.
Yes, we have gold and silver colours.
Customer
금으로 만든 거예요?
Geumeuro mandeun geoyeyo?
Is it made of gold?
Shop assistant
아니요. 색깔만 금색이에요.
Aniyo. Saekkkalman geumsaegieyo.
No. Only the colour is gold.
The first question asks about a colour option. The third asks about the material. The assistant's final answer makes that distinction explicit: 만 means “only”, so the ring has the colour of gold without being made from that metal.
Where Will You See 금색?
Online shops use 금색 as a colour choice for watches, jewellery, bags, and decorative objects. On a product page, 색상 means “colour”, while 소재 means “material”. A 금색 option under colour tells you how the object looks; check the material field separately if you want to know what it is made from.
금색 포장지 means “gold wrapping paper”, and 금색 리본 means “gold ribbon”. These are ordinary descriptive combinations. The colour word comes before the object, with a space between them. The phrase does not claim that the wrapping paper or ribbon contains gold.
금빛 focuses on a golden colour or glow. It can describe reflected light as well as an object's appearance. 금색 is especially useful when selecting a colour from a list. Neither word by itself is a guarantee of an object's material or value.
Nearby Colours and a Material Word
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 은색 | silver colour | A colour option, distinct from 은, the metal silver. |
| 노란색 | yellow | Useful when describing a yellow surface without a gold effect. |
| 회색 | grey | A colour that does not necessarily have silver's metallic appearance. |
| 금 | gold | Names the metal rather than just its colour. |
The colours lesson teaches the wider set. 금색 ends in a consonant, so a colour statement uses 이에요: 금색이에요. Before an object name, keep the noun directly before it, as in 금색 시계.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 금색 반지 guarantee a ring made of gold?
- Which word names the silver colour: 은 or 은색?
- On a shopping page, does 소재 describe colour or material?
Show answers
- No. It describes the colour; 금반지 names a gold ring by its material.
- 은색.
- Material. 색상 describes colour.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "gold" in Korean?
Gold in Korean is 금색 (geumsaek) when you mean the colour. For the metal itself, use 금.
How do you say "gold ring" in Korean?
Say 금색 반지 for a gold-coloured ring. A ring made of real gold is a 금반지.
Is 금색 the same as 노란색?
No. 노란색 is plain yellow, while 금색 has a metallic gold look.
What is a gold medal called in Korean?
A gold medal is 금메달. It uses 금 for the metal, not 금색.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Korean colors vocabulary groups 금색 with related words.
- Index: look up more words near "gold" in Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 금색 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next word in the list: gray.
- Compare with the page for yellow, which has no metallic shine.