Key Facts
- Hangul: 한복; Revised Romanization: hanbok
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: Neutral; in South Korea 한복 refers to traditional dress, in North Korea the term 조선옷 is used.
- Hanja: 韓服 (韓 Korea + 服 clothes)
Hanbok in Korean: What Does 한복 Mean?
한복 has two senses, hanbok itself and traditional Korean clothing in general. It is a neutral noun. In North Korea the same clothing is usually called 조선옷.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Two syllables, han-bok. The second syllable ends on a k sound that is held back, not released with a puff of air.
Example Sentences with 한복
한복은 정말 예뻐요.
hanbogeun jeongmal yeppeoyo.
Hanbok is really beautiful.
A simple opinion sentence with an adjective: the speaker praises the clothing itself.
설날에 한복을 입어요.
seollare hanbogeul ibeoyo.
I wear hanbok on Lunar New Year's Day.
설날 is Lunar New Year's Day, so this line shows the holiday occasion for wearing hanbok.
경복궁에서 한복을 빌렸어요.
gyeongbokgungeseo hanbogeul billyeosseoyo.
I rented a hanbok at Gyeongbokgung.
The verb 빌리다 means to rent, and the setting is Gyeongbokgung, the palace where visitors often rent hanbok.
Collocations
Four common phrases run from wearing to renting, and they match what visitors actually do.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 한복을 입다 | to wear hanbok |
| 한복을 빌리다 | to rent hanbok |
| 전통 한복 | traditional hanbok |
| 한복 체험 | hanbok experience |
The Mistake to Avoid
Mistake: calling any Asian traditional dress 한복, such as a Japanese kimono. Correct: 한복 means Korean traditional clothing only; other countries' dress has its own name.
한복 Compared with Similar Words
Two words name parts of the outfit. 저고리 is the jacket, the top half. 치마 is the skirt, and a full women's hanbok is 저고리 plus 치마. 한복 is the whole outfit, not either part alone.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 한복 | hanbok | This page's word |
| 저고리 | jeogori (hanbok jacket) | The top part of the hanbok. |
| 치마 | skirt | The hanbok skirt is 치마; a full women's hanbok is 저고리 + 치마. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
한복 comes from Sino-Korean 韓服 (韓 Korea + 服 clothes), literally "Korean clothes".
Cultural Note
Many Koreans wear hanbok on holidays such as Seollal and Chuseok, and visitors to palaces in Seoul often rent one.
At a Rental Shop: Choosing a Hanbok
A customer wants to rent an outfit and try it on. The staff member asks about color before directing the customer to change.
Customer
한복을 빌리고 싶어요.
Hanbogeul billigo sipeoyo.
I would like to rent a hanbok.
Staff
어떤 색을 좋아하세요?
Eotteon saegeul joahaseyo?
What colors do you like?
Customer
파란색을 좋아해요. 입어 봐도 돼요?
Paransaegeul joahaeyo. Ibeo bwado dwaeyo?
I like blue. May I try it on?
Staff
네, 여기서 갈아입으세요.
Ne, yeogiseo garaibeuseyo.
Yes, please get changed here.
입어 봐도 돼요? asks permission to try clothing on. 갈아입으세요 means “please get changed”. The verbs fit clothing worn on the body. A rental conversation needs more than the noun 한복: color, fit and where to change all become useful immediately.
What Does a 한복 Experience Include?
한복 체험 literally means “hanbok experience”. On a visitor sign, 체험 suggests an activity you take part in, often trying on or wearing the clothing. The phrase itself does not specify a rental duration, photography service or included accessories. Look at the individual listing for those details.
한복 대여 means hanbok rental. 대여 is the compact noun often used on a shop sign; 빌리다 is the everyday verb for borrowing or renting. A sign can label the service with 대여 while a customer asks to 빌리다. These expressions describe the same transaction from different grammatical angles.
빌리다 alone does not always imply payment: it can also mean borrowing something. In the rental-shop scene, the business setting supplies the paid-rental meaning. If a friend lends you an outfit, the same verb can describe borrowing it without turning the favor into a commercial service.
Clothing Phrases beyond the Headword
한복을 입다 means to put on or wear hanbok. 한복을 입고 사진을 찍다 means to take photographs wearing hanbok. In the longer phrase, 입고 connects wearing the outfit to the photo activity. The person keeps the clothing on while taking the pictures.
한복이 잘 어울리다 means that hanbok suits someone. It is a natural compliment about how the clothing looks on the wearer. The literal clothing noun stays the same; 어울리다 adds the idea that the outfit and the person go well together.
전통 한복 emphasizes traditional hanbok. 생활 한복 refers to hanbok adapted for everyday use. You may meet the latter in clothing shops rather than only in palace-rental advertisements. The modifier tells you which style or use the speaker has in mind; 한복 alone is broader.
These are literal clothing combinations, so a special idiom is unnecessary. Recognizing the verb after 한복 tells you whether the speaker is wearing, renting, buying or describing it. That is more useful at a shop than treating every phrase as a separate translation to memorize.
Where Will You Hear the Word?
한복 appears in holiday conversations, wedding preparations, historical dramas and visitor activities. In a historical drama, you may also hear names of individual garments. In a rental shop, staff are more likely to discuss color, size and accessories. The setting changes which related words you need.
한복 names clothing for people of different genders and ages. The skirt-and-jacket pairing in the earlier comparison is one outfit, rather than a definition requiring every hanbok to have a skirt. 바지, trousers, belongs in the vocabulary set too.
Parts and Rental Words to Learn Next
| Korean | Meaning | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| 저고리 | hanbok jacket | Names the upper garment. |
| 치마 | skirt | Can describe a hanbok skirt or an everyday skirt. |
| 바지 | trousers | Another lower garment used in hanbok outfits. |
| 고름 | garment ties | The ties used to fasten a jeogori. |
| 대여 | rental | Common on a shop sign or service listing. |
The hanbok vocabulary lesson teaches the clothing set. Use a garment name when asking about one piece, and 한복 when talking about the outfit or clothing tradition as a whole.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 한복 대여 mean buying or renting?
- Which verb asks to try hanbok on: 입다 or 쓰다?
- Must every hanbok outfit include a 치마?
Show answers
- Renting.
- 입다, as in 입어 봐도 돼요?
- No. Outfits can include 바지, trousers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is hanbok in Korean?
It is 한복 (hanbok), traditional Korean clothing.
Which verb goes with wearing it?
Use 입다, as in the phrase 한복을 입다, to wear hanbok.
How do I say I rented one?
Say 경복궁에서 한복을 빌렸어요, I rented a hanbok at Gyeongbokgung.
What are its two main pieces?
The top is 저고리 and the skirt is 치마.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Daily life clothing vocabulary groups 한복 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.