Key Facts
- Hangul: 모자; Revised Romanization: moja
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: Neutral everyday word covering hats and caps.
- Hanja: 帽子 (帽 hat + 子 suffix)
Hat in Korean: What Does 모자 Mean?
모자 has two senses, hat and cap. It is a neutral everyday word that does not separate the two shapes.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Two syllables, mo-ja, each with a plain open vowel and no final consonant, so the word is easy to link into a sentence.
Example Sentences with 모자
저는 모자를 좋아해요.
jeoneun mojareul joahaeyo.
I like hats.
The first line is a simple preference with 좋아해요, which means like.
오늘은 햇빛이 강해서 모자를 써요.
oneureun haetbichi ganghaeseo mojareul sseoyo.
The sun is strong today, so I wear a hat.
쓰다 is the verb for wearing something on the head, and 햇빛 explains why: the sun is strong.
이 모자는 얼마예요?
i mojaneun eolmayeyo?
How much is this hat?
얼마예요 is the standard price question, so this is the shopping line to remember.
Collocations
Notice that 쓰다 and 벗다 are the verbs; the nouns around them are the easy part.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 모자를 쓰다 | to wear a hat |
| 모자를 벗다 | to take off a hat |
| 야구 모자 | baseball cap |
| 털모자 | wool hat |
The Mistake to Avoid
Mistake: 모자를 입다, using the clothing verb. Correct: 모자를 쓰다, the verb for things worn on the head; taking a hat off is 모자를 벗다.
모자 Compared with Similar Words
캡 is a loanword for baseball-style caps, while 모자 covers every kind. 헬멧 is a protective helmet, not an ordinary hat.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 모자 | hat | This page's word |
| 캡 | cap (loanword) | Used for baseball-style caps; 모자 covers every kind. |
| 헬멧 | helmet | A protective helmet, not an ordinary hat. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
모자 is Sino-Korean, written 帽子 (帽 hat + 子 suffix).
At a Shop: Trying on a Smaller Hat
A customer likes a hat but needs a different size. The conversation uses 쓰다 for putting it on and 크다 for describing its fit.
Customer
이 모자 써 봐도 돼요?
I moja sseo bwado dwaeyo?
May I try on this hat?
Staff
네, 거울은 저쪽에 있어요.
Ne, geoureun jeojjoge isseoyo.
Yes, the mirror is over there.
Customer
조금 커요. 더 작은 모자 있어요?
Jogeum keoyo. Deo jageun moja isseoyo?
It is a little big. Do you have a smaller hat?
Staff
네, 이 모자를 써 보세요.
Ne, i mojareul sseo boseyo.
Yes, please try this hat on.
써 봐도 돼요? asks permission to try a hat on. 써 보세요 is the staff member's invitation to try it. The shape 써 comes from 쓰다; it is the part you hear in both requests. 더 작은 모자 means “a smaller hat”, so the customer asks for a different size without needing a size number.
Which Verb Tells You How the Hat Is Worn?
모자를 쓰다 can describe putting a hat on or wearing it, depending on the sentence. 모자를 쓰고 있어요 explicitly describes the ongoing state: “I am wearing a hat”. The person already has it on. In contrast, 모자를 벗다 describes taking it off.
모자를 써 보다 means to try a hat on. 보다 adds the idea of trying the action. This phrase belongs in a fitting conversation, while 모자를 사다 simply means buying a hat. Trying one on does not say that the customer has decided to purchase it.
모자를 눌러쓰다 means to pull a hat down firmly or low on the head. In a drama or description, the phrase can help you picture someone with a cap pulled low. It describes how the hat is worn; any motive, such as avoiding attention, must come from the story.
These are literal clothing combinations. The verb matters because Korean uses different wearing verbs for different items. A shirt goes with 입다, shoes with 신다, and a hat with 쓰다. The shared English verb “wear” can hide this distinction when you translate a sentence word for word.
Where Will You See 모자?
모자 is a common store category, a word in weather-related advice, and an item in descriptions of people's appearance. A listing may add a type such as 야구 모자, baseball cap, or 털모자, knitted or woolly winter hat. The general word does not tell you the material or brim shape by itself.
모자 착용 means “wearing a hat” in a notice or label. 착용 is a formal noun for wearing an item. 모자 착용 금지 means hats are not allowed; 모자를 벗어 주세요 politely asks someone to remove a hat. One labels a rule, and the other addresses the wearer directly.
모자 가게 means a hat shop. On a shopping street or in a map search, 가게 identifies the business, while 모자 identifies what it sells.
At a shop, a hat can be 커요, big, or 작아요, small. When trying one on, these words normally concern its fit. If you like the design but it feels loose, the dialogue's 더 작은 모자 asks for a smaller version rather than a different type of headwear.
Headwear and Nearby Clothing Words
| Korean | Meaning | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| 야구 모자 | baseball cap | A familiar everyday cap style. |
| 털모자 | knitted / woolly hat | Usually associated with cold weather. |
| 챙 | brim | Names the part projecting from a hat. |
| 후드 | hood | The attached head covering on a hooded garment. |
| 장갑 | gloves | A separate winter item; use 끼다 for putting them on. |
The clothing vocabulary lesson teaches the wider set and its wearing verbs. 모자 and 후드 both cover the head, but a hood attached to a sweatshirt is normally called 후드. Naming the actual item makes a shop request clearer.
Quick Self-Test
- Which verb goes with 모자: 입다, 신다 or 쓰다?
- Does 모자를 쓰고 있어요 describe a hat already on the person?
- What does 더 작은 모자 ask for?
Show answers
- 쓰다.
- Yes. It means the person is wearing a hat.
- A smaller hat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say hat in Korean?
Say 모자 (moja).
Which verb means to wear a hat?
Use 쓰다, as in 모자를 쓰다.
Does 모자 include caps?
Yes. It covers hats and caps, and 야구 모자 is a baseball cap.
How do I ask the price?
Say 이 모자는 얼마예요?
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Daily life clothing vocabulary groups 모자 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.