Key Facts
- Hangul: 키; Revised Romanization: ki
- Syllables: 1
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: Neutral; the same spelling is also used for 'key' (loanword) and 'rudder', so context decides.
Height in Korean: What Does 키 Mean?
The senses are height and stature. The register is neutral. 키 is the word for how tall a person or animal stands. The same spelling also appears in the loanword for a key and in a word for a ship's rudder, so you rely on the sentence to decide. For the height of objects, buildings or mountains, use 높이, and for body weight use 몸무게.
How Do You Pronounce 키?
One syllable, ki. It is the same sound as English key. The consonant is aspirated, meaning it is released with a strong burst of air. With the subject particle, 키가 sounds ki-ga. There is no final consonant, so nothing in the word changes shape when particles attach.
Example Sentences with 키
키가 몇이에요?
Kiga myeochieyo?
How tall are you?
The question asks about your height. 몇이에요 means how much or how many, and the particle 가 marks 키 as the subject.
동생은 키가 커요.
Dongsaengeun kiga keoyo.
My younger sibling is tall.
A younger sibling is described as tall. 커요 is the polite form of big, and with 키 it means tall.
저는 키가 작아요.
Jeoneun kiga jagayo.
I am short.
The speaker says they are short. 작아요 is small, which pairs with 키 in the same way that 커요 does.
Common Phrases and Collocations
The collocations give you the two adjectives for tall and short and the verb for measuring.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 키가 크다 | to be tall |
| 키가 작다 | to be short |
| 키를 재다 | to measure height |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 키가 높다 for a tall person.
Correct: ✓ 키가 크다, as in 동생은 키가 커요.
Why: Learners translate tall as 높다 because it means high. For people, Korean says 키가 크다, literally that the height is big. 높다 describes objects such as a mountain or a shelf.
키 Compared with Similar Words
Three neighbours separate formal height, object height and weight.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 키 | height; stature | The word on this page. |
| 신장 | height (formal) | A formal or medical term. |
| 몸무게 | weight | Body weight. |
| 높이 | height (of objects) | The height of things, not people. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
키 is a native Korean word with no hanja form.
Measuring Height at a Checkup
A nurse is taking measurements before a routine appointment. The patient asks about height rather than body weight.
Nurse
먼저 키를 잴게요.
Meonjeo kireul jaelgeyo.
I’ll measure your height first.
Patient
신발을 벗을까요?
Sinbareul beoseulkkayo?
Shall I take off my shoes?
Nurse
네, 여기 서 주세요.
Ne, yeogi seo juseyo.
Yes, please stand here.
Patient
키가 얼마나 나와요?
Kiga eolmana nawayo?
What does my height come to?
키를 잴게요 uses 키 as the thing being measured, so it takes 를. The patient’s last question uses 가 because the question is about the height reading. Here 나와요 means the measurement “comes out” to a value.
How Do You Give a Height Measurement?
For a person’s height, Korean commonly uses centimeters. A reply such as 키는 170센티미터예요 gives the measurement directly: “My height is 170 centimeters.” Read the number with Sino-Korean numbers, so 170 is 백칠십. In conversation, 센티 is a shortened version of 센티미터, while forms often print the unit as cm.
If the unit is already obvious, a speaker may answer with only a number. That is why 키가 몇이에요 works in a conversation about height. When you need a complete answer, include the unit so the listener knows exactly what the number measures. The measurement vocabulary lesson connects height with other quantities.
Phrases about Growth and Comparison
키가 자라다 means “to grow taller”. The image is of height growing, and the phrase often appears when adults talk about children. 키가 크다 can describe someone as tall; context can also make it about growth. A description of the person now and a report of change over time can use the same height vocabulary.
키 순서 means “height order”. You may hear it when a group lines up for a photograph or a school activity. It tells you the basis for arranging the people; it does not tell you whether the tallest or shortest goes first. Listen for the rest of the instruction.
키 차이 means “height difference”. It is common in descriptions of two people standing together, including drama couples. 차이 names a difference, so the phrase compares the two people rather than giving either person’s exact measurement.
Where Will You See 키 and 신장?
키 is the everyday choice in conversation. 신장 is common in a measurement field on a health form or in a formal description. Both can refer to the same person’s height. A form with 신장 beside 체중 is asking for height and body weight, rather than two different kinds of height.
A direct question about height can feel personal outside a setting where measurements are expected. At a checkup or during clothing fitting, the purpose is usually clear. With a new acquaintance, a comment about being very short may sound like a judgment about their appearance.
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 센티미터 | centimeter | A unit used to report body height. |
| 체중 | body weight | A formal label often paired with 신장. |
| 길이 | length | Measures how long something is. |
| 차이 | difference | Combines with 키 when comparing two heights. |
Quick Self-Test
- Which expression means tall: 키가 크다 or 키가 높다?
- Does 키 순서 tell you which end of the line is tallest?
- What does 신장 usually mean beside 체중 on a measurement form?
Show answers
- 키가 크다.
- No. It only specifies ordering by height.
- Height; 체중 is body weight.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "height" in Korean?
Height in Korean is 키 (ki).
How do you ask someone how tall they are?
Say 키가 몇이에요?
How do you say "I am short"?
Say 저는 키가 작아요.
Can I say 키가 높다?
Not for people. Use 키가 크다, and keep 높다 for objects.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Korean measurement vocabulary groups 키 with related words.
- Index: look up more words near "height" in Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 키 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next word in the list: length.