Key Facts
- Hangul: 호수; Revised Romanization: hosu
- Part of speech: noun
- Syllables: 2 (ho-su)
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 湖水 (湖 lake + 水 water)
- Register: Neutral everyday word.
Lake in Korean: What Does 호수 Mean?
호수 is the standard word for a lake. A 호수 is enclosed and still, which is what sets it apart from a river that flows or a sea that opens out to the horizon. The word is neutral, fine in speech and in writing, and it shows up in park names, travel talk and weather or nature vocabulary.
How Do You Pronounce 호수?
호수 has two syllables, ho and su, each with a clean vowel and no final consonant, so there is nothing to link or change. Say both beats evenly. Revised Romanization is hosu.
Example Sentences with 호수
호수가 아름다워요.
Hosuga areumdawoyo.
The lake is beautiful.
아름다워요 is the polite form of "is beautiful". The subject 호수가 takes the subject marker, so the lake itself is what is being praised.
호수 옆에서 산책해요.
Hosu yeopeseo sanchaekaeyo.
I walk beside the lake.
옆에서 means "beside" and 산책해요 means "take a walk". Together they paint the common picture of walking round the water.
호수에 오리가 있어요.
Hosue origa isseoyo.
There are ducks on the lake.
Here 호수에 uses the location marker 에, and 오리가 is "ducks" as the subject. 있어요 says they are there, so the sentence is a simple report of what lives on the lake.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 호수 공원 | lake park |
| 호숫가 | lakeside |
| 호수에 가다 | to go to a lake |
| 인공 호수 | artificial lake |
호수 공원 is a park built around a lake, and 호숫가 is the lakeside, a single word that fuses 호수 with the syllable for edge. 인공 호수 is an artificial lake, and 호수에 가다 is the plain way to say you are heading to one.
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 바다 or 강 for a lake, as in "We swam in the 강" when it was a lake.
Correct: ✓ 호수 for a still, enclosed body of fresh water.
Why: 바다 is the sea and 강 is a river. A 호수 is enclosed and still, neither the open sea nor flowing water.
호수 Compared with Related Words
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 호수 | lake | The word on this page. |
| 바다 | sea | Open salt water. |
| 강 | river | Flowing water that runs from one place to another. |
Ask two questions: is the water still, and is it enclosed by land? If both are yes, use 호수.
Where Does the Word Come From?
호수 is Sino-Korean, written 湖水 in hanja: 湖 means lake and 水 means water. A separate word, 호수 written 號數, means a number or size, so context tells you which one a speaker means.
At a Park: Choosing a Walking Route
Two friends have arrived at a park. They want to walk beside the water and then take a break.
Hana
호수 옆에서 걸을까요?
Hosu yeopeseo georeulkkayo?
Shall we walk beside the lake?
Ben
좋아요. 어디로 가면 돼요?
Joayo. Eodiro gamyeon dwaeyo?
Sounds good. Which way should we go?
Hana
저쪽에 산책로가 있어요.
Jeojjoge sanchaengnoga isseoyo.
There’s a walking path over there.
Ben
그럼 한 바퀴 돌고 쉬어요.
Geureom han bakwi dolgo swieoyo.
Then let’s do one circuit and rest.
호수 옆에서 locates the walking beside the lake. 한 바퀴 means one circuit, so the last line proposes going around once. It does not promise a short walk: the size of the lake and the route still matter. 산책로 names the path rather than the water or the park as a whole.
Read Lake Names on Maps
호수 appears in descriptions of parks, walking routes and scenic views. You may also see 호 at the end of a named lake, as in 석촌호, Seokchon Lake. That final 호 is part of the place name. A map can therefore name a lake without spelling out the full word 호수.
호수 전망 means a lake view. 전망 points to what can be seen from a room, window or viewpoint. 호수 근처 means near the lake and describes location instead. A café can be near a lake without every seat having a lake view; these two phrases give different information.
호수 공원 names a park associated with a lake. The lake is the body of water, while the park includes the paths and surrounding facilities. When arranging to meet, naming the park may still leave several entrances or meeting points to choose from.
Lakeside, Destination and Activity
호수에 가다 makes the lake the destination. 호수 옆에서 산책하다 places a walk beside it. The particle 에 goes with the destination in the first phrase; 에서 marks where the activity takes place in the second. The full phrase tells you more than translating 호수 alone.
호숫가 is one written word for the lakeside, with ㅅ added inside the compound. Keep that spelling when searching for a lakeside café or describing the shore. 호수가, without ㅅ, can instead be 호수 plus the subject marker 가, as in the first example sentence above.
Landscape Words to Learn Together
| Korean | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 연못 | pond | A smaller body of still water, often in a garden or park. |
| 강 | river | Flowing water, rather than a lake. |
| 바다 | sea | The sea beyond the land. |
| 산책로 | walking path | The route you walk along beside the water. |
A garden description may use 연못 where a travel itinerary uses 호수. Both name inland water, but the scale and setting differ. The landscape vocabulary lesson teaches these contrasts alongside mountains and other landforms.
Quick Self-Test
- Which spelling means the lakeside: 호숫가 or 호수가?
- Does 호수 전망 describe a view or a walking route?
- What does 한 바퀴 mean in the dialogue?
Show answers
- 호숫가. 호수가 can be “lake” plus the subject marker.
- A lake view.
- One circuit around.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "lake" in Korean?
Lake in Korean is 호수 (hosu), a noun for a still body of fresh water.
Is 호수 the same as 바다?
No. 바다 is the sea, while 호수 is a lake.
How do I say "lakeside"?
Use 호숫가, which is the word for the edge of a lake.
How do I say "lake park"?
Say 호수 공원, a park built around a lake.
Does 호수 have other meanings?
Yes. A different 호수 means a number or size, so rely on the sentence around it.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Korean landscape vocabulary groups 호수 with mountains and rivers.
- Index: Korean words A to Z lists every single-word entry.
- Compare: river is the flowing-water word to set against it.
- See also: moon is a nearby nature word.
- Practice: vocabulary flashcard decks lets you add 호수 to a spaced-repetition set.