Key Facts
- Korean: 사자, Revised Romanization saja
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, 獅子 (獅 lion + 子 noun suffix)
- Register: neutral everyday word
- Male / female: 수사자 / 암사자
Lion in Korean: What Does 사자 Mean?
사자 means lion. The homonym 사자 (使者) means messenger.
How Do You Pronounce 사자?
사자 (saja) has two syllables, 사 and 자, with the same vowel in each.
Example Sentences with 사자
사자가 무서워요.
Sajaga museowoyo.
The lion is scary.
무서워요 means "is scary".
동물원에서 사자를 봐요.
Dongmurwoneseo sajareul bwayo.
I see a lion at the zoo.
동물원에서 means "at the zoo", and 봐요 means "see".
사자는 동물의 왕이에요.
Sajaneun dongmurui wangieyo.
The lion is the king of animals.
동물의 왕 means "king of the animals".
Phrases with 사자
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 사자 갈기 | lion's mane |
| 사자후 | lion's roar |
| 암사자 | lioness |
| 수사자 | male lion |
사자후 is also used figuratively for a powerful speech.
A Common Mistake with 사자
- Wrong: reading 사자 as "lion" in a shopping sentence.
- Correct: there it is 사다 + 자, "let's buy".
The lion is a noun and takes particles such as 가 or 를. The suggestion form ends a sentence.
사자 Compared with 호랑이 and 사자 "Messenger"
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 사자 | lion | The animal |
| 호랑이 | tiger | A different big cat |
| 사자 | messenger | Homonym, written 使者 |
At the Zoo: Spotting a Lion
Mina and Jun are looking into a zoo enclosure. The conversation uses polite everyday speech, even though neither speaker needs a special polite word for the animal.
Mina
사자가 어디에 있어요?
Sajaga eodie isseoyo?
Where are the lions?
Jun
저기 나무 아래에 있어요.
Jeogi namu araee isseoyo.
They are over there under the tree.
Mina
저 사자는 갈기가 크네요.
Jeo sajaneun galgiga keuneyo.
That lion has a big mane.
Jun
네, 수사자예요.
Ne, susajayeyo.
Yes, it is a male lion.
The question asks where the animal is, and the reply gives a landmark. 저기 means “over there”; 저 before a noun means “that … over there”. These pointing words make the exchange useful when the lion is partly hidden. Korean does not require a plural ending here: 사자 can refer to a lion or lions when the scene makes the number clear.
The third line makes the lion the topic with 는 and describes its mane with 갈기가. This follows the same pattern as descriptions of a person’s body: introduce the animal, then say something about one of its features. 크네요 adds the speaker’s reaction on noticing the large mane.
Where Will You See or Hear 사자?
Zoo maps, animal books and wildlife documentaries use 사자 as the animal’s name. On a short label it may appear alone, without a particle or a complete sentence. In a conversation about visiting the zoo, the animal meaning is therefore the natural first reading.
In a historical drama, 사자 meaning “messenger” belongs to a different setting: someone carries a message or arrives on another person’s behalf. The spelling alone cannot settle the meaning. Ask whether the scene concerns an animal, a message or a purchase before translating.
A toy shop creates a useful contrast. A lion toy can be the thing someone wants to buy, while sentence-final 사자 can mean “let’s buy”. These are different grammatical jobs. The animal noun can take 를 as an object marker; the suggestion form is a verb ending and is casual, so it belongs with close friends or people you can address informally.
Literal Animal Words and a Figurative Roar
사자 갈기 names the mane; 갈기 is the long hair around the animal’s head and neck. Keep a space between 사자 and 갈기. By contrast, 수사자 and 암사자 are single words. Use the ordinary 사자 when the animal’s sex does not matter, and the more specific word when comparing animals or reading a label.
사자후 literally evokes a lion’s roar, but its established figurative use concerns forceful speech. A writer may use it to make a speech or shout sound commanding and dramatic. It is a stronger, more literary choice than simply saying that someone spoke loudly. The National Institute of Korean Language also gives 열변, an impassioned speech, as a plain-language alternative.
The existing phrase 동물의 왕, “king of the animals”, is an image of strength and status. It does not mean that the lion literally rules other species. Recognizing that image helps with children’s stories and descriptions of lion characters without treating a story phrase as a biological category.
Related Animal Words
| Korean | Meaning | Reading note |
|---|---|---|
| 호랑이 | tiger | Another big cat; it is not another name for a lion. |
| 갈기 | mane | A feature word used when describing a lion. |
| 수사자 | male lion | A single word with the male-animal prefix. |
| 암사자 | lioness | A single word with the female-animal prefix. |
| 동물원 | zoo | A place word that strongly supports the animal meaning of 사자. |
Learn the broader set in animals vocabulary. When reading a zoo description, first identify the animal name, then look for a feature such as 갈기 or a location such as 나무 아래, “under the tree”.
Quick Self-Test
- What is the Korean word for a lioness?
- Does 사자후 always describe an actual animal sound?
- Which clue suggests that 사자 means “let’s buy”: a zoo label or a casual suggestion ending a shopping sentence?
Show answers
- 암사자.
- No. It can describe forceful or impassioned speech.
- The shopping suggestion. The zoo label normally names the lion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Say Lion in Korean?
Say 사자 (saja). It is the everyday word for a lion, from the Sino-Korean 獅子. A lioness is 암사자 and a male lion is 수사자, using the prefixes for female and male animals. The lion's mane is 사자 갈기.
How Do You Say Male Lion in Korean?
Say 수사자. The prefix 수 marks a male animal, and 암 marks a female one, as in 암사자, lioness. Adding an extra ㅅ under 수 is a common spelling error: standard Korean writes the male prefix as plain 수 for almost all animals, so the correct form is 수사자.
What Else Can 사자 Mean?
사자 has homonyms. 사자 written 使者 means a messenger or envoy. In speech, 사자 can also be the casual "let's buy", from 사다, to buy, plus the suggestion ending 자. The sentence makes the meaning clear: an animal at the zoo is the lion.
Why Is the Lion Called the King of Animals?
Korean shares the common image of the lion as king of the animals: 사자는 동물의 왕이에요. In Korean folk tradition, though, the tiger plays a bigger role than the lion, since lions never lived in Korea and tigers did.
Related Words and Next Steps
- See more animals vocabulary.
- Find more single words like lion in the Korean words A to Z index.