Key Facts
- Hangul: 거울; Revised Romanization: geoul
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: Neutral everyday word.
Mirror in Korean: How Do You Pronounce 거울?
Two syllables, geo-ul; keep both vowels audible. With a following particle the final ㄹ moves over, giving geo-u-reul for 거울을.
Example Sentences with 거울
저는 거울을 봐요.
jeoneun geoureul bwayo.
I look in the mirror.
A routine sentence. 봐요 is "look", and the pairing 거울을 보다 is the fixed collocation.
거울이 깨졌어요.
geouri kkaejyeosseoyo.
The mirror broke.
An accident report. The verb 깨졌어요 is the past of "break", describing what happened to the mirror.
화장실에 큰 거울이 있어요.
hwajangsire keun geouri isseoyo.
There is a big mirror in the bathroom.
A location sentence. 화장실에 gives the place and 큰 is the adjective "big".
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 거울을 보다 | to look in the mirror |
| 거울이 깨지다 | the mirror breaks |
| 손거울 | hand mirror |
| 전신 거울 | full-length mirror |
거울이 깨지다 is "the mirror breaks", and 손거울 packs the hand mirror into one word.
The Mistake to Avoid
Mistake: keeping the final ㄹ in place before a particle, as in [geo-ul-eul]. Correct: link it: 거울을 is [geo-u-reul]. Also, do not confuse 거울 (mirror) with 안경 (glasses).
거울 Compared with Similar Words
Both related words look similar in meaning but are not interchangeable.
| Word | Meaning | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|---|
| 거울 | mirror | This page's word |
| 안경 | glasses | Contains the Sino-Korean 鏡 but means eyeglasses, not mirror. |
| 유리 | glass | The material glass, not the mirror. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
거울 is native Korean and has no hanja. The related 안경 does contain Sino-Korean 鏡, which is the source of the mix-up.
Borrowing a Mirror before a Photo
Two coworkers are about to take a group photo. One wants to check their face and asks the other for a small mirror.
Sora
거울 있어요?
Geoul isseoyo?
Do you have a mirror?
Jin
네, 손거울 있어요.
Ne, songeoul isseoyo.
Yes, I have a hand mirror.
Sora
잠깐 빌려도 돼요?
Jamkkan billyeodo dwaeyo?
May I borrow it for a moment?
Jin
네, 여기 있어요.
Ne, yeogi isseoyo.
Yes, here it is.
거울 있어요? asks about possession here. In a shop, the same words could ask whether a mirror is available. The borrowing question makes the purpose clear. Once the object is established, neither speaker needs to repeat 거울 in every line.
Which Mirror Should You Ask For?
손거울 combines 손, “hand”, with 거울. It names a mirror you can hold while checking your face. 전신 거울 includes 전신, “the whole body”, and lets you check an outfit from head to toe. These names describe the mirror’s use rather than its frame or material.
A shop listing may also say 벽거울, a wall mirror, or 탁상 거울, a tabletop mirror. A wall mirror is identified by where it hangs; a tabletop mirror stands on furniture. If you need to see your whole outfit, 전신 거울 gives the clearest information about what you want.
What Do the Common Mirror Phrases Describe?
거울을 보다 literally means “look at a mirror”, but the usual English translation is “look in the mirror”. The Korean expression already covers looking at your reflection. You do not need a separate word meaning “inside” to describe that everyday action.
거울 앞에서 means “in front of the mirror”. 앞 gives the position, while 에서 marks where an action happens. You can use this location when talking about getting ready, practicing a facial expression or adjusting your clothes. It describes where you are standing, rather than what you see reflected.
거울이 깨지다 describes the mirror breaking. 거울을 깨다 means to break a mirror, with someone causing the damage. The difference is useful when reporting an accident: the first phrase focuses on what happened to the object; the second connects the action to a person.
Where Will You Hear 거울 beyond the Bathroom?
At a hair salon, 거울 is the mirror you use to see the haircut. In a clothing store, a full-length mirror helps you check the fit. In beauty videos, 손거울 can be a tool someone picks up during a makeup demonstration. The noun remains neutral in all three settings.
거울 also has figurative uses. 거울로 삼다 literally suggests taking something as a mirror. It means learning from a person or past event, either as a model to follow or as a warning. The National Institute of Korean Language’s 거울 entry gives both possibilities. In an essay about learning from a failure, the phrase concerns reflection and judgment rather than a physical object.
거울에 비친 모습 means “the image reflected in the mirror”. Here 에 marks the reflecting surface. This phrase can describe a face, an outfit or anything else visible in the reflection.
Words for the Dressing Area
| Korean | Meaning | One useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 화장대 | dressing table | Furniture that may have a mirror attached. |
| 빗 | comb | A tool for arranging hair in front of the mirror. |
| 얼굴 | face | What a hand mirror helps you check. |
| 유리 | glass | A material, rather than the name of the mirror. |
The furniture vocabulary lesson teaches the room’s objects as a set. A dressing table and its mirror are separate nouns, even when a shop sells them together.
Quick Self-Test
- Which would you choose to check an entire outfit: 손거울 or 전신 거울?
- What is the natural English translation of 거울을 보다?
- Does 거울로 삼다 always involve a physical mirror?
Show answers
- 전신 거울, a full-length mirror.
- To look in the mirror.
- No. It means to learn from someone or something as a model or warning.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "mirror" in Korean?
Say 거울 (geoul).
How do I say "look in the mirror"?
Say 거울을 보다.
Is 안경 a mirror?
No. 안경 means eyeglasses even though it contains the character 鏡.
How do I say "full-length mirror"?
Say 전신 거울.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Furniture word list groups 거울 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Compare with the glasses page.
- Compare with the glass page.