Key Facts
- Hangul: 모기; Revised Romanization: mogi
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Native Korean (no hanja)
- Register: Neutral everyday word.
Mosquito in Korean: What Does 모기 Mean?
모기 is the mosquito. It is a neutral everyday word and the root of several compounds. 모기약 is mosquito repellent, 모기향 is a mosquito coil that you burn, and 모기장 is a mosquito net. If you are shopping for a summer trip, these three are the words you will actually need.
The common way to complain is the passive: 모기에 물리다, to be bitten by a mosquito. 물리다 is the passive of biting, so the mosquito is marked as the biter and you are the person bitten.
How Do You Pronounce It?
모기 has two syllables, mo-gi, and both are simple. The ㅗ is a round "o" and ㅣ is "ee". The ㄱ between two vowels is voiced, so it sounds like a soft English g.
At the start of a word ㄱ sounds closer to k. In the middle, as here, it softens to g, which is why the romanization is mogi.
Listen to the headword here.
Example Sentences with 모기
모기가 많아요.
Mogiga manayo.
There are many mosquitoes.
많아요 means "there are many". The sentence works as a plain observation, and 가 marks 모기 as the subject.
모기에 물렸어요.
Mogie mullyeosseoyo.
I got bitten by a mosquito.
에 marks the biter in this passive sentence, and 물렸어요 is the past tense of 물리다. It is the line you will actually say after a night outdoors.
여름에는 모기가 싫어요.
Yeoreumeneun mogiga sireoyo.
I dislike mosquitoes in summer.
싫어요 means dislike. 여름에는 combines summer with the topic particle, so it sets summer apart from other seasons.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Three compounds turn up in shops every summer, next to the phrase for being bitten.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 모기에 물리다 | to be bitten by a mosquito |
| 모기약 | mosquito repellent |
| 모기향 | mosquito coil |
| 모기장 | mosquito net |
The Mistake to Avoid
- Wrong: Saying 모기를 물렸어요.
- Correct: Use the passive with 에: 모기에 물렸어요. The particle 에 marks the mosquito as the biter.
The passive verb 물리다 takes the biter with 에, so there is no object for 를 to mark.
모기 Compared with 파리 and 벌레
Two other creatures complete the picture, one specific and one broad.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 모기 | mosquito | The biting insect. |
| 파리 | fly | Another pest insect. |
| 벌레 | bug | General word for bugs. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
모기 is a native Korean word, so there is no hanja to break down. Learn the compounds as a family: the second part says what kind of item it is.
Closing a Window before Bed
Two people notice mosquitoes in their room while getting ready for bed. One suggests closing the window; the other asks for the mosquito product they brought.
Mina
방에 모기가 있어요.
Bange mogiga isseoyo.
There is a mosquito in the room.
Jisu
창문을 닫을까요?
Changmuneul dadeulkkayo?
Shall I close the window?
Mina
네. 모기약도 있어요?
Ne. Mogiyakdo isseoyo?
Yes. Do we have mosquito spray too?
Jisu
네, 여기 있어요.
Ne, yeogi isseoyo.
Yes, it’s here.
모기가 있어요 reports a mosquito’s presence without specifying a number. Korean often leaves singular versus plural to context. 도 in 모기약도 adds “also”: closing the window is one step, and finding the product is another.
Which Mosquito Product Does the Word Mean?
모기약 is a broad everyday label for products used against mosquitoes. Although it is often translated “mosquito repellent”, the Korean word alone does not tell you whether a product repels mosquitoes or kills them, or where it is used. In the dialogue, the English “spray” assumes a product the speakers already know.
모기 기피제 is the more specific label for mosquito repellent. 모기향 refers to the mosquito-coil type of product, while 모기장 is a net around a sleeping area. A window screen is 방충망. These are different objects, so matching the noun to the item helps when shopping or asking a host what is available.
Phrases for Bites, Itching and Quiet Voices
모기에 물리다 presents the person as being bitten. 모기를 잡다 presents the mosquito as the thing someone catches or kills. The change from 에 to 를 follows the change in the verb's meaning; it is not a choice based on whether the mosquito is nearby.
모기 물린 데 means the spot where a mosquito bit you. 데 here names a place, so the phrase points to the bite location rather than naming the insect again. 가려워요 means “it itches”, useful when explaining why you keep noticing that spot.
모기만 한 소리 is a figurative phrase for a very quiet voice or sound, literally one as small as a mosquito. A drama character speaking almost inaudibly may be described this way. The speaker is comparing volume, not suggesting that the person sounds like an insect.
Where Will You See 모기?
Look for 모기 on summer shop displays, camping supplies and household pest-control products. In conversation, 모기가 많아요 is a complaint about the number of mosquitoes around a place. It can be said before anyone has been bitten; 모기에 물렸어요 reports a bite that has already happened.
| Korean | Meaning | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 벌레 | bug; insect | A broad word when you cannot identify the creature. |
| 파리 | fly | Distinguishes a fly from a mosquito. |
| 방충망 | insect screen | Names the screen fitted to a window. |
| 모기 기피제 | mosquito repellent | More specific than the broad label 모기약. |
| 가려움 | itching | Names the sensation around a bite. |
The insect vocabulary lesson teaches the surrounding animal words. Use 모기 when you recognize the mosquito and 벌레 when the identification is still general.
Quick Self-Test
- Which particle belongs in “I was bitten by a mosquito”: 모기__ 물렸어요?
- Is a window insect screen a 모기장?
- What does 모기만 한 소리 suggest?
Show answers
- 에: 모기에 물렸어요.
- A window screen is 방충망; 모기장 is a mosquito net.
- A very quiet voice or sound.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say mosquito in Korean?
Say 모기 (mogi).
How do you say "I got bitten by a mosquito"?
Say 모기에 물렸어요.
What is mosquito repellent called?
모기약.
What is a mosquito net?
모기장.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: insect vocabulary. 모기 sits in the insect vocabulary list.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 모기 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.