Key Facts
- Hangul: 버섯; Revised Romanization: beoseot
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: Neutral; used in all registers.
Mushroom in Korean: What Does 버섯 Mean?
버섯 means mushroom and is neutral in every register. Varieties are named by adding a word in front: 표고버섯 is shiitake and 느타리버섯 is the oyster mushroom. The same word labels dishes on a menu, as in 버섯 전골, a mushroom hot pot cooked at the table.
How Do You Pronounce 버섯?
Two syllables, beo-seot. The final ㅅ is a stopped t sound at the end of a word, but before a vowel it moves across as an s: 버섯을 is said beo-seo-seul.
Example Sentences with 버섯
버섯을 볶아요.
Beoseoseul bokkayo
I stir-fry mushrooms.
볶아요 means "stir-fry", the most common way mushrooms are cooked at home. The object marker 을 follows the final consonant ㅅ.
저는 버섯을 좋아해요.
Jeoneun beoseoseul joahaeyo
I like mushrooms.
좋아해요 means "like", and 저는 makes the speaker the topic. Use it to answer a question about food you enjoy.
이 버섯은 먹어도 돼요.
I beoseoseun meogeodo dwaeyo
You can eat this mushroom.
먹어도 돼요 means "it is okay to eat", so this is what someone says about a mushroom that is safe. 이 points to one particular mushroom.
Common Phrases and Collocations
버섯을 볶다 is to stir-fry mushrooms, 버섯 전골 is mushroom hot pot, and 표고버섯 and 느타리버섯 are shiitake and oyster mushrooms.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 버섯을 볶다 | to stir-fry mushrooms |
| 버섯 전골 | mushroom hot pot |
| 표고버섯 | shiitake mushroom |
| 느타리버섯 | oyster mushroom |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: 버섣, spelled with ㄷ because the end of the word sounds like t.
Correct: 버섯, with ㅅ. The ㅅ sounds like t at the end of a word but returns as s before a vowel, as in 버섯이 (beoseosi).
버섯 Compared with Similar Words
Two variety names and one category word sit close to 버섯.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 버섯 | mushroom | The general word for any mushroom |
| 표고버섯 | shiitake mushroom | One variety; the word before 버섯 names the kind |
| 송이버섯 | pine mushroom (matsutake) | A prized, expensive wild variety |
| 채소 | vegetable | The broad category; shops sell 버섯 alongside vegetables |
Where Does the Word Come From?
버섯 is a native Korean word with no hanja form.
Checking a Dish before Ordering
A customer asks a server about the vegetables in a dish. The answer names a particular mushroom variety.
Customer
이 음식에 버섯이 들어가요?
I eumsige beoseosi deureogayo?
Does this dish contain mushrooms?
Server
네, 표고버섯이 들어가요.
Ne, pyogobeoseosi deureogayo.
Yes, it contains shiitake mushrooms.
Customer
버섯은 빼 주세요.
Beoseoseun ppae juseyo.
Please leave out the mushrooms.
Server
네, 알겠습니다.
Ne, algetseumnida.
Certainly.
들어가요 literally means “goes in”; with food, it asks what ingredients are included. 빼 주세요 asks for something to be left out. The server agrees in this scene, but the request itself does not establish that every restaurant can change a prepared dish. The reply is the part that confirms it here.
Where Will You See 버섯?
In a grocery shop, the label may name a variety rather than use 버섯 alone. 팽이버섯 is enoki, the thin mushrooms sold in clusters. 새송이버섯 is king oyster mushroom, recognizable by its thick stem. 양송이버섯 is button mushroom, a useful name when following recipes translated from English.
On menus, 버섯 names an ingredient within a larger dish. 버섯 전골 is mushroom hot pot, while 버섯볶음 is a mushroom stir-fry. The ending describes the preparation: 전골 is a hot-pot dish and 볶음 is a stir-fried dish. A menu title featuring mushrooms may include other ingredients too.
In recipes, 버섯을 썰다 means “to slice mushrooms”, and 버섯을 넣다 means “to add mushrooms”. These instructions describe two different stages. The object marker 을 stays attached to 버섯; the verb tells you whether you are preparing the ingredient or putting it into the dish.
Fresh, Dried and Poisonous: Read the Modifier
말린 버섯 means “dried mushrooms”. 말린 describes the state of the ingredient, rather than a separate variety. A packet of dried shiitake still contains 표고버섯. When shopping for a recipe, check both the kind of mushroom and whether the recipe calls for fresh or dried ones.
독버섯 means “poisonous mushroom”. The first element 독 means poison. It contrasts with 식용 버섯, “edible mushrooms”, where 식용 means “for eating”. These are vocabulary labels; the word 버섯 alone makes no claim about edibility. The existing sentence 이 버섯은 먹어도 돼요 is an affirmative statement about a particular mushroom.
Variety Names to Recognize on Labels
| Korean | Meaning | One useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 팽이버섯 | enoki mushroom | Look for the name on packs of thin clustered mushrooms. |
| 새송이버섯 | king oyster mushroom | This is a different name from 송이버섯. |
| 양송이버섯 | button mushroom | Common in recipes for sauces and Western-style dishes. |
| 느타리버섯 | oyster mushroom | Another variety within the general category 버섯. |
The vegetable vocabulary lesson teaches the surrounding shopping vocabulary. Learning the full variety name matters: 새송이버섯 and 송이버섯 are different products, even though their names share several syllables. Asking for 버섯 alone leaves the choice of variety open.
Quick Self-Test
- What does the customer ask with 들어가요 in this dialogue?
- Does 말린 버섯 name a variety or a dried state?
- Is 새송이버섯 the same label as 송이버섯?
Show answers
- Whether mushrooms are included in the dish.
- A dried state; the variety can be specified separately.
- No. They name different kinds of mushroom.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "mushroom" in Korean?
Mushroom in Korean is 버섯 (beoseot). The word covers any mushroom, and a variety name goes in front of it, as in 표고버섯 (shiitake) and 느타리버섯 (oyster mushroom).
How do you say "shiitake"?
Shiitake is 표고버섯 (pyogobeoseot). The first part, 표고, names the variety and 버섯 says it is a mushroom. You will see it fresh or dried in markets and sliced into soups and stir-fries.
How do you spell it?
Write 버섯, with ㅅ as the final consonant, not 버섣. The ㅅ sounds like t at the end of the word but turns back into an s sound before a vowel, as in 버섯이 (beoseosi).
Is a mushroom a 채소?
In everyday shopping and cooking, yes: Korean markets and recipes group 버섯 with 채소 (vegetables). Botanically a mushroom is a fungus, but you will find it in the vegetable section.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Korean vegetable words groups 버섯 with its neighbours.
- Browse the Korean words A to Z index for words near mushroom.
- Drill mushroom in the vocabulary flashcard decks.