Key Facts
- Hangul: 비밀; Revised Romanization: bimil
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean (秘密)
- Register: Neutral.
Secret in Korean: What Does 비밀 Mean?
비밀 is the noun for something hidden from other people: a surprise gift, a personal matter or a private plan. It sits easily with the verb for keeping and the verb for having, so you keep a secret and you have none. A friend asking you to keep quiet will usually say this word, and you can say it to a teacher or a child alike.
How Do You Pronounce 비밀?
Two syllables: bi-mil. The ㅂ at the start is between a b and a p, so keep the air soft. The final ㄹ of 밀 is a tongue-tip l with the tongue touching just behind the upper teeth, not an English r. When a particle starting with a vowel follows, the ㄹ links over and becomes a quick tap, close to a light r: 비밀이에요 is bi-mi-ri-e-yo.
Example Sentences with 비밀
이건 비밀이에요.
Igeon bimirieyo.
This is a secret.
이건 is a spoken shortening of "this thing", and 비밀이에요 states the fact flatly. Say it with a smile and it is a tease.
비밀을 지켜 줄 수 있어요?
Bimireul jikyeo jul su isseoyo?
Can you keep the secret?
A request between friends. The ending 줄 수 있어요 asks "can you do it for me", and 지켜 means to guard something.
우리만의 비밀이에요.
Urimanui bimirieyo.
It is our own secret.
The particles 만 (only) and 의 (of) narrow the secret to us alone, so the sentence feels warm rather than guarded.
Phrases and Collocations with 비밀
The partners are short. One verb keeps the secret, one phrase says there are none, and one compound moves into the digital world.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 비밀을 지키다 | to keep a secret |
| 비밀번호 | password |
| 비밀이 없다 | to have no secrets |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 비밀 is my phone password.
Correct: ✓ 비밀번호 is my phone password.
Why: 비밀 means a secret, a hidden matter. 비밀번호 adds 번호 ("number") and names the code you type. Using 비밀 alone for the code leaves the listener thinking of a hidden fact, not a login.
비밀 Compared with Similar Words
Three neighbours share the idea of hiding. One is built on 비밀, one is an adverb and one is a verb.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 비밀번호 | password | Built from 비밀 plus 번호; the secret code you enter, not a secret fact. |
| 몰래 | secretly | An adverb for doing something without being noticed. |
| 숨기다 | to hide | A verb for putting or keeping something out of sight. |
Where Does 비밀 Come From?
비밀 is Sino-Korean, written 秘密 in hanja: 秘 means secret and 密 means dense or close. The pairing suggests something kept close, which fits how the word is used.
Keeping a Birthday Plan Quiet
Two coworkers are planning a surprise for Jisu. One asks the other to keep the plan secret.
Mina
지수 씨 생일 선물을 샀어요.
Jisu ssi saengil seonmureul sasseoyo.
I bought a birthday gift for Jisu.
Alex
뭘 샀어요?
Mwol sasseoyo?
What did you buy?
Mina
나중에 보여 줄게요. 아직은 비밀이에요.
Najunge boyeo julgeyo. Ajigeun bimirieyo.
I’ll show you later. It is a secret for now.
Alex
알겠어요. 지수 씨한테 말 안 할게요.
Algesseoyo. Jisu ssihante mal an halgeyo.
All right. I won’t tell Jisu.
아직은 means “for now” or “as yet”, with a contrast: the gift is secret now, but Mina may reveal it later. 비밀이에요 can protect a surprise without suggesting anything dishonest.
Alex promises not to tell Jisu. That response shows what keeping this particular secret requires. The promise concerns the information, not hiding the physical gift.
More Phrases for Keeping and Revealing Secrets
비밀로 하다 means “keep something secret” or “treat it as secret”. 로 marks the status you give the information. 비밀을 지키다 instead pictures guarding a secret. In a birthday-plan conversation, both can concern keeping quiet, though their grammar differs.
비밀을 털어놓다 means “confide a secret” or “open up about a secret”. The verb gives a sense of bringing out something held inside. It often describes voluntarily sharing a private matter with someone. 비밀을 밝히다 means “reveal a secret”, focusing on making the hidden information known.
공공연한 비밀 means “an open secret”. The expression describes something treated as secret even though people widely know about it. The apparent contradiction is the point: the information is not as hidden as the label 비밀 suggests.
Where Will You Meet 비밀?
A drama title or teaser may promise someone's 비밀: a hidden relationship, identity or past event. In ordinary conversation, the same noun can describe a small surprise. The word alone does not tell you how serious the information is; the surrounding story does.
성공의 비밀 means “the secret of success”. Here 비밀 can mean the hidden explanation or key to doing something well, rather than confidential information that someone must protect. A recipe or interview can use this sense when explaining how a good result was achieved.
비밀 is a noun, but it can also appear before another noun, as in 비밀 계획, “secret plan”. 비밀리에 means “in secret” and is common in written accounts. 몰래 is useful for an action done without others noticing. These forms let you move from naming a secret to describing how an action happens.
Related Words for Private Information
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 약속 | promise | Keeping a secret may be something you promise to do. |
| 소문 | rumor | Information circulating among people; not automatically a confirmed fact. |
| 개인정보 | personal information | Identifies a type of information, rather than any hidden matter. |
| 몰래 | secretly | Describes doing an action without being noticed. |
The emotions and personal vocabulary lesson gives you words for the feelings around trust and private matters. For the digital compound, compare 비밀번호, password: that word names the code, while 비밀 names the hidden information more generally.
Quick Self-Test
- What does 아직은 add to 아직은 비밀이에요?
- Does 성공의 비밀 necessarily mean confidential information?
- Which phrase means to confide a secret: 비밀을 지키다 or 비밀을 털어놓다?
Show answers
- The information is secret for now; it may be revealed later.
- No. It can mean the key or explanation behind success.
- 비밀을 털어놓다. 지키다 means to keep or guard it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say secret in Korean?
Say 비밀 (bimil). It is a noun and works in polite and casual speech alike.
How do you say "keep a secret" in Korean?
Say 비밀을 지키다, which pairs the noun with the verb for keeping or guarding.
Is 비밀번호 the same as 비밀?
No. 비밀번호 means password, a code you type. 비밀 is a secret fact or matter.
How do you say "It is our secret" in Korean?
Say 우리만의 비밀이에요. 만의 (only + of) makes it a secret that belongs to us alone.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: emotions vocabulary sets 비밀 among other feelings and personal matters.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Contrast: the page for password explains the compound.
- Next in the list: the page for promise.