Key Facts
- 배 (bae) means a ship or boat.
- Part of speech: noun; origin: native.
- Register: neutral; the spelling 배 has several meanings (ship, pear, stomach), so context decides.
- Level: A1.
Ship in Korean: What Does 배 Mean?
배 is a native Korean noun meaning ship or boat, from a small boat to a large ferry. The same spelling is shared by two other everyday words, pear and stomach, so the sentence around it decides the meaning. For ship, the clue is a travel verb such as 타다 (to ride).
How Do You Pronounce 배?
Say bae, with the vowel ㅐ, close to the e in bed. It is one short syllable. In the first example it joins the object particle as baereul.
How Do You Use 배 in a Sentence?
배를 타요.
I ride a boat.
Baereul tayo. 타요 means ride or take. Korean marks the vehicle you ride with the object particle 를, and the verb 타다 tells you this 배 is a boat.
제주도에 배로 갔어요.
I went to Jeju Island by ship.
Jejudoe baero gasseoyo. 제주도에 means to Jeju Island and 갔어요 means went. 로 gives the means: by ship.
배가 바다에 있어요.
There is a ship on the sea.
Baega badae isseoyo. 바다에 means on or at the sea, and 있어요 means there is. 가 marks the ship as the subject.
Common Word Combinations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 배를 타다 | to ride a boat |
| 배 시간 | boat departure time |
| 여객선 | passenger ship |
배를 타다 is to ride a boat. 배 시간 is the time a boat or ferry leaves, the word you need at a ferry terminal. 여객선 is a passenger ship.
Common Mistake
Three different words are spelled 배: ship, pear and stomach. Learners often pick the wrong one.
- Wrong: reading 배를 타요 as something about a pear or a stomach.
- Correct: let the verb decide. 타다 points to the ship (배를 타다), 먹다 to the pear (배를 먹다) and 아프다 to the stomach (배가 아프다).
How Does 배 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | Meaning | How to tell it from 배 |
|---|---|---|
| 배 (pear) | pear | 배 (pear) is the fruit. 배를 먹다 means eating a pear. |
| 배 (stomach) | stomach | 배 (stomach) is the belly. 배가 아프다 means a stomachache. |
Asking about the Ferry to an Island
A traveler asks at a ticket counter about a boat to an island. The clerk gives the departure time and points out where to buy the ticket.
Traveler
이 섬에 가는 배가 있어요?
I seome ganeun baega isseoyo?
Is there a boat going to this island?
Clerk
네, 배는 오후 두 시에 출발해요.
Ne, baeneun ohu du sie chulbalhaeyo.
Yes, the boat leaves at two in the afternoon.
Traveler
배표는 어디에서 사요?
Baepyoneun eodieseo sayo?
Where do I buy a boat ticket?
Clerk
여기서 사시면 돼요.
Yeogiseo sasimyeon dwaeyo.
You can buy it here.
가는 배 means “a boat going” to the named destination. 출발해요 supplies a departure time, while 배표 identifies the boat ticket. These are sample details for the conversation, rather than a timetable for a particular ferry service.
Where Will You Hear 배 on a Journey?
배 is the everyday word when you discuss going to an island, riding a small boat or taking a ferry. It covers vessels of different sizes. English distinguishes “boat” and “ship” more strongly, so you do not need to find a different everyday Korean noun just because the vessel is large.
At a terminal, signs and notices may use 여객선, “passenger ship”, rather than the broad word 배. 선착장 means a landing place or dock where passengers can board. 항구 means a port, which can contain several docks and facilities. Knowing the port name does not always identify the exact boarding point.
배 시간 is a compact phrase for the boat’s schedule or departure time. It is especially useful when someone asks whether you can arrive before the boat leaves. A route can have more than one departure, so the phrase needs context or an actual time to identify the service you mean.
Useful Combinations for Boarding and Getting Off
배를 타다 means to ride or board a boat, and 배에서 내리다 means to get off it. Notice the different particles: 를 marks the vehicle you board, while 에서 marks the place you leave. The verb 내리다 is about leaving the vehicle; it does not mean the ship itself is sinking.
배로 가다 describes traveling by boat. It tells the listener the means of transport, while 배를 타다 focuses on taking or riding the vessel. The existing Jeju example uses 배로 because the speaker is explaining how they got there.
배멀미 means seasickness or motion sickness on a boat. The 배 in this compound names the vehicle, even though the discomfort can affect your stomach. It is a useful reminder that looking at the full compound is more reliable than assigning a meaning to one syllable in isolation.
How Do You Count Boats?
척 is the counter used for boats and ships. 배 한 척 means one boat, and 배 두 척 means two boats. A counter tells you what kind of thing is being counted; 한 and 두 are the counting forms of the native Korean numbers one and two.
Compare 배 한 척 with 배 한 개, one pear. The noun looks the same, but the counter helps select its meaning. An isolated phrase such as “a big 배” could still depend on the scene; a travel verb or the counter 척 makes the ship reading much clearer.
Related Words at the Terminal
| Korean | Meaning | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 배표 | boat or ferry ticket | Specify the ticket for the boat journey. |
| 여객선 | passenger ship | Recognize the vessel type on a notice. |
| 선착장 | dock, landing place | Find where boarding takes place. |
| 항구 | port | Name the wider harbor area. |
| 섬 | island | Name the kind of destination many ferries serve. |
The transportation vocabulary lesson teaches the wider vehicle set. At a ferry terminal, combine the destination with the departure time and boarding place to identify the journey you need.
Quick Self-Test
- Which counter fits a ship: 척 or 개?
- What does 배에서 내리다 mean?
- Does 배멀미 contain 배 in the ship sense or the pear sense?
Show answers
- 척: 배 한 척 means one boat or ship.
- To get off the boat.
- The ship sense. 배멀미 means seasickness or motion sickness on a boat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Tell Which 배 Is Meant?
Look at the verb: 타다 for ship, 먹다 for pear and 아프다 for stomach.
How Do I Say 'by Ship'?
Add 로: 배로.
What Is a 여객선?
여객선 is a passenger ship, such as a ferry that carries people to islands like Jeju.
Is 배 Sino-Korean?
No. 배 is a native Korean word, so it has no hanja.
Where to Go Next
배 is in the transportation vocabulary list. Read the airplane word before it and the ticket word after it. The index is Korean words A to Z.