Key Facts
- 셔츠 (syeocheu) means a shirt, including the dress shirt.
- Part of speech: noun; origin: loanword.
- Register: neutral; 셔츠 is the general loanword, and 와이셔츠 specifically means a business dress shirt.
- Level: A1.
Shirt in Korean: What Does 셔츠 Mean?
셔츠 is a loanword for a shirt. It has two senses, shirt and dress shirt. It is the general term, while 와이셔츠 is the business-style shirt and 티셔츠 is the casual knit top. 와이셔츠 is usually explained as coming through Japanese from English "white shirt".
How Do You Pronounce 셔츠?
The Revised Romanization is syeocheu. The first syllable is a sy glide into ㅓ, and the last is the weak vowel ㅡ (eu) after ch. With the object particle, 셔츠를 is syeocheureul.
How Do You Use 셔츠 in a Sentence?
이 셔츠는 하얀색이에요.
This shirt is white.
i syeocheuneun hayansaegieyo. 하얀색 is white, and 이에요 is is. The topic particle makes the shirt the thing described.
남자 친구에게 셔츠를 선물했어요.
I gave my boyfriend a shirt as a gift.
namja chinguege syeocheureul seonmulhaesseoyo. 남자 친구에게 is to my boyfriend and 선물했어요 is gave as a gift. The object is the shirt.
셔츠를 다려야 해요.
I have to iron the shirt.
syeocheureul daryeoya haeyo. 다려야 해요 is have to iron. The sentence is about household chores.
Common Word Combinations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 셔츠를 입다 | to wear a shirt |
| 흰 셔츠 | white shirt |
| 와이셔츠 | dress shirt |
| 셔츠를 다리다 | to iron a shirt |
셔츠를 입다 is wear a shirt. 흰 셔츠 is a white shirt. 와이셔츠 is a dress shirt, and 셔츠를 다리다 is to iron a shirt.
Common Mistake
Mistake: Expecting 셔츠 to cover all tops.
Fix: Use 티셔츠 for a casual knit shirt, and for the formal collared shirt people often say 와이셔츠.
How Does 셔츠 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | Meaning | How to tell it from 셔츠 |
|---|---|---|
| 티셔츠 | t-shirt | 티셔츠 is a casual knit shirt, usually without a collar; it can have short or long sleeves. |
| 와이셔츠 | dress shirt | 와이셔츠 is the dress shirt worn with a tie. |
Trying on a Shirt in a Shop
A customer wants a long-sleeved shirt and asks to try one on. The shop assistant answers politely and identifies the sleeve style.
Customer
이 셔츠 입어 봐도 돼요?
I syeocheu ibeo bwado dwaeyo?
May I try on this shirt?
Assistant
네, 입어 보세요.
Ne, ibeo boseyo.
Yes, please try it on.
Customer
긴팔 셔츠도 있어요?
Ginpal syeocheudo isseoyo?
Do you also have long-sleeved shirts?
Assistant
네, 이 셔츠는 긴팔이에요.
Ne, i syeocheuneun ginparieyo.
Yes, this shirt has long sleeves.
입어 보다 means to try wearing something, so it is the phrase for trying on clothes. The customer leaves out 를 after 이 셔츠, which is natural in conversation. 긴팔 names long sleeves, and 도 adds “also” to the request.
What Kind of Shirt Does 셔츠 Suggest?
셔츠 often suggests a shirt with buttons and a collar in a clothing shop, although the word is broad enough to appear in longer clothing names. 와이셔츠 points more specifically to a business dress shirt. 티셔츠 names the casual T-shirt style. When shopping, combine the name with a sleeve length or color to narrow the request.
A 와이셔츠 does not have to be white. Although its origin is commonly connected with English “white shirt”, its everyday Korean meaning is a type of garment. If you need a white one, 흰 셔츠 states the color directly. The noun for the shirt type cannot replace the color description.
반팔 셔츠 is a short-sleeved shirt, and 긴팔 셔츠 is a long-sleeved shirt. 반팔 literally refers to a “half arm”, but in clothing it means short sleeves. 긴팔 points to a long sleeve, not to a person with unusually long arms. Sleeve length and shirt type are separate details: T-shirts can have long sleeves too.
Where Will You See 셔츠?
Online clothing categories use 셔츠, often alongside size, material and sleeve information. A product title may be a string of descriptive words rather than a complete sentence. Finding 긴팔 or 반팔 in that title tells you about the sleeves before you open the full listing.
In a shop conversation, 셔츠 is neutral and can be used directly with an assistant. The politeness comes from the request ending, as in the dialogue. You do not need to replace the clothing noun with a special honorific word to ask courteously about a shirt.
At home, 셔츠를 다리다 means to iron a shirt. 다리다 is the action of ironing, while 입다 is putting on or wearing clothing. The existing example 셔츠를 다려야 해요 says the speaker needs to iron it, perhaps before wearing it; it does not say the shirt is already being worn.
Set Phrases for Wearing and Caring for a Shirt
셔츠를 벗다 means to take off a shirt. 셔츠를 갈아입다 means to change shirts or change into another shirt. The second phrase includes putting on a replacement, so it supplies more information than simply taking one off.
단추를 잠그다 means to fasten buttons. 단추를 풀다 means to undo them. These literal clothing phrases help when discussing how a shirt fits or is worn. The noun 단추 identifies the buttons, so the sentence can leave out 셔츠 once both speakers know which garment they are talking about.
셔츠를 다리다 is also useful when reading a chore list. It describes an action rather than a fabric-care guarantee. To know how to care for a particular garment, read its own label rather than assuming every 셔츠 can be handled the same way.
Related Clothing Words
| Korean | Meaning | What it identifies |
|---|---|---|
| 소매 | sleeve | The part of the shirt that covers the arm. |
| 단추 | button | The fastener on many shirts. |
| 반팔 | short sleeves | A sleeve-length description used with different tops. |
| 긴팔 | long sleeves | A sleeve-length description rather than a shirt type. |
| 옷 | clothes, clothing | The broader category that includes shirts and other garments. |
The clothing vocabulary lesson teaches the wider wardrobe set. Start with 셔츠 for the garment, then add the sleeve description when choosing between similar items.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 와이셔츠 guarantee a white shirt?
- Which phrase asks about trying on a shirt: 입어 보다 or 다리다?
- Does 긴팔 describe the sleeve length or the color?
Show answers
- No. It names a dress-shirt style. 흰 셔츠 specifies white.
- 입어 보다. 다리다 means to iron.
- The sleeve length: 긴팔 means long sleeves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Verb Goes with 셔츠?
Use 입다: 셔츠를 입다.
What Is 와이셔츠?
A dress shirt, the business style worn with a tie.
How Do I Say 'White Shirt'?
Say 흰 셔츠.
Is 티셔츠 the Same as 셔츠?
No. 티셔츠 is a casual knit top, usually without a collar.
Where to Go Next
셔츠 sits in the clothing vocabulary list. Compare it with the T-shirt word, then read the shoes word. The index is Korean words A to Z.