Key Facts
- Hangul: 뱀; Revised Romanization: baem
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: Neutral everyday word.
Snake in Korean: What Does 뱀 Mean?
뱀 is the word for any snake. A venomous kind has its own noun, and the snake-like eel carries the same word inside its name.
How Do You Pronounce 뱀?
One syllable: baem. The vowel ㅐ is close to the e in "bed". The ㅂ at the start is soft, between b and p, and the lips close again at the end for the final m. Do not add a vowel after the m. A particle makes it flow into the next sound, as in 뱀이.
Example Sentences with 뱀
뱀이 있어요.
Baemi isseoyo.
There is a snake.
A bare statement of existence. 있어요 can warn someone nearby, and 이 marks 뱀 as the thing that is there.
저는 뱀이 무서워요.
Jeoneun baemi museowoyo.
I'm afraid of snakes.
무서워요 is the adjective for scary, and 저는 puts the speaker in focus. It is a common way to say you are afraid.
뱀은 길어요.
Baemeun gireoyo.
Snakes are long.
The general statement 길어요 describes the long body. 은 marks 뱀 as the topic.
Phrases and Collocations with 뱀
The verb phrases describe a bite and a crawl, and a compound names a venomous kind.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 뱀에 물리다 | to be bitten by a snake |
| 독사 | venomous snake |
| 뱀이 기어가다 | a snake crawls |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 배 for snake
Correct: ✓ 뱀
Why: The neighbours 배 (pear) and 밤 (night or chestnut) differ in the vowel or in the final consonant. A snake is 뱀, with ㅐ and a final ㅁ.
뱀 Compared with Similar Words
Compare a mythical creature with a real animal whose name contains 뱀.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 용 | dragon | A mythical creature rather than a real snake. |
| 뱀장어 | eel | An eel; the name contains 뱀. |
Where Does 뱀 Come From?
뱀 is a native Korean word. The word names the animal itself. The compounds and verb phrases above let you describe its kind, movement or a bite.
At the Zoo: Finding the Snake Enclosure
Two visitors are looking through the glass at a zoo. They use polite everyday speech, and the second visitor explains why they would rather look from farther away.
Mina
여기 뱀이 있어요.
Yeogi baemi isseoyo.
There is a snake here.
Alex
어디요? 저는 뱀이 무서워요.
Eodiyo? Jeoneun baemi museowoyo.
Where? I am afraid of snakes.
Mina
저기 나무 위에 있어요.
Jeogi namu wie isseoyo.
It is over there, on the tree.
Alex
저는 여기서 볼게요.
Jeoneun yeogiseo bolgeyo.
I will watch from here.
여기 points to somewhere near the speaker, while 저기 points farther away. In the third line, the speaker leaves out 뱀 because both visitors already know which animal they are discussing. 나무 위에 identifies its position: on the tree. The last line uses 여기서 for the place where Alex will watch.
What Do the Common Snake Phrases Tell You?
뱀에 물리다 means “to be bitten by a snake”. The snake causes the bite, so it takes 에 in this expression. The person who is bitten is the subject, even when that person is left unstated. This differs from 뱀이 기어가다, where the snake itself is the subject doing the moving.
기어가다 describes crawling or slithering away or along. Korean can use the same verb for an animal moving close to the ground and for a baby crawling. With 뱀, English normally chooses “slither”, but the Korean verb does not need to change just because the animal has no legs.
뱀 한 마리 means “one snake”. 마리 is the counter used for animals, so it tells you that you are counting individual snakes. A bare 뱀 does not specify number. The existing sentence 뱀이 있어요 can refer to a snake or to snakes if the scene makes that clear.
Where Will You See or Hear 뱀?
At a zoo, 뱀 can appear in the name or description of an exhibit. The broader label 파충류 means “reptiles”; it includes snakes but also animals such as lizards and turtles. An enclosure labelled with that broader word is not necessarily a snake enclosure.
In outdoor conversation, 뱀이 있어요 may be a warning rather than an invitation to look. The words simply announce that a snake is present. Tone, pointing and the location explain why the speaker mentions it. The noun itself does not tell you whether the animal is venomous.
In a nature documentary, listen for movement and body words around 뱀. 꼬리 names the tail, and 허물을 벗다 means to shed an outer skin. In a sentence about a snake, that last phrase describes shedding its skin. These are literal animal descriptions; you do not need a figurative reading.
Why Is “Snakes Are Scary” Also “I Fear Snakes”?
저는 뱀이 무서워요 frames the feeling from the speaker’s point of view. 저는 introduces the person experiencing the fear; 뱀이 identifies what feels scary. English naturally translates the complete sentence as “I am afraid of snakes”, even though the Korean description centres on the snake being scary.
Compare the markers already used on this page: 뱀이 identifies a subject, 뱀은 introduces a topic, and 뱀을 would mark a snake as an object. The final ㅁ makes the consonant-ending versions 이, 은 and 을 the right choices. Keep that final consonant in the spelling when adding a marker.
Related Animal Words
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 파충류 | reptiles | The larger animal group that includes snakes. |
| 도마뱀 | lizard | Contains 뱀, but names a different animal. |
| 꼬리 | tail | Useful when describing the animal’s body. |
| 독 | venom / poison | Helps explain the meaning of 독사. |
The animal vocabulary lesson places these animal names beside mammals and other groups. Notice that a shared piece of a word does not make two animals the same: a 도마뱀 is a lizard and a 뱀장어 is an eel.
Quick Self-Test
- Which counter fits “one snake”: 마리 or 장?
- In 뱀에 물리다, is the snake biting or being bitten?
- Does 뱀이 있어요 tell you that the snake is venomous?
Show answers
- 마리: 뱀 한 마리.
- The snake causes the bite; the expression means someone is bitten by a snake.
- No. 독사 specifically means a venomous snake.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say snake in Korean?
Say 뱀 (baem).
How do you say "I am afraid of snakes" in Korean?
Say 저는 뱀이 무서워요.
What does 뱀이 기어가다 mean?
It means a snake crawls. The phrase uses 뱀 with the subject marker 이 and describes the animal moving.
What is the word for venomous snake?
It is 독사.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: animals vocabulary sets the snake among animals.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in the list: the page for tiger.