Key Facts
- Hangul: 양말; Revised Romanization: yangmal
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 洋襪 (洋 Western + 襪 sock)
- Register: Neutral everyday word; usually plural in English but not marked for number in Korean.
Socks in Korean: What Does 양말 Mean?
양말 is the neutral everyday word for socks. English uses a plural but Korean does not mark number, so one word covers a single sock and many. The usual verbs are 양말을 신다 to put on and 양말을 벗다 to take off.
How Do You Pronounce 양말?
Say yang-mal. The first syllable ends in ng, then m starts the second syllable, and l closes it with the tongue tip on the ridge.
Example Sentences with 양말
양말이 젖었어요.
Yangmari jeojeosseoyo.
My socks are wet.
양말이 젖었어요 says the socks are wet. 젖었어요 is the past of "get wet".
겨울에는 두꺼운 양말을 신어요.
Gyeoureneun dukkeoun yangmareul sineoyo.
I wear thick socks in winter.
겨울에는 두꺼운 양말을 신어요 pairs 두꺼운, "thick", with the verb 신어요.
양말 한 켤레를 샀어요.
Yangmal han kyeollereul sasseoyo.
I bought a pair of socks.
양말 한 켤레를 샀어요 shows the pair counter 켤레.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 양말을 신다 | to put on socks |
| 양말을 벗다 | to take off socks |
| 두꺼운 양말 | thick socks |
| 양말 한 켤레 | a pair of socks |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong for counting pairs: 양말 한 개 when you mean a matching pair. Correct: 양말 한 켤레. 켤레 counts pairs of socks and shoes; 한 짝 identifies one individual sock.
양말 Compared with Similar Words
Two neighbours. 스타킹 is stockings or tights, thin leg coverings, while 양말 is thicker. 신발 is shoes, worn over 양말 and also taking 신다.
| Word | Meaning | Versus socks |
|---|---|---|
| 양말 | socks | This page's word |
| 스타킹 | stockings / tights | Thin leg-covering garments; 양말 is thicker socks. |
| 신발 | shoes | Worn over 양말; also takes 신다. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
양말 is Sino-Korean, written 洋襪 in hanja: 洋 means Western and 襪 means sock. The "Western" part records that this style of sock came from abroad.
Buying Socks for Cold Weather
A customer wants warm socks at a clothing shop. The assistant asks how many pairs to bring, so the counter matters to the purchase.
Customer
두꺼운 양말 있어요?
Dukkeoun yangmal isseoyo?
Do you have thick socks?
Assistant
네. 몇 켤레 드릴까요?
Ne. Myeot kyeolle deurilkkayo?
Yes. How many pairs would you like?
Customer
두 켤레 주세요.
Du kyeolle juseyo.
Two pairs, please.
두 켤레 means two pairs, normally four individual socks. 두 is the form of “two” used before the counter. The customer does not repeat 양말 in the final line because both speakers already know what is being bought. The assistant’s 드릴까요 politely offers to give the requested item.
How Do You Describe the Socks You Need?
두꺼운 양말 means thick socks, while 얇은 양말 means thin socks. These describe thickness, not length. For ankle socks, look for 발목 양말; 발목 means ankle. A pair can be thin and ankle-length at the same time, so these labels answer different questions about the product.
흰 양말 means white socks and 검은 양말 means black socks. The description comes before 양말. On a shopping list, a color and the noun may be enough. In a shop, add 주세요 to the item you want, as the customer does in the dialogue.
The counter 켤레 counts matching pairs. 한 켤레 is one pair and 두 켤레 is two pairs. When only one sock is missing from the laundry, 양말 한 짝 names a single sock. 짝 picks out one member of a pair, so the difference is useful when searching for the other sock.
Where Will You Hear or See 양말?
Clothing shops and online product listings use 양말 as a category name. A listing may put color, thickness or length before the word. Seeing 양말 on its own tells you what is being sold; it does not tell you how many pairs a package contains. Look separately for the quantity and the pair counter.
At home, 양말이 젖었어요 reports the condition of the socks. 양말을 벗다 describes removing them. The noun takes 이 when it is the thing that got wet and 을 when it is the thing someone removes. Compare those two uses when describing wet clothes after rain.
신다 is the clothing verb for socks and footwear. It covers putting them on and wearing them; the surrounding sentence tells you whether the action or the habit matters. In the winter example above, the seasonal phrase makes 신어요 describe a habit. This differs from 입다, the verb used with a shirt or trousers.
양말을 갈아 신다 means to change into another pair of socks. 갈아 adds the idea of replacing what you are wearing, so it is useful after getting caught in rain. Simply using 양말을 신다 says you put socks on; the longer phrase makes the change of pair explicit.
Clothing Words to Use with 양말
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 발 | foot | The body part covered by a sock. |
| 발목 | ankle | Appears in 발목 양말, ankle socks. |
| 신발 | shoes / footwear | Uses 신다, just like 양말. |
| 스타킹 | stockings / tights | A separate garment category in a clothing shop. |
The clothing vocabulary lesson puts socks beside other garments and their wearing verbs. Knowing the verb as well as the garment helps you describe getting dressed without using 입다 for everything.
Quick Self-Test
- How many individual socks are normally in 두 켤레?
- Which verb goes with putting on socks: 입다 or 신다?
- What does 양말 한 짝 mean?
Show answers
- Four: two matching pairs.
- 신다. Socks use the same wearing verb as shoes.
- One individual sock, rather than a complete pair.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "socks" in Korean?
Say 양말 (yangmal).
How do you count socks?
Use 켤레, as in 양말 한 켤레.
Which verb goes with 양말?
Use 신다 to put on, and 벗다 to take off.
Is 스타킹 the same as 양말?
No. 스타킹 is stockings or tights. 양말 is thicker socks.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: daily life clothing vocabulary places socks among related words.
- Index: more words after socks are in Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: save socks in the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next to read: the page for t shirt.
- Compare with the page for shoes.