Key Facts
- Hangul: 순두부; Revised Romanization: sundubu
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: 순 + Sino-Korean 두부 (豆腐, bean curd)
- Register: Neutral everyday word; names the soft tofu and dishes made with it.
Soft Tofu in Korean: What Does 순두부 Mean?
순두부 is soft tofu: the curds are not pressed, so it is far softer than block tofu. The register is neutral. The word names the ingredient and also the dishes built on it, which is why you see it on restaurant menus as often as on shopping lists.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Three syllables, sun-du-bu, with equal weight. The ㄴ at the end of the first syllable is a plain n, and the ㅂ between vowels is a soft b.
Example Sentences with 순두부
순두부를 먹어요.
Sundubureul meogeoyo.
I eat soft tofu.
Use the object marker 를 after a word that ends in a vowel, as here. 먹어요 is the polite present of "eat".
순두부찌개가 매워요.
Sundubujjigaega maewoyo.
The soft tofu stew is spicy.
순두부찌개 is the stew made from this tofu. 매워요 means "is spicy". It describes the stew being served, rather than the tofu ingredient itself.
저는 순두부를 좋아해요.
Jeoneun sundubureul joahaeyo.
I like soft tofu.
좋아해요 is "like". The topic marker 는 sets the speaker as the topic, and 를 marks the tofu as the liked thing.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Three phrases cover the dish, the cooking step and a popular variation. 순두부찌개 is the one to learn first, because it is the dish most diners order.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 순두부찌개 | soft tofu stew |
| 순두부를 넣다 | to add soft tofu |
| 해물 순두부 | seafood soft tofu |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: 두부 when you mean the soft, spoonable kind.
Correct: 순두부. 두부 is firm block tofu that holds its shape; 순두부 is unpressed and soft, so the two are not interchangeable at the market or on a menu.
순두부 Compared with Similar Words
The key neighbour is 두부, which is firm block tofu. Cut a block of 두부 and it holds its shape; 순두부 is the loose, soft curd before pressing. The related dish word is 순두부찌개, the very popular spicy stew.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 순두부 | soft tofu | Unpressed curds, soft and loose |
| 두부 | tofu | Firm block tofu; 순두부 is soft tofu whose curds are not pressed |
| 순두부찌개 | soft tofu stew | A very popular spicy dish made with 순두부 |
Where Does the Word Come From?
두부 is Sino-Korean 豆腐, “bean curd”. The National Institute of Korean Language’s dictionary entry writes the full word as 순豆腐, identifying 순 as native Korean and 豆腐 as the hanja portion.
Ordering Soft Tofu Stew
A customer sees soft tofu stew on a restaurant menu and asks about the spice level before ordering.
Customer
순두부찌개 많이 매워요?
Sundubujjigae mani maewoyo?
Is the soft tofu stew very spicy?
Server
조금 매워요.
Jogeum maewoyo.
It’s a little spicy.
Customer
덜 맵게 해 주세요.
Deol maepge hae juseyo.
Please make it less spicy.
Server
네, 알겠습니다.
Ne, algetseumnida.
Certainly.
덜 means “less”, so 덜 맵게 asks for a lower spice level. The request does not mean “with no chili at all”. The server’s answer acknowledges the request; it does not describe the ingredients or guarantee that every version of the dish can be changed.
What Does 순두부 Mean on a Menu?
At a restaurant that specializes in tofu stew, 순두부 may be a shortened dish name. On a supermarket package, the same word names the tofu ingredient. The setting tells you whether the speaker means a bowl of stew or something to cook with. For a full dish name, use 순두부찌개.
해물 순두부 combines 해물, “seafood”, with the tofu dish. The added word tells you which version is being offered. It does not tell you every ingredient in the broth. A tofu dish can contain seafood or meat, so the word 순두부 alone does not establish that a meal is vegetarian.
Spiciness belongs to the preparation. 순두부 itself is not a word meaning “spicy tofu”. 매운 순두부찌개 describes spicy soft tofu stew, while 덜 맵게 asks for it to be made less spicy. Keeping the ingredient and its seasoning separate helps you understand why the same tofu appears in different kinds of dishes.
Cooking Phrases with 순두부
순두부를 넣다 literally means to put in soft tofu; in a recipe, it means to add it to the pot. The particle 를 marks the ingredient being added. 끓이다 means to boil or simmer something, so 순두부찌개를 끓이다 describes making the stew by cooking it in liquid.
The soft texture explains why recipes often add 순두부 late in cooking and handle it gently. A recipe that asks you to slice firm tofu is describing a different texture from the loose curds named here. At a grocery shop, check the package name as well as the general English label “tofu”.
Ingredient Words to Recognize Next
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 두부 | tofu | The broader tofu word; packages distinguish different textures. |
| 해물 | seafood | Identifies a common stew variation. |
| 달걀 | egg | May appear as an addition to the stew. |
| 간장 | soy sauce | A seasoning, separate from the tofu itself. |
The ingredient vocabulary lesson teaches words for reading shopping lists and recipes. Use the ingredient names to ask what goes into a dish; the name 순두부찌개 alone leaves those details open.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 순두부 always name a finished stew?
- Does 덜 맵게 mean completely without chili?
- What does 해물 identify in 해물 순두부?
Show answers
- No. It also names the soft tofu ingredient.
- No. It asks for the food to be less spicy.
- Seafood; it names a seafood version of the dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "soft tofu" in Korean?
Soft tofu in Korean is 순두부 (sundubu). On restaurant menus it often stands for the spicy soft tofu stew, 순두부찌개.
Is 순두부 the same as 두부?
No. 두부 is firm block tofu, while 순두부 is soft tofu whose curds are not pressed. 순두부 is spooned rather than sliced.
What is 순두부찌개?
순두부찌개 is soft tofu stew: 순두부 simmered in a spicy red broth, often with seafood or pork. 해물 순두부 is the seafood version.
How do you say "add soft tofu"?
Say 순두부를 넣다. Add it near the end of cooking, because the soft curds break apart easily.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: the Korean ingredient words page groups 순두부 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 순두부 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- See the page for tofu to compare the firm kind.
- The next word in the ingredients list is soy sauce.