Key Facts
- Hangul: 스페인; Revised Romanization: seupein
- Part of speech: proper noun
- Origin: loanword
- Register: neutral, standard name; 에스파냐 is a less common variant
Spain in Korean: What Does 스페인 Mean?
스페인 is the name of Spain. Placed before a noun, it works like the adjective "Spanish": 스페인 음식 is Spanish food and 스페인 사람 is a Spanish person. For the language, add 어: 스페인어.
How Do You Pronounce 스페인?
Three syllables: seu-pe-in. Korean has no consonant clusters, so the English sp becomes 스 + ㅍ, with a short ㅡ (eu) vowel after the s. Keep the last two vowels separate: pe, then in, not one "pain" sound.
Example Sentences with 스페인
스페인은 유럽에 있어요.
Seupeineun yureobe isseoyo
Spain is in Europe.
은 marks the topic, and 유럽에 있어요 means "is in Europe".
스페인 음식을 좋아해요.
Seupein eumsigeul joahaeyo
I like Spanish food.
스페인 음식 means "Spanish food". The country name goes directly before the noun, with no extra word.
내년에 스페인에 갈 거예요.
Naenyeone seupeine gal geoyeyo
I will go to Spain next year.
내년에 means "next year", and 갈 거예요 means "will go". 에 after 스페인 marks the destination.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 스페인 사람 | Spanish person |
| 스페인어 | Spanish language |
| 스페인 여행 | trip to Spain |
| 스페인에 가다 | to go to Spain |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: using 스페인 for the language, or squeezing the word into two syllables as seu-pein.
Correct: the language is 스페인어. The country name has three syllables: seu-pe-in.
스페인 Compared with Similar Words
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 스페인 | Spain | This page's word |
| 스페인어 | Spanish (language) | Add 어 to name the language |
| 에스파냐 | Spain (variant name) | Based on the Spanish name España; rarely heard |
| 멕시코 | Mexico | A Spanish-speaking country in the Americas |
Where Does the Word Come From?
스페인 is a loanword from the English name "Spain", so it has no hanja form. The variant 에스파냐 comes from the country's own name, España.
Talking about a Trip to Spain
Two classmates are discussing a holiday plan. One asks which destination the other has chosen.
Jisu
이번 휴가에 어디 가요?
Ibeon hyugae eodi gayo?
Where are you going for this holiday?
Alex
스페인에 가요.
Seupeine gayo.
I am going to Spain.
Jisu
스페인에서 뭐 할 거예요?
Seupeineseo mwo hal geoyeyo?
What will you do in Spain?
Alex
스페인 음식을 먹고 싶어요.
Seupein eumsigeul meokgo sipeoyo.
I want to eat Spanish food.
스페인에 gives the destination. 스페인에서 gives the place where the holiday activities happen. In the last line, 스페인 음식 is the object of “want to eat”, so the object marker attaches to 음식 rather than the country name.
Going to Spain, Staying There, and Coming from There
스페인에 가다 means “go to Spain”. 스페인에서 살다 means “live in Spain”: 에서 marks the place where living happens. With a verb of arrival or departure, 에서 can instead mark the starting point. 스페인에서 오다 means “come from Spain”. Read the verb alongside the particle to understand the relationship.
스페인 출신 means “from Spain” or “of Spanish origin”. You may hear it when someone introduces a guest or describes an athlete. 출신 tells you where someone comes from; it does not tell you their current address. A person can be 스페인 출신 while living in Korea or elsewhere.
For a destination field or a list of countries, 스페인 by itself is enough. In a full sentence, the following particle carries its role. Because 스페인 ends in ㄴ, it takes 은 as a topic and 이 as a subject. The country name keeps its spelling when those markers attach.
How Does Korean Express “Spanish” before a Noun?
스페인 음식 means Spanish food, 스페인 영화 means a Spanish film, and 스페인 여행 means a trip to Spain. Korean can place the country name directly before the next noun. You do not need to turn 스페인 into an adjective with a separate ending for these everyday phrases.
Write 스페인 사람 with a space. 사람 means “person”, so the phrase refers to someone rather than the language. 스페인어 is one word, with 어 attached. This small spelling difference helps keep three meanings apart: the country, a person associated with the country, and the language.
A country name before a noun does not always describe nationality. 스페인 여행 is travel to or around Spain, not a trip whose traveller must be Spanish. Let the second noun guide the English translation, rather than translating every occurrence as the adjective “Spanish”.
Where Will You See 스페인?
Travel itineraries use 스페인 beside city names and dates. A headline about a Spanish team or a film listing may use the same country name before the team or film category. Hangul has no capital-letter distinction, so 스페인 looks the same at the start and in the middle of a sentence.
에스파냐 is useful to recognize when reading, but the usual 스페인 works in ordinary travel questions and introductions. You do not need to change the country name to make a sentence more polite. In the dialogue, the 요 endings make the conversation polite between classmates.
Country and Travel Words to Learn Next
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 유럽 | Europe | The wider region in the first example. |
| 나라 | country | The category that 스페인 belongs to. |
| 여행 | trip / travel | Combines with 스페인 in travel plans. |
| 출신 | origin / where someone is from | Useful in introductions and profiles. |
The geography vocabulary lesson connects country names with places and regions. For the language itself, use the linked Spanish entry below.
Quick Self-Test
- Which means Spanish food: 스페인 음식 or 스페인어?
- What does 에 mark in 스페인에 가요?
- Does 스페인 출신 tell you where someone currently lives?
Show answers
- 스페인 음식. 스페인어 names the language.
- The destination: Spain.
- No. It describes their origin.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "Spain" in Korean?
Say 스페인 (seupein).
How do you say "Spanish person" in Korean?
Say 스페인 사람.
What is 에스파냐?
It is a variant name for Spain, based on España. You may see it in official or older texts, but 스페인 is the usual name.
How do you say "go to Spain"?
Say 스페인에 가다.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: geography vocabulary groups 스페인 with other places.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: vocabulary flashcard decks.
- The language: Spanish in Korean.
- Compare: Mexico in Korean.