Key Facts
- Hangul: 봄; Revised Romanization: bom
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: neutral, everyday word for the season
Spring in Korean: What Does 봄 Mean?
봄 means spring, the season. It combines with weather words to form compounds such as 봄비 (spring rain) and 봄바람 (spring breeze), and with 에 to mean "in spring". 봄철 also means the spring season but sounds slightly more formal, as in news reports and notices.
How Do You Pronounce 봄?
One syllable, bom. Start with a soft b, use the rounded vowel ㅗ (o), and close your lips for the final m. Before a vowel, the m links forward: 봄에 is [보메] and 봄은 is [보믄].
Example Sentences with 봄
봄에 꽃이 많이 피어요.
Bome kkochi mani pieoyo
Many flowers bloom in spring.
봄에 sets the time, and 꽃이 많이 피어요 means "many flowers bloom".
봄은 따뜻해요.
Bomeun ttatteutaeyo
Spring is warm.
봄은 makes spring the topic, and 따뜻해요 means "is warm".
봄에 소풍을 가요.
Bome sopungeul gayo
We go on a picnic in spring.
소풍 is a picnic or outing, and 소풍을 가요 means "go on a picnic". Spring is the classic season for school outings in Korea.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 봄바람 | spring breeze |
| 봄비 | spring rain |
| 봄날 | spring day |
| 봄에 | in spring |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: mixing up 봄 (spring) with 밤 (night, or chestnut), which differs by just one vowel.
Correct: 봄 has the rounded vowel ㅗ (o); 밤 has the open vowel ㅏ (a). Also note that 봄 can appear as the noun form of 보다 ("seeing") in some grammar, so read the context.
봄 Compared with Similar Words
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 봄 | spring (season) | This page's word |
| 봄철 | spring season | The spring period of the year; slightly more formal |
| 밤 | night; chestnut | One vowel different from 봄; easily confused |
| 여름 | summer | The season after spring |
Where Does the Word Come From?
봄 is a native Korean word and has no hanja form.
Making Plans to See Spring Flowers
Two classmates are talking about the arrival of spring. One suggests an outing to see the flowers.
Jisu
벌써 봄이네요.
Beolsseo bomineyo.
It is already spring.
Alex
네, 봄에는 꽃을 보러 가고 싶어요.
Ne, bomeneun kkocheul boreo gago sipeoyo.
Yes, I want to go and see flowers in spring.
Jisu
이번 주말에 같이 갈까요?
Ibeon jumare gachi galkkayo?
Shall we go together this weekend?
Alex
좋아요. 날씨가 따뜻하면 가요.
Joayo. Nalssiga ttatteutamyeon gayo.
Sounds good. Let’s go if the weather is warm.
봄이네요 expresses noticing or reacting to the season: “it is spring already”. 봄에는 sets spring as the time and topic. The final line makes the outing depend on warm weather. The season name alone does not promise that a particular day will be warm.
This Spring, Every Spring, and Spring Arriving
올봄 means “this spring”, while 내년 봄 means “next spring”. 올봄 is written as one word; 내년 봄 keeps a space between the year expression and the season. In a travel plan, these phrases tell the listener which spring you mean, rather than naming spring as a season in general.
봄마다 means “every spring”. The particle 마다 adds repetition, so it suits an annual habit such as a flower-viewing trip. 봄에 simply places an event in spring; it does not by itself say that the event happens every year. The rest of the sentence supplies that information.
봄이 오다 literally means “spring comes” and naturally translates as “spring arrives”. 봄이 되다 means “it becomes spring”. Both describe a change of season. For an event taking place within the season, use 봄에, as in the existing picnic example.
What Do Spring Compounds Mean in Context?
봄비 is rain in spring, and 봄바람 is a spring breeze. These compounds identify the season of the weather; they do not tell you an exact temperature or rainfall amount. A sentence about 봄비 may describe rain falling now, while a poem may use the same word to build a spring scene.
봄날 means a spring day. In a song title or a drama, the image can suggest a pleasant or hopeful period in someone’s life. The literal meaning remains useful: a scene about a walk on a 봄날 may simply describe the season and day. The surrounding story gives any emotional meaning.
봄꽃 means spring flowers. It is a broad category rather than the name of one flower species. 벚꽃 means cherry blossoms, one specific flower you may hear about in spring plans. If someone invites you to see 봄꽃, the invitation does not necessarily identify cherry blossoms.
Where Will You See 봄 in Everyday Korean?
Weather reports may use 봄철 when discussing conditions during the spring season. Clothing displays use 봄옷 for spring clothes. In each compound, 봄 helps identify the seasonal setting: a period of the year in 봄철, and clothes intended for that season in 봄옷.
A shop’s use of 봄 is a seasonal label, rather than a guarantee about the weather outside. In conversation, you can keep 봄 as the noun and change the ending around it for politeness. The classmates’ 요 endings make their exchange polite without changing the season word.
Words for a Spring Outing
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 꽃 | flower | The general word in the blooming example. |
| 벚꽃 | cherry blossoms | A specific flower, unlike the broad 봄꽃. |
| 소풍 | picnic / outing | Combines with 가다 for going on an outing. |
| 날씨 | weather | Helps discuss whether an outing will work that day. |
The seasons lesson places 봄 alongside the other seasons. Use the season word for the time of year and a weather word for conditions on the day.
Quick Self-Test
- Which phrase means “every spring”: 봄에 or 봄마다?
- Does 봄꽃 name only cherry blossoms?
- What does 올봄 mean, and is it written with a space?
Show answers
- 봄마다. 봄에 means in spring without necessarily implying repetition.
- No. It means spring flowers generally; 벚꽃 specifies cherry blossoms.
- This spring. It is written as one word.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "spring" in Korean?
Say 봄 (bom).
How do you say "in spring"?
Say 봄에.
Is 봄 the same as 밤?
No. 밤 means night or chestnut. The two words differ by one vowel: o in 봄, a in 밤.
What is 봄비?
봄비 is spring rain.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: season vocabulary groups 봄 with the other seasons.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Compare: night in Korean.
- The next season: summer in Korean.