Key Facts
- Hangul: 사각형; Revised Romanization: sagakhyeong
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean (四角形)
- Register: Neutral; school and shape vocabulary.
Square in Korean: What Does 사각형 Mean?
사각형 is a quadrilateral, any flat shape with four sides. A true square, with equal sides and four right angles, has a stricter word, and a rectangle has its own too. In class, 사각형 is the family name, and in daily life people also say a plainer native word for a boxy shape.
How Do You Pronounce 사각형?
Three syllables: sa-ga-kyeong. The spelling is sagakhyeong, but when ㄱ meets ㅎ they merge into an aspirated k. The middle syllable loses its final sound, so the word sounds like sa-ga-kyeong with a clear puff of air on the k. Say it as three even beats.
Example Sentences with 사각형
사각형을 그려 보세요.
Sagakhyeongeul geuryeo boseyo.
Please draw a four-sided shape.
그려 보세요 asks someone to try drawing. 사각형을 is the object. Teachers and textbook instructions use this form.
이 창문은 사각형이에요.
I changmuneun sagakhyeongieyo.
This window is four-sided.
The window is described with 이에요 as the copula. The shape word works as a predicate noun.
사각형의 네 변을 재 보세요.
Sagakhyeongui ne byeoneul jae boseyo.
Measure the four sides of the quadrilateral.
The sentence asks for measuring the four sides. 네 is four, 변 is side, and 재 보세요 asks to measure.
Phrases and Collocations with 사각형
The phrases show drawing, describing a form and naming the strict square.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 사각형을 그리다 | to draw a quadrilateral |
| 사각형 모양 | four-sided shape |
| 정사각형 | square (regular) |
The Mistake to Avoid
Too broad when an exact square is required: 사각형
Precise: 정사각형
Why: 사각형 means any four-sided shape. The precise word for a square with equal sides and four right angles is 정사각형. Also let the ㄱ and ㅎ merge: say sa-ga-kyeong, not sa-gak-hyeong.
사각형 Compared with Similar Words
Three words sit around 사각형: the strict square, the rectangle and an everyday shape word.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 정사각형 | square (equal sides) | The strict square; 사각형 covers any four-sided shape. |
| 직사각형 | rectangle | Four right angles; often drawn with unequal adjacent sides in classroom comparisons. |
| 네모 | square-ish shape (native) | An everyday word for a four-sided shape. |
Where Does 사각형 Come From?
사각형 is Sino-Korean, written 四角形: 四 means four, 角 means corner and 形 means shape. The parts spell out "four-corner shape".
Drawing Shapes in Class
A teacher checks a learner’s drawing. The conversation starts with the broad category 사각형, then narrows it to the more precise name for a square.
Teacher
사각형을 하나 그려 보세요.
Sagakhyeongeul hana geuryeo boseyo.
Try drawing one quadrilateral.
Learner
이렇게 그리면 돼요?
Ireoke geurimyeon dwaeyo?
Is it all right if I draw it like this?
Teacher
네, 그건 정사각형이에요.
Ne, geugeon jeongsagakhyeongieyo.
Yes, that is a square.
Learner
네 변의 길이가 모두 같아요.
Ne byeonui giriga modu gatayo.
All four sides are the same length.
하나 counts one shape without a separate counter. 그건 means “that”, referring to the drawing the learner has just made. The teacher can accept the square as a 사각형 because a square belongs to that wider category. The final line describes side lengths; the right angles are also part of what makes the drawing a square.
Which Word Fits a Square, a Rectangle or a Box?
정사각형 names a square: four equal sides and four right angles. Equal sides alone are not enough, because a diamond-shaped rhombus can also have four equal sides. 사각형 only promises four sides. The extra 정 in 정사각형 matters when an exercise requires that precise shape.
직사각형 names a rectangle, a four-sided shape with four right angles. Everyday classroom comparisons often draw it longer in one direction than the other to distinguish it visually from a square. In the mathematical classification, a square also meets the right-angle definition of a rectangle.
네모 is the everyday word for a four-sided or boxy shape. A person describing a window, a button or a blank box may use 네모 without making a geometric claim about equal sides. 네모 칸 means a box or square space, such as one to fill in on a worksheet.
Useful Shape Combinations
사각형 모양 means a four-sided shape or form. 모양 is “shape” or “appearance”, so this combination describes the outline of an object. It does not certify that all its sides are equal. 정사각형 모양 gives the more specific square outline when that distinction matters.
가로 and 세로 identify width and height or horizontal and vertical directions. A picture-cropping tool may offer a 1:1 ratio for a square image: the width and height match. That interface context is more specific than the broad label 사각형, which would also allow other four-sided outlines.
Where Will You Hear or See 사각형?
Math worksheets use 사각형 in questions about sides, corners, drawing and measuring. The existing instruction 사각형의 네 변을 재 보세요 asks for the lengths of four sides. Measuring them does not by itself establish that the angles are right angles, so it does not prove the shape is a square.
In descriptions of everyday objects, the word can identify a four-sided outline without exact measurements. A window described as 사각형 may be tall, wide or square. If you are following instructions to draw or cut a shape, look for extra details about length and angles before choosing its proportions.
사각형 is neutral school and descriptive vocabulary. 네모 is often easier in conversation about a boxy object, but 사각형 is not an impolite or overly formal word. The difference is how technical or exact the description needs to be, rather than respect for the listener.
Related Geometry Words
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 변 | side | One edge of a flat polygon. |
| 꼭짓점 | vertex | A point where sides meet. |
| 직각 | right angle | An angle needed in both squares and rectangles. |
| 마름모 | rhombus | Has four equal sides, without necessarily having right angles. |
The shapes vocabulary lesson teaches the wider group. Use 변 for an edge and 꼭짓점 for the meeting point. These let you explain which feature you are counting instead of calling every part of the drawing a “corner”.
Quick Self-Test
- Is every 사각형 a 정사각형?
- Are four equal sides alone enough to identify a square?
- Which everyday word can describe a boxy shape: 네모 or 직각?
Show answers
- No. 사각형 is the broader category of quadrilaterals.
- No. A square also needs four right angles.
- 네모. 직각 means a right angle.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say square in Korean?
Say 정사각형 for a true square. 사각형 is the wider word for any four-sided shape.
How do you pronounce 사각형?
It sounds like sa-ga-kyeong.
What is a rectangle in Korean?
It is 직사각형.
What is the everyday word for a boxy shape?
Say 네모.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: shapes vocabulary sets it beside the other shapes.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in the list: the page for triangle.