Key Facts
- Hangul: 돌; Revised Romanization: dol
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: Neutral everyday word; 돌 also means a child's first birthday.
Stone in Korean: What Does 돌 Mean?
돌 is a stone or a small rock, the kind you find by a river or throw at a pond. The word is one syllable and everyday. A second 돌 means a baby's first birthday, and the party is called 돌잔치. Only the sentence tells the two apart.
How Do You Pronounce 돌?
One syllable: dol. The ㄷ is soft, between d and t. The final ㄹ is a light tongue-tip l, touching just behind the upper teeth. With a particle, the ㄹ links over, as in 돌이 (dori) or 돌을 (doreul).
Example Sentences with 돌
돌이 무거워요.
Dori mugeowoyo.
The stone is heavy.
The particle 이 links to the ㄹ, giving dori. 무거워요 says the stone is heavy.
강가에 돌이 많아요.
Ganggae dori manayo.
There are many stones by the river.
강가에 is by the river. 많아요 is the common way to say that there are many.
아이가 돌을 던져요.
Aiga doreul deonjyeoyo.
The child throws a stone.
던져요 is the verb for throwing. 아이가 is the child, and the sentence is a simple action.
Phrases and Collocations with 돌
The phrases show throwing, building and small stones.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 돌을 던지다 | to throw a stone |
| 돌다리 | stone bridge |
| 조약돌 | pebble |
| 돌담 | stone wall |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ reading every 돌 as "stone", even in 돌잔치
Correct: ✓ 돌 can also mean a baby's first birthday
Why: The two meanings share one sound and spelling, so context decides. 돌잔치 is a first-birthday party, not a party about stones. For a large rock or boulder, use 바위.
돌 Compared with Similar Words
One nearby word and one same-sounding meaning sit next to 돌.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 바위 | rock/boulder | A large rock. |
| 돌 | first birthday | The same sound; 돌잔치 is the first birthday party. |
Where Does 돌 Come From?
돌 is a native Korean word. A baby's first birthday (돌) is celebrated with 돌잔치.
By the River: Looking at a Pebble
Two friends stop beside a river. One picks up a stone to show the other.
Mina
이 돌 좀 봐요.
I dol jom bwayo.
Look at this stone.
Jun
조약돌이네요.
Joyakdorineyo.
It’s a pebble.
Mina
색이 예뻐요.
Saegi yeppeoyo.
The colour is pretty.
Jun
여기에 다시 놓아요.
Yeogie dasi noayo.
Let’s put it back here.
좀 softens the invitation to look. 조약돌 names a small, smooth stone more precisely than 돌, and 이네요 presents what the speaker has just noticed. The last line uses 놓다, “put down”, rather than 던지다, “throw”. These verbs describe different actions with the same object.
Which Phrases Describe Stones and Stone Objects?
돌을 던지다 describes throwing a stone. 돌을 줍다 means to pick one up from the ground. Both phrases use 을 because the stone is the object of the action. In 돌이 무거워요, the stone instead takes 이 because the sentence describes its weight. The noun stays the same while its role changes.
돌담 is a wall made of stone, and 돌다리 is a stone bridge. Here 돌 describes the material. You may recognise both words in a description of a village or walking route. A 돌담 does not have to be one enormous rock: the name tells you what the wall is made from.
A 조약돌 is a pebble, typically a small rounded stone worn smooth by water. 바위 points to a large rock or rock formation. There is no everyday size measurement built into the choice between 돌 and 바위. Think about whether you mean a loose stone someone might pick up or a large feature in the landscape.
Where Will You Hear or See 돌?
On a walk, 돌 can identify loose stones underfoot or stones beside a stream. In a garden description, it may refer to material used for decoration or a path. The word is ordinary and neutral, so a child and an adult can use the same noun. Politeness comes from the sentence ending.
Descriptions of old buildings often contain 돌담 or 돌계단, “stone steps”. Recognising the material at the beginning helps you picture the structure before you know every word in the description. 돌 by itself can refer either to an individual stone or to stone as a material; Korean does not require a plural ending whenever there is more than one.
In a family conversation, look for a very different group of clues. A baby, birthday invitation or party venue makes the first-birthday meaning likely. 돌잔치 belongs to that setting. A riverbank, heavy object or stone wall points to the landscape meaning. The shared spelling does not connect the two situations.
Nearby Landscape and Material Words
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 자갈 | gravel; small stones | Useful for a path or an area covered in loose stones. |
| 모래 | sand | Finer material you may see beside stones at a river. |
| 흙 | earth; soil | The ground material around stones and plants. |
| 돌계단 | stone steps | 돌 identifies the material of the steps. |
See the landscape vocabulary lesson for the wider outdoor set. 자갈 and 조약돌 overlap in the small-stone area, but 조약돌 is useful for pointing out a particular smooth pebble. 자갈 often describes the stones covering a surface.
When describing a photograph, start with the visible object: a stone, a boulder or a wall. Then choose the action or description. A stone can be heavy, a riverbank can have many stones, and a child can throw one. Those three patterns above show why memorising only the English label leaves out useful sentence information.
Quick Self-Test
- Which word fits a large rock formation better: 조약돌 or 바위?
- What does 돌 tell you in 돌담?
- An invitation mentions a baby and 돌잔치. Is 돌 about a rock?
Show answers
- 바위. 조약돌 is a pebble.
- The material: it is a stone wall.
- No. It refers to the child’s first birthday.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say stone in Korean?
Say 돌 (dol).
What else does 돌 mean?
It also means a first birthday.
What is a boulder in Korean?
It is 바위.
How do you say a pebble?
Say 조약돌.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: landscape vocabulary sets it with other landscape words.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in the list: the page for sun.