Key Facts
- Hangul: 딸기; Revised Romanization: ttalgi
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Native Korean
- Register: Neutral; used in all registers.
Strawberry in Korean: What Does 딸기 Mean?
딸기 means a strawberry and is neutral in every register. It is a flexible modifier: 딸기 우유 is strawberry milk, 딸기 케이크 strawberry cake and 딸기 맛 strawberry flavor. With the verb 먹다 you get 딸기를 먹다, to eat strawberries.
How Do You Pronounce 딸기?
Two syllables, ttal-gi. The first begins with the tense ㄸ: the tongue tip presses firmly behind the teeth and releases with almost no puff of breath. The ㄹ closes the first syllable as an l, and the second, gi, uses a soft, voiced g.
Example Sentences with 딸기
딸기가 아주 달아요.
Ttalgiga aju darayo
The strawberries are very sweet.
아주 means "very" and 달아요 means "is sweet". 가 marks 딸기 as the subject.
저는 딸기를 좋아해요.
Jeoneun ttalgireul joahaeyo
I like strawberries.
저는 is "as for me". 딸기를 좋아해요 states a preference, with 를 marking the thing liked.
딸기 우유 한 잔 주세요.
Ttalgi uyu han jan juseyo
Please give me a glass of strawberry milk.
Here 딸기 modifies 우유, making a flavored drink. 한 잔 is "one glass", and 주세요 is a polite request, so this is a café order.
Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 딸기를 먹다 | to eat strawberries |
| 딸기 우유 | strawberry milk |
| 딸기 케이크 | strawberry cake |
| 딸기 맛 | strawberry flavor |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners say the first consonant as an English d.
Wrong: dal-gi, with a plain d.
Correct: ttal-gi, with the tense ㄸ. Tense consonants have almost no breath, so hold the tongue firmly and release suddenly.
딸기 Compared with 블루베리 and 과일
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 딸기 | strawberry | This page's word |
| 블루베리 | blueberry | Another berry, a loanword from English. |
| 과일 | fruit | The general word; 딸기 is one fruit. |
| 바나나 | banana | Another everyday fruit, also a loanword. |
Buying a Box of Strawberries at a Market
A shopper asks a seller about a box of strawberries before buying it. The conversation uses polite endings throughout.
Shopper
이 딸기 달아요?
I ttalgi darayo?
Are these strawberries sweet?
Seller
네, 아주 달아요.
Ne, aju darayo.
Yes, they’re very sweet.
Shopper
한 상자에 얼마예요?
Han sangjae eolmayeyo?
How much is one box?
Seller
가격은 여기 써 있어요.
Gagyeogeun yeogi sseo isseoyo.
The price is written here.
이 means “this” before a noun, but English naturally uses “these strawberries” for a whole box. 한 상자 means “one box”. The seller points to the written price, so the learner can use this exchange without memorising a particular price or assuming a standard box size.
Counting Strawberries and Choosing a Container
딸기 can refer to one strawberry or several strawberries. Korean does not require a plural ending every time English uses one. 딸기를 좋아해요 therefore means “I like strawberries” as a general preference. Adding 들 is unnecessary when you are simply naming the fruit you like.
딸기 한 개 is one strawberry; 딸기 두 개 is two strawberries. 개 is a general counter for individual items. At a shop, 딸기 한 팩 means one pack, and 딸기 한 상자 means one box. These phrases count different units, so asking for one box does not tell the seller how many individual berries you expect.
The phrase 한 상자에 얼마예요? asks for the price per box. 에 links the price to the unit. If you are comparing two packages, compare their stated quantities as well as their prices. The Korean word 상자 identifies the container, not a fixed weight.
What Does 딸기 Mean on a Café Menu?
딸기 often comes before another food noun to identify the fruit or flavour: 딸기 우유, 딸기 케이크, and 딸기 아이스크림. The final noun tells you what you are ordering. Recognising only 딸기 on a long menu is therefore not enough to distinguish a drink from a slice of cake.
딸기 맛 means strawberry flavour. A label using 맛 describes the taste; those words alone do not establish whether whole strawberries are included. 생딸기 means fresh strawberries, a useful distinction when a café describes a topping or filling. Read the full item description if the ingredients matter to you.
딸기잼 is strawberry jam, a spread rather than a serving of fresh fruit. 딸기 주스 is strawberry juice. You may see menu spacing vary, but the meaning is easier to follow if you identify the fruit name first and the product noun second.
Describing the Fruit You Are Eating
달아요 means “is sweet”, and 셔요 means “is sour”. 딸기가 달아요 comments on the fruit's sweetness. 맛있어요 means “is delicious”, a broader judgement about taste. A strawberry can be sour and still taste good to the speaker, so these descriptions answer different questions.
딸기를 씻다 means to wash strawberries, while 딸기를 먹다 means to eat them. These literal combinations are useful in kitchens and recipes; you do not need an idiom to use the word naturally. 딸기 따기 means strawberry picking, which you may see in descriptions of farm activities. Here 따기 refers to picking fruit from the plant rather than buying a pack.
Words to Use Alongside 딸기
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 과일 | fruit | The general category used on shop signs. |
| 상자 | box | Counts the container in a purchase. |
| 우유 | milk | The product noun in 딸기 우유. |
| 잼 | jam | A spread; 딸기잼 is strawberry jam. |
The Korean fruit names lesson helps you ask for other fruits at the same stall.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 딸기 always mean exactly one strawberry?
- What is the difference between 한 개 and 한 상자?
- Does 딸기 맛 alone guarantee whole strawberries are included?
Show answers
- No. Context can make it singular or plural.
- 한 개 counts one item; 한 상자 counts one box.
- No. It identifies strawberry flavour.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "strawberry" in Korean?
Say 딸기 (ttalgi), a neutral native noun.
How do you say "strawberry milk" in Korean?
Say 딸기 우유, as in the example that asks for a glass of it.
What is the difference between 딸기 and 블루베리?
블루베리 is the blueberry. 딸기 is the strawberry.
What is the general word for fruit?
The general word for fruit is 과일.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: the Korean Fruit Names page puts 딸기 beside its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 딸기 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in the list is the word for tangerine: see tangerine.
- Compare with the page for banana.