Key Facts
- Hangul: 여름; Revised Romanization: yeoreum
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Native Korean
- Register: Neutral, everyday native word for the season.
Summer in Korean: What Does 여름 Mean?
여름 means summer. It is a neutral, native season word. It combines with other nouns to build 여름 방학 (summer vacation), 여름 휴가 (summer holiday), 한여름 (midsummer) and 여름옷 (summer clothes). Weather terms close to it include 장마 (the rainy season in early summer) and 무더위 (sweltering heat).
How Do You Pronounce 여름?
Two syllables, yeo and reum. The first vowel is ㅕ, a y glide plus eo. The second vowel eu is made with the lips spread flat, and the word ends with the sound m. Before a vowel that m carries over, so 여름에 is said yeo-reu-me.
Example Sentences with 여름
여름에는 너무 더워요.
Yeoreumeneun neomu deowoyo
It is too hot in summer.
여름에는 means "in summer, as for summer", with the contrast marker 는. 너무 더워요 is "it is too hot".
여름에 바다에 가요.
Yeoreume badae gayo
I go to the sea in summer.
에 marks the time, 바다에 the destination. 가요 is the verb to go, so this sentence describes a seasonal habit.
저는 여름 방학이 좋아요.
Jeoneun yeoreum banghagi joayo
I like summer vacation.
여름 방학 is a compound with 여름 at the front. 좋아요 says you like it, and 저는 sets the topic as you.
Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 여름 방학 | summer vacation |
| 여름 휴가 | summer holiday |
| 한여름 | midsummer |
| 여름옷 | summer clothes |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 여름에서 바다에 가요. / ✗ 여름을 바다에 가요.
Correct: ✓ 여름에 바다에 가요. (I go to the sea in summer.)
Why: a season used as a time takes the time particle 에. 에서 marks the place where an action happens and 을 marks an object, so neither one can say in summer. Also keep the first vowel as ㅕ (yeo), not ㅗ (o).
여름 Compared with 장마 and 무더위
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 장마 | rainy season | 장마 is the monsoon rain period in early summer, a part of 여름 rather than another name for it. |
| 무더위 | sweltering heat | 무더위 is the hot, humid weather typical of summer. It names the weather, not the season. |
| 봄 | spring | 봄 is the season before summer. |
Origin and Culture
On the hottest days of summer, called 복날, Koreans traditionally eat 삼계탕, a hot ginseng chicken soup, to keep up their energy. The custom is often explained as fighting heat with heat.
Making Plans before Summer Break
Jisu asks Mina, a university student, about summer plans. Mina discusses both her school break and a holiday trip during it.
Jisu
이번 여름에 뭐 할 거예요?
Ibeon yeoreume mwo hal geoyeyo?
What will you do this summer?
Mina
여름 휴가 때 바다에 갈 거예요.
Yeoreum hyuga ttae badae gal geoyeyo.
I’ll go to the sea during my summer holiday.
Jisu
여름 방학은 언제 시작해요?
Yeoreum banghageun eonje sijakaeyo?
When does your summer break start?
Mina
칠월에 시작해요.
Chirwore sijakaeyo.
It starts in July.
여름 방학 names the break from classes; 여름 휴가 names time taken for a holiday. A student can use both expressions because a trip during the break is still a holiday. 때 means “during/at the time of”, so 여름 휴가 때 gives the occasion for the seaside visit.
How Do You Specify Which Summer?
이번 여름 means “this summer”, and 올여름 also means “this summer”. The latter is written as one word. 이번 여름에 adds the time particle for an action happening during the season, as in the dialogue. By contrast, 여름이 begins a statement with summer as the subject, and 여름은 makes summer the topic.
여름마다 means “every summer”. 마다 attaches directly to the noun and gives repetition. It differs from 여름 내내, “throughout the summer”, which emphasizes the duration within a season. Use the first for a yearly seaside trip and the second for something that continues across the season.
Where Will You Encounter 여름 outside Conversation?
Clothing shops use 여름옷 for summer clothes. The whole expression is a noun: 여름 specifies the season and 옷 names the clothing. A school notice may discuss 여름 방학, while a workplace holiday conversation is more likely to use 여름 휴가. Recognizing the second noun tells you which kind of break is involved.
한여름 means midsummer or the height of summer. The prefix 한- emphasizes the season at its fullest. It does not mean exactly half of summer or identify one fixed date. In weather descriptions, 한여름 can evoke intense seasonal heat, while 장마 points specifically to a period of prolonged rain.
Words for a Korean Summer
| Korean | Meaning | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 장마 | rainy season | Refers to the sustained rainy period rather than summer as a whole. |
| 무더위 | sweltering heat | Names oppressive, humid heat. |
| 습도 | humidity | Explains how much moisture is in the air. |
| 해수욕장 | swimming beach | Names a seaside place set up for swimming. |
The seasons vocabulary lesson teaches the seasonal set around 여름. Pair the season with a precise weather or activity word: summer itself, a rainy spell and a trip to a swimming beach each tell the listener something different.
Quick Self-Test
- Which expression fits a school’s break from classes: 여름 방학 or 여름 휴가?
- Does 여름마다 mean “every summer” or “throughout the summer”?
- Does 한여름 identify an exact calendar date?
Show answers
- 여름 방학. 여름 휴가 is a summer holiday or leave.
- Every summer. 여름 내내 means throughout the summer.
- No. It means midsummer or the height of summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "summer" in Korean?
Summer is 여름 (yeoreum), a native Korean noun. It is neutral, so it works in conversation, in writing and on a weather forecast alike.
How do you say "in summer" in Korean?
Add the time particle 에 to get 여름에, as in 여름에 바다에 가요 (I go to the sea in summer). Do not use 여름에서 or 여름을 for this meaning.
How do you say "summer vacation" in Korean?
Say 여름 방학 for a school or university summer break. For a work holiday taken in summer, Koreans say 여름 휴가.
What is 장마?
장마 is the rainy season, the monsoon rain period in early summer. It is part of 여름, so use 장마 for the rains and 여름 for the season as a whole.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: the Seasons page puts 여름 beside its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 여름 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in the list is the word for winter: see winter.
- Compare with rainy season in Korean: the monsoon rain period in early summer.
- Compare with spring in Korean: the season before summer.