Key Facts
- Word: 귤 (gyul), noun, Sino-Korean origin
- Register: Neutral; the typical winter fruit in Korea, often eaten peeled by hand.
- Hanja: 橘 (tangerine/citrus)
- Senses: tangerine; mandarin orange
Tangerine in Korean: What Does 귤 Mean?
귤 means tangerine or mandarin orange. The register is neutral, and it is the typical winter fruit in Korea, often eaten peeled by hand. Counting is simple: the sentence 귤 한 개 주세요 asks for a single fruit.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Say gyul as one syllable that starts with a y-glide and ends in a clear l. The RR gyul matches what you hear. When a particle follows, the ㄹ moves over and becomes a tap, which is why 귤이 is heard as gyuri.
Example Sentences with 귤
겨울에는 귤을 많이 먹어요.
Gyeoureneun gyureul mani meogeoyo
In winter I eat a lot of tangerines.
A seasonal habit. 겨울에는 marks winter as a topic, and 많이 means 'a lot'.
귤 한 개 주세요.
Gyul han gae juseyo
Please give me one tangerine.
A shop request. 한 개 is 'one piece' and 주세요 is the polite 'please give'.
제주도 귤이 맛있어요.
Jejudo gyuri masisseoyo
Jeju tangerines are delicious.
A regional boast. 제주도 is Jeju Island, and 맛있어요 means 'is delicious'. The subject marker lets the sentence praise the place's fruit.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 귤을 까다 | to peel a tangerine |
| 귤을 먹다 | to eat tangerines |
| 귤 한 상자 | a box of tangerines |
| 제주 귤 | Jeju tangerine |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners call every orange-coloured citrus by the loanword they know.
Wrong: 오렌지 for the small fruit eaten in winter.
Correct: 귤 for that fruit; 오렌지 is the larger orange, usually imported.
귤 Compared with Similar Words
Citrus words differ by size, taste and origin.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 오렌지 | orange | Larger, thicker-skinned and usually imported. |
| 한라봉 | hallabong (large Jeju citrus) | A large Jeju citrus with a bump at the stem. |
| 레몬 | lemon | Sour, used for juice and tea rather than eaten. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
귤 is Sino-Korean: the hanja is 橘, the character for tangerine or citrus.
Cultural Note
Jeju Island is famous for its tangerines, which is why 제주 귤 is a common phrase.
At a Fruit Stall: Choosing a Bag of Tangerines
A customer wants tangerines for a snack. The seller describes the taste before the customer asks for a bag.
Customer
이 귤 달아요?
I gyul darayo?
Are these tangerines sweet?
Seller
네, 달고 맛있어요.
Ne, dalgo masisseoyo.
Yes, they are sweet and delicious.
Customer
그럼 한 봉지 주세요.
Geureom han bongji juseyo.
Then one bag, please.
Seller
네, 여기 있어요.
Ne, yeogi isseoyo.
Sure, here you are.
달아요 asks whether the fruit is sweet. The question uses 이 귤, “these tangerines”, without adding a plural marker. Korean can leave the quantity open until a number or counter makes it clear. The customer then specifies 한 봉지, one bag, rather than one individual fruit.
The seller’s 달고 맛있어요 joins “sweet” and “delicious”. These are related comments but have different jobs: sweetness describes a taste, while deliciousness gives an overall opinion. A person who prefers sour fruit could enjoy a tangerine without describing it as very sweet.
Phrases for Peeling, Sharing and Describing 귤
귤을 까다 means peel a tangerine. 까다 describes removing the outer covering; it does not mean cutting the fruit into slices. 귤껍질 is tangerine peel, written as one word. The peel is the part removed before eating, so naming it helps when asking where to put the scraps.
귤 한 개 means one whole tangerine. 귤 한 조각 means one piece or segment of a tangerine. At a table, someone offering you a segment is offering less than a whole fruit. The counter changes what is being counted even though 귤 remains the same noun.
새콤달콤하다 means to taste pleasantly sour and sweet together. You can meet it in descriptions of 귤 and other fruit. It describes a balance of tastes, rather than saying the fruit has gone bad. 신 귤 means a sour tangerine, while 단 귤 means a sweet one.
Buying One Fruit, a Bag or a Box
귤 한 상자 names a box of tangerines, often useful when talking about a larger purchase or a gift. 귤 한 봉지 names a bag. Neither expression gives a fixed number of fruits: containers can hold different amounts. If the amount matters, look for a weight or quantity beside the price.
A produce label may show 제주 귤 to identify Jeju tangerines. 제주 gives the place associated with the fruit, not its sweetness or size. The dialogue’s question about taste therefore still has a purpose even after you recognise the origin label.
귤 covers everyday tangerines and mandarins without requiring a narrow botanical distinction. In a shop, a named citrus such as 한라봉 is useful when you want that particular fruit. 오렌지 is the ordinary word for an orange; the shared colour does not make the names interchangeable in a purchase.
Where Will You Encounter 귤?
Fruit stalls, supermarket produce sections and conversations about winter snacks all use 귤. At home, 귤을 까다 often describes the small action before sharing fruit. In a recipe or product label, 귤껍질 identifies the peel as an ingredient, so the label is referring to a different part from the segments you eat.
The noun is neutral and needs no respectful replacement when offering fruit to a guest. Politeness comes from the surrounding offer or request. The shop dialogue uses 주세요 to make the purchase request polite while leaving 귤 unchanged.
Fruit Words That Help with the Next Question
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 껍질 | peel; skin | The outer covering removed from the fruit. |
| 과육 | flesh; pulp | The edible inner part, common in product descriptions. |
| 씨 | seed | Useful when discussing seeds in fruit. |
| 봉지 | bag | Counts a bagful, not a single tangerine. |
The fruit vocabulary lesson teaches the wider set. Learn the fruit name together with its unit: a whole fruit, a segment and a bag answer three different questions about quantity.
Quick Self-Test
- Is 귤 한 조각 a whole tangerine?
- Does 새콤달콤하다 describe sourness alone?
- Does 귤 한 상자 tell you an exact number of fruits?
Show answers
- No. It is a piece or segment.
- No. It describes a sour-and-sweet taste.
- No. It means one box; the amount needs separate information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is tangerine in Korean?
It is 귤, which also covers mandarin oranges.
How do I peel one?
Use the collocation 귤을 까다. To eat them, say 귤을 먹다.
Is 귤 the same as 오렌지?
No. 오렌지 is the larger, usually imported orange.
What is 한라봉?
It is a large citrus fruit grown on Jeju Island, named after Hallasan, the mountain at the centre of the island.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Fruit words groups 귤 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- See also the page for 오렌지: orange.