Key Facts
- Hangul: 떡볶이; Revised Romanization: tteokbokki; pronounced [tteok-ppo-kki]
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: Neutral; a popular street food and snack name.
Tteokbokki in Korean: What Does 떡볶이 Mean?
떡볶이 names the dish: 떡, rice cake, cooked in a spicy sauce. The register is neutral, and the same word covers street-stall and home-made versions. Because it is a food name, you use it with eating and liking verbs, as in the examples.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Revised Romanization writes tteokbokki, but the standard pronunciation is [tteok-ppo-kki]: after the final ㄱ of 떡, the ㅂ becomes tense. The tt, pp and kk are all tense consonants, said with a tight throat and no puff of air.
Example Sentences with 떡볶이
저는 떡볶이를 좋아해요.
Jeoneun tteokbokkireul joahaeyo.
I like tteokbokki.
The first example says you like the dish, with 를 as the object marker after a vowel-final word. It is the sentence to use when someone asks about your favourite snack.
떡볶이가 매워요.
Tteokbokkiga maewoyo.
The tteokbokki is spicy.
Here the dish is the subject, and 매워요 means it is spicy. This is the sentence a stall seller or a friend might say to warn you.
친구와 떡볶이를 먹어요.
Chinguwa tteokbokkireul meogeoyo.
I eat tteokbokki with a friend.
The verb 먹어요 means eat, and 친구와 adds the companion. The snack is often shared, so this sentence fits the place it usually comes up.
Collocations
매운 떡볶이 is spicy tteokbokki, 치즈 떡볶이 adds cheese for a milder version, and 떡볶이를 먹다 is the basic verb phrase.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 떡볶이를 먹다 | to eat tteokbokki |
| 매운 떡볶이 | spicy tteokbokki |
| 치즈 떡볶이 | cheese tteokbokki |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: 떡복이 or 떡볶기.
Correct: 떡볶이. The second syllable ends in the double ㄲ and the word ends in 이, which is why you hear kki at the end.
떡볶이 Compared with 떡 and 김밥
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 떡볶이 | tteokbokki | The finished spicy dish |
| 떡 | rice cake | The main ingredient, not the cooked dish |
| 김밥 | gimbap | A seaweed rice roll often ordered with 떡볶이 at snack shops |
Ordering at a Snack Shop
A customer wants a takeaway portion but is unsure about the spice level. The server checks the choice before preparing it.
Customer
떡볶이 일 인분 주세요.
Tteokbokki il inbun juseyo.
One portion of tteokbokki, please.
Server
매운맛으로 드릴까요?
Maeunmaseuro deurilkkayo?
Would you like the spicy version?
Customer
아니요. 순한맛으로 주세요.
Aniyo. Sunhanmaseuro juseyo.
No. The mild version, please.
Server
네. 포장해 드릴게요.
Ne. Pojanghae deurilgeyo.
Certainly. I’ll pack it to go for you.
일 인분 means one person's portion. On a menu it is often written 1인분. The customer chooses 순한맛, the mild option, instead of 매운맛, the spicy option. 포장 tells you the food will be packed to take away. These are separate choices: the dish name alone says nothing about portion size or whether you will eat in.
Menu Words around 떡볶이
국물 떡볶이 is tteokbokki served with plenty of sauce or broth. 국물 means the liquid part of a dish. 즉석 떡볶이 is prepared at the table, often with ingredients cooking together in a pan. The words before 떡볶이 tell you about the serving style as well as the flavour.
로제 떡볶이 names a creamy version with a pinkish sauce. 치즈 떡볶이 has cheese. A cheese topping does not guarantee that the underlying sauce is mild, so ask about the spice level separately. The existing phrase 매운 떡볶이 describes spiciness directly.
라볶이 combines ramyeon noodles with tteokbokki. It is a menu name of its own, rather than a spelling variant of 떡볶이. If you recognize 볶이 at the end, check the beginning too: it may tell you that the dish includes another main ingredient.
Rice Cakes, Portions and Extras
떡 names the rice cakes themselves. 떡볶이 names the finished dish, so liking one kind of 떡 does not automatically describe your taste for every rice-cake dish. In a bowl of 떡볶이, you can point to a piece of 떡 or describe the sauce separately.
쌀떡 means rice-based rice cakes, while 밀떡 means wheat-based cakes. Both terms occur in tteokbokki descriptions. The everyday English gloss “rice cakes” can hide this difference. A menu's ingredient wording is more useful than the general dish name when you want to know what the cakes are made from.
사리 means an extra ingredient added to the dish, such as an additional serving of noodles. A menu may list these extras separately from the basic portion. 세트 means a set meal or combination: a 떡볶이 세트 may include side dishes, but you need to read that shop's list to know which ones.
Where Will You Hear the Name?
분식집 is a casual snack shop, a natural setting for 떡볶이, 김밥 and fried snacks. You may also see the dish on delivery menus or hear friends mention it when choosing something to share after class. It is an ordinary food name with no formal replacement.
At the counter, 떡볶이 주세요 is a polite order even without a full “I would like” sentence. The server's 드릴까요 offers something respectfully to the customer. You can keep the simpler 주세요 when replying; there is no need to copy the server's verb form.
Related Snack-Shop Words
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 어묵 | fish cake | Often appears in the sauce or as a separate side. |
| 튀김 | fried food / fried snacks | A common side order alongside 떡볶이. |
| 국물 | broth / liquid sauce | Describes the liquid rather than the rice cakes. |
| 분식집 | snack shop | A place to look for these casual dishes. |
| 포장 | takeaway packing | Useful when ordering food to eat elsewhere. |
The Korean dishes lesson connects 떡볶이 with other menu names.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 치즈 떡볶이 guarantee mild sauce?
- What does 1인분 tell you?
- Which names the finished dish: 떡 or 떡볶이?
Show answers
- No. Cheese and spice level are separate features.
- It is a portion for one person.
- 떡볶이; 떡 names the cakes themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "tteokbokki" in Korean?
Tteokbokki in Korean is 떡볶이. The official romanization is tteokbokki, and the standard pronunciation is [tteok-ppo-kki], so you will also see the spelling tteokppokki.
How is 떡볶이 spelled?
Write 떡볶이: ㄲ at the end of the second syllable and 이 as the last syllable. 떡복이 and 떡볶기 are common misspellings.
What is the difference between 떡 and 떡볶이?
떡 is rice cake, the main ingredient. 떡볶이 is the spicy dish made by cooking 떡 in a red sauce.
Where is tteokbokki sold?
It is a classic street food, sold at street stalls and snack shops, often alongside 김밥.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Korean dish words lists 떡볶이 among Korean dishes.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Compare with rice cake, the main ingredient, and gimbap, its usual partner at snack shops.