Key Facts
- Hangul: 태풍; Revised Romanization: taepung
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 颱風 (颱 typhoon + 風 wind)
- Register: neutral; used in weather news
Typhoon in Korean: What Does 태풍 Mean?
태풍 names a large tropical storm with strong wind and heavy rain. The tone is neutral and typical of weather reports and ordinary conversation. Typhoons are named and numbered, and they are more frequent in late summer.
Learners often hear it in verb phrases. 태풍이 오다 is a typhoon comes, 태풍이 지나가다 is a typhoon passes, 태풍 경보 is a typhoon warning, and 태풍의 눈 is the eye of the typhoon. Related words 바람 (wind) and 장마 (the rainy season) describe other weather.
How Do You Pronounce 태풍?
태풍 is tae-pung. The ㅌ starts with a burst of breath, stronger than the t in top. The vowel ㅐ is like the e in bed. The ㅍ in 풍 is also aspirated, and the word ends in ng. Keep both aspirated consonants clear and the vowel open.
Example Sentences with 태풍
태풍이 와요.
Taepungi wayo.
A typhoon is coming.
오다 is the verb for a storm that approaches, so 와요 reads a typhoon is coming. The subject particle 이 follows 태풍.
태풍 때문에 비행기가 취소됐어요.
Taepung ttaemune bihaenggiga chwisodwaesseoyo.
The flight was canceled because of the typhoon.
때문에 means because of. 비행기 is the plane (here, the flight), and 취소됐어요 is was canceled. This is the sentence for explaining a cancellation.
태풍이 지나갔어요.
Taepungi jinagasseoyo.
The typhoon has passed.
지나갔어요 is the past of passes by. It tells the listener that the storm has passed, without saying whether all of its effects have ended.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Typhoon warnings and weather reports use a small set of phrases.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 태풍이 오다 | a typhoon comes |
| 태풍 경보 | typhoon warning |
| 태풍의 눈 | eye of the typhoon |
| 태풍이 지나가다 | a typhoon passes |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners translate typhoon with the word for a general storm or the foreign word for hurricane.
Wrong: ✗ 허리케인 or 폭풍 for a typhoon near Korea
Correct: ✓ 태풍이 와요.
A tropical storm in East Asia is called 태풍, and that is the word Korean forecasts use. 허리케인 is the foreign hurricane word, and 폭풍 is a general storm, not the name of this tropical storm.
태풍 Compared with 바람 and 장마
Two weather words appear in the same news bulletins as 태풍. They name different things.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 태풍 | typhoon | A tropical storm of East Asia. |
| 바람 | wind | General wind. |
| 장마 | rainy season | Seasonal rains. |
The word for the seasonal rains has its own page, rainy season.
Where Does the Word Come From?
태풍 is Sino-Korean, written 颱風 in hanja: 颱 (typhoon) plus 風 (wind). The second character is the same wind that appears in many weather words. In this word it points to a violent wind from the sea.
At a Hotel: Changing Plans Because of a Typhoon
A guest is asking a hotel employee about a boat trip. The forecast supplies the reason for a possible change, rather than confirming a cancellation.
Guest
내일 배를 탈 수 있어요?
Naeil baereul tal su isseoyo?
Can I take the boat tomorrow?
Employee
태풍이 와서 어려울 것 같아요.
Taepungi waseo eoryeoul geot gatayo.
I think it will be difficult because a typhoon is coming.
Guest
그럼 일정을 바꿔야겠어요.
Geureom iljeongeul bakkwoyagesseoyo.
Then I will have to change my plans.
Employee
네, 운항 정보를 확인해 보세요.
Ne, unhang jeongboreul hwaginhae boseyo.
Yes, please check the service information.
태풍이 와서 gives the reason: because a typhoon is coming. 어려울 것 같아요 expresses the employee's expectation, rather than an official cancellation. 운항 정보 refers to operating information for transport such as boats or aircraft. The guest needs that information to know the status of the trip.
Words in Weather Reports and Travel Notices
태풍 경로 means the path of a typhoon. A weather map can use it to describe where the storm is moving. 태풍 피해 means damage caused by a typhoon. The shared first word identifies the cause or subject, while the second word tells you which aspect the report discusses.
태풍의 영향 means the influence or effects of a typhoon. In a notice, it can explain why a service has changed. The phrase does not by itself tell you whether something is delayed, cancelled or operating normally. Find the word describing the service's status as well as the weather reason.
In everyday talk, 태풍 때문에 introduces a consequence, as in the existing flight example. 때문에 means “because of” and follows the noun directly. The construction can explain a changed plan without requiring a long description of the weather.
What Does 태풍의 눈 Mean?
Literally, 태풍의 눈 is the eye of the typhoon, its central region. In news commentary, the same phrase can figuratively describe something at the centre of attention or a developing controversy. The surrounding subject tells you which meaning is intended: a weather report concerns the storm, while a political discussion may use the image figuratively.
눈 alone also means an eye in other settings. Here 의 links the eye to the typhoon. Learn the whole expression so that a figurative headline does not sound like a discussion of someone's eyesight.
Related Words for Understanding Disrupted Travel
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 강풍 | strong wind | Describes the wind, rather than naming the whole storm. |
| 폭우 | torrential rain | Describes very heavy rain. |
| 결항 | cancellation of a scheduled flight or sailing | A transport status, not simply a weather description. |
| 지연 | delay | The service is late; this differs from cancellation. |
The weather vocabulary lesson teaches the weather terms alongside rain and wind. In a travel notice, separate the cause from the result: 태풍 may explain the disruption, while 결항 or 지연 tells you what happened to the service. This also makes the original example easier to read: 취소됐어요 explicitly says it was cancelled.
Quick Self-Test
- What does 태풍 경로 describe?
- Does 어려울 것 같아요 confirm an official cancellation?
- Which word means a delay rather than a cancellation: 지연 or 결항?
Show answers
- The path of the typhoon.
- No. It expresses an expectation that something will be difficult.
- 지연 means delay; 결항 names a cancelled flight or sailing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say typhoon in Korean?
Say 태풍 (taepung). It is the word used in all Korean weather news.
How do you say a typhoon is coming?
Say 태풍이 와요. The verb 오다 is the one used for an approaching storm.
How do you say typhoon warning?
Say 태풍 경보. A typhoon passing is 태풍이 지나가다.
Is 폭풍 a typhoon?
No. A tropical storm in East Asia is named 태풍, and Korean forecasts call it 태풍, not 폭풍 or 허리케인.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: weather vocabulary places 태풍 among rain, wind and thunder.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: Add 태풍 to your review in the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in the list is the word for wind.