Key Facts
- Hangul: 물; Revised Romanization: mul
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native
- Register: Neutral; in restaurants 물 is also used for drinking water, with 냉수 for cold water.
Water in Korean: What Does 물 Mean?
물 is the everyday word for water in any form, from a glass on a restaurant table to the water in a river. Restaurants also use 물 for drinking water, and 냉수 is the specific word for cold water. The word is native Korean, so it has no hanja.
How Do You Pronounce 물?
One syllable, said "mul". The ending is a clear l, a point that matters in the mistake section below.
Example Sentences with 물
물 한 잔 주세요.
Mul han jan juseyo
Please give me a glass of water.
한 잔 counts glasses, and 주세요 is the polite request, so this is the standard line when you order water.
저는 물을 많이 마셔요.
Jeoneun mureul mani masyeoyo
I drink a lot of water.
많이 means a lot, and 마셔요 means drink. In 물을 the ㄹ links to the object marker, so it is read mureul.
물이 차가워요.
Muri chagawoyo
The water is cold.
The adjective 차가워요 means cold to the touch, a different word from the cold of weather.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Four phrases show drinking, boiling, temperature and quantity.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 물을 마시다 | to drink water |
| 물을 끓이다 | to boil water |
| 찬물 | cold water |
| 물 한 잔 | a glass of water |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners drop the final ㄹ.
Wrong: "mu", with no l at the end.
Correct: "mul", with a clear l. When a particle follows, the ㄹ links to the next syllable as a tap, so 물이 sounds like mu-ri.
물 Compared with Similar Words
Three neighbours are more specific than 물. 생수 is bottled drinking water, 냉수 is cold water, and 얼음 is ice. Use 물 when the kind of water does not matter.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 생수 | bottled drinking water | Water sold in bottles. |
| 얼음 | ice | Frozen water, not a liquid. |
| 냉수 | cold water | Specifically cold; 찬물 means the same. |
At a Restaurant: Asking for Warm Water
A diner wants warm drinking water rather than the cold water already on the table. The server checks the quantity.
Diner
따뜻한 물 있어요?
Ttatteuthan mul isseoyo?
Do you have warm water?
Server
네, 몇 잔 드릴까요?
Ne, myeot jan deurilkkayo?
Yes. How many glasses would you like?
Diner
한 잔 주세요.
Han jan juseyo.
One glass, please.
Server
네, 가져다드릴게요.
Ne, gajyeodadeurilgeyo.
Certainly. I’ll bring it to you.
따뜻한 물 specifies warm water. The reply counts servings with 잔, and the diner can answer 한 잔 without repeating 물. 드릴까요 is a courteous offer from the server. The diner’s 주세요 is a polite request and works without a special honorific word for water.
How Do You Specify the Water You Want?
찬물 is cold water, while 따뜻한 물 is warm water and 뜨거운 물 is hot water. Warm and hot are different requests: use 따뜻한 when you want something comfortably warm to drink. The noun 물 stays the same while the temperature word changes.
물 한 잔 counts one glass or cup of water. 물 한 병 counts one bottle. At a convenience store, the bottle is the useful unit; at a restaurant table, a glass is often the unit you need. 한 is the form of “one” used before these counters.
물을 마시다 is the clear everyday pairing for drinking water. 물을 끓이다 means to boil water, so the water is something being heated rather than consumed. A recipe containing 물을 넣다 asks you to add water to the food or container.
Where Will You See 물?
On a water dispenser, 냉수 labels cold water and 온수 labels hot water. 정수 commonly labels filtered water without added heating or chilling. Check the label before filling a cup: 물 alone tells you what the liquid is, while these labels distinguish the outlets.
A restaurant sign saying 물은 셀프 means you serve yourself water. Look for cups and the water station instead of waiting for a server to pour it. The sign concerns the serving arrangement; it does not describe a special kind of water.
생수 is a useful shopping word for bottled drinking water. 탄산수 means sparkling water. If you want still water, a bottle labeled 탄산수 is a different choice even though it also contains the water word 수. The everyday request 물 does not specify a brand, bottle size or temperature.
In a recipe, 물을 조금씩 넣다 means to add water a little at a time. 조금씩 controls the amount at each step, rather than naming a different liquid.
Words around a Glass of Water
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 컵 | cup | Names the container itself. |
| 잔 | glass / cup; serving counter | Counts servings in 물 한 잔. |
| 병 | bottle; bottle counter | Use 물 한 병 when ordering a bottle. |
| 온수 | hot water | Common on dispenser buttons. |
| 탄산수 | sparkling water | Water with carbonation. |
The drinks vocabulary lesson teaches other drinks you might order. The distinction between a drink and its container helps you understand why the same water can be counted by 잔 or 병.
Quick Self-Test
- Which asks for a bottle of water: 물 한 잔 or 물 한 병?
- What should you do when a sign says 물은 셀프?
- Which is warmer: 따뜻한 물 or 뜨거운 물?
Show answers
- 물 한 병 is one bottle of water.
- Get the water yourself from the water station.
- 뜨거운 물 is hot; 따뜻한 물 is warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say water in Korean?
Say 물 (mul).
How do I order a glass of water?
Say 물 한 잔 주세요, as in the first example.
What is bottled water called?
Bottled drinking water is 생수.
Why does 물이 sound like mu-ri?
The final ㄹ links to the next syllable when a particle follows.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: the food and drinks word list places this word beside other drink words.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Compare with the page for ice.
- Next in the list: the page for wine.
- Practice: add this word to the vocabulary flashcard decks.