Key Facts
- Hangul: 겨울; Revised Romanization: gyeoul
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native
- Register: Neutral, everyday native word for the season.
Winter in Korean: What Does 겨울 Mean?
겨울 is the native Korean name of the cold season, neutral and everyday. Winter vocabulary builds on it with simple compounds: 겨울 방학 for the winter vacation, 겨울옷 for winter clothes, 한겨울 for midwinter and 겨울잠 for hibernation.
How Do You Pronounce 겨울?
The romanization is gyeoul, two syllables, gyeo-ul. The first syllable 겨 is g plus the vowel ㅕ (yeo, a y glide into the unrounded vowel ㅓ), and the second syllable is 울 (ul).
Example Sentences with 겨울
겨울에는 눈이 와요.
Gyeoureneun nuni wayo
It snows in winter.
The particle 에는 marks the time frame, "in winter", and 눈이 와요 means it snows. The word 눈 here is snow.
저는 겨울이 싫어요.
Jeoneun gyeouri sireoyo
I dislike winter.
A personal opinion. 싫어요 expresses dislike, and the subject particle 이 attaches because 겨울 ends in a consonant.
겨울에 스키를 타요.
Gyeoure seukireul tayo
I ski in winter.
A seasonal activity. 스키를 타요 means "ride skis", and 에 alone, without 는, simply places the activity in winter.
Common Phrases with 겨울
Compounds do most of the work. 방학 is the school break, and 잠 inside 겨울잠 is sleep. In 겨울잠 the ㅈ is tensed, so it sounds like gyeoul-jjam (RR gyeouljam).
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 겨울 방학 | winter vacation |
| 겨울옷 | winter clothes |
| 한겨울 | midwinter |
| 겨울잠 | hibernation |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: mixing up 겨울 (winter) and 가을 (autumn) because their endings 울 and 을 sound alike.
Correct: 겨울 starts with 겨 (gyeo) and means winter; 가을 starts with 가 (ga) and means autumn.
겨울 Compared with Its Neighbours
Three related words surround 겨울 in meaning or sound.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 추위 | cold (weather) | the cold itself, not the season |
| 눈 | snow/eye | snow falls in winter; also means 'eye' |
| 가을 | autumn | ends in a similar sound (을 vs 울), easy to mix up |
Where Does 겨울 Come From?
겨울 is a native Korean noun with no hanja form.
Cultural Note
Late autumn to early winter is 김장 season, when families make large batches of kimchi for the winter.
Planning a Winter Break
Two friends are talking about the school holiday. One suggests a winter activity, but the other has a different preference.
Friend A
겨울 방학에 뭐 해요?
Gyeoul banghage mwo haeyo?
What are you doing during winter break?
Friend B
아직 계획이 없어요.
Ajik gyehoegi eopseoyo.
I do not have plans yet.
Friend A
같이 스키 타러 갈까요?
Gachi seuki tareo galkkayo?
Shall we go skiing together?
Friend B
저는 겨울에 온천에 가고 싶어요.
Jeoneun gyeoure oncheone gago sipeoyo.
I want to go to a hot spring in winter.
겨울 방학 names the school break, while 겨울에 in the final line simply places an activity in winter. The season alone does not mean a holiday. 온천 means a hot spring, and -고 싶어요 expresses what the speaker wants to do.
Which Winter Are You Talking About?
이번 겨울 means “this winter”, 지난겨울 means “last winter”, and 내년 겨울 means “next year's winter”. These phrases make the time more precise than 겨울 alone. Notice the spacing: 지난겨울 is one word, while 이번 겨울 and 내년 겨울 are written with a space.
겨울에 places an event in winter. 겨울에는 adds a topic or contrast: “in winter”, perhaps compared with summer. The existing skiing example uses 에 because it simply says when the activity happens. The snow example uses 에는 to describe winter as a seasonal topic. Neither ending turns the noun into an adjective.
Winter Compounds You Will Actually Meet
겨울옷 means winter clothes. Here 겨울 describes what season the clothes are for, rather than when someone bought them. A shop section labelled 겨울옷 points to seasonal clothing. A coat bought in winter is not necessarily winter clothing; the compound identifies its intended use.
한겨울 means midwinter or the depth of winter, rather than the entire season. 초겨울 means early winter. These words help distinguish a chilly beginning from the coldest part of the season without naming a particular month. Their meaning is about the stage of winter, not a fixed temperature.
겨울잠 literally combines “winter” and “sleep” and means hibernation. In an animal story it describes a seasonal behaviour, not an ordinary nap on a cold day. A person might use it playfully about sleeping a lot, but the literal animal meaning is the useful starting point for learners.
What Does 겨울을 나다 Mean?
겨울을 나다 means to spend or get through the winter. The season takes the object marker 을, and 나다 describes passing that period. It often appears when people discuss preparing supplies, caring for plants, or helping animals through cold weather. It does not mean that winter is physically moving somewhere.
겨울나기 is the related noun for getting through winter or winter preparations. You may see it in the title of a story about practical preparations. The focus is managing the season, while 겨울 여행 means travelling during winter. Both contain 겨울, but they describe different purposes.
Where Will You Hear or See 겨울?
School calendars use 겨울 방학 for the winter break. 방학 is specifically a break from classes, so it is useful for students and teachers. A worker's time off is normally discussed with 휴가. Saying 겨울 휴가 therefore describes a winter vacation without implying that the person is on a school timetable.
Travel descriptions use 겨울 여행, and weather conversations connect 겨울 with 추위, “the cold”, or 눈, “snow”. 겨울 names the season even on a mild day. 추위 names the cold itself, so an unusually cold day in another season can also involve 추위. Keeping the two separate makes your descriptions more accurate.
Words for a Winter Conversation
| Korean | Meaning | One useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 계절 | season | The category winter belongs to. |
| 봄 | spring | The season that follows winter. |
| 난방 | heating | Used when discussing indoor warmth. |
| 장갑 | gloves | A useful winter clothing word. |
| 목도리 | scarf | Names the item worn around the neck. |
The seasons vocabulary lesson teaches the annual cycle. Pair a season word with the activity or object you mean: winter travel, winter clothes, and winter break each tell the listener something different about the same time of year.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 겨울 방학 normally describe a school break or an employee's leave?
- Which is more specific: 겨울 or 한겨울?
- Does 겨울을 나다 mean to get through winter or to go skiing?
Show answers
- A school break. 휴가 is used for leave or vacation from work.
- 한겨울 specifies midwinter or the depth of winter.
- To spend or get through winter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "winter" in Korean?
Say 겨울 (gyeoul).
How do I say "winter vacation"?
Say 겨울 방학, a compound listed on this page.
Why is 가을 easy to confuse with 겨울?
Their second syllables sound close, 울 (ul) in 겨울 and 을 (eul) in 가을. The first syllable is the clearest clue, 겨 (gyeo) for winter and 가 (ga) for autumn.
What is 김장?
It is the late-autumn custom of making large batches of kimchi to last through the winter.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Seasons vocabulary groups 겨울 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add the word to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Related page: Season in Korean.
- Related page: Eye in Korean.
- Related page: Autumn in Korean.