Key Facts
- Hangul: 단어; Revised Romanization: daneo
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: Neutral, standard term.
Word in Korean: What Does 단어 Mean?
단어 is the standard term for a word as a unit of language. It fits study talk: counting new words, testing them and forgetting them. It is neutral in register. 어휘 names the whole stock of words, while 낱말 is a native-style term that textbooks for children use.
How Do You Pronounce 단어?
The romanization is daneo, two syllables, da-neo.
Example Sentences with 단어
이 단어의 뜻이 뭐예요?
I daneoui tteusi mwoyeyo?
What does this word mean?
A meaning question. 뜻 is the meaning, and the possessive 의 links it to 이 단어.
매일 새 단어를 다섯 개 외워요.
Maeil sae daneoreul daseot gae oewoyo.
I memorize five new words every day.
A daily study habit. 새 단어 is a new word, 다섯 개 is five items, and 외워요 means memorize.
단어가 생각나지 않아요.
Daneoga saenggangnaji anayo.
I cannot think of the word.
The phrase 생각나지 않아요 means the word will not come to mind.
Common Phrases with 단어
Three study phrases show 단어 in learner life. 시험 is a test.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 새 단어 | new word |
| 단어를 외우다 | to memorize words |
| 단어 시험 | vocabulary test |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: using 말 for a vocabulary item you study or count, for example on a word list or a vocabulary test.
Correct: 단어, as in 새 단어 and 단어 시험. Keep 말 for speech and for what someone said. The two overlap, but they are not interchangeable.
단어 Compared with Its Neighbours
The neighbours differ in scope and in who uses them.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 말 | speech / word | Spoken language or saying; 단어 is a word as a language unit. |
| 어휘 | vocabulary | The whole set of words. |
| 낱말 | word (native) | Native-style term, used in textbooks for children. |
Where Does 단어 Come From?
The hanja are 單語 (單 single + 語 word), so the word literally means a single unit of language.
Asking about a Word in Korean Class
A learner points to 숲 in a textbook. The teacher supplies its meaning, and the learner then asks about pronunciation. These are two different questions about the same vocabulary item.
Learner
이 단어의 뜻이 뭐예요?
I daneoui tteusi mwoyeyo?
What does this word mean?
Teacher
나무가 많은 곳이에요.
Namuga maneun gosieyo.
It’s a place with many trees.
Learner
이 단어는 어떻게 읽어요?
I daneoneun eotteoke ilgeoyo?
How do you read this word?
Teacher
숲이라고 읽어요.
Supirago ilgeoyo.
You read it as “sup”.
The learner’s first question asks for 뜻, the meaning. The second asks how to read the written word aloud. A teacher might answer one without answering the other, so separating the questions helps you get the information you need. 이 단어, “this word”, works naturally when you are pointing to a particular item on a page or screen.
Which Verbs Commonly Go with 단어?
단어를 외우다 means to memorize a word or words. 단어를 찾다 means to look for a word; in a dictionary setting, it means looking it up. 단어를 잊어버리다 means to forget a word. These phrases all treat the vocabulary item as the object, so 단어 takes 를.
단어가 생각나다 turns the viewpoint around: the word comes to mind. That is why the existing example uses 단어가 rather than 단어를 before 생각나지 않아요. The English translation “I cannot think of the word” puts the person first, but the Korean describes whether the word comes to mind. The difference is in the sentence structure, not in the meaning of 단어.
모르는 단어 means a word you do not know. It describes the learner’s knowledge, while 새 단어 means a new word in the current learning context. A word can be new to you even when it has existed for centuries. For a recently coined expression, 신조어 is the more specific term. That distinction helps when a news article discusses new slang rather than a beginner’s vocabulary list.
How Do You Count Words?
개 is a useful general counter when counting vocabulary items. The existing sentence uses 다섯 개 for five items, and 단어 세 개 means three words. There is no need to add a plural ending to 단어 just because you are counting more than one. The number already supplies that information.
A Korean syllable block is not automatically a whole word. 나무 has two written blocks but is one word; 단어 also has two blocks. If a worksheet asks for three words, writing three separate syllables may not meet the instruction. In a vocabulary exercise, count the complete vocabulary items you are being asked to supply.
Where Will You See 단어, 어휘 and 말?
단어 appears in textbook lists, classroom instructions and vocabulary apps. 단어장 is a vocabulary notebook or wordbook, and 단어 시험 is a vocabulary test. These expressions focus on individual items that can be written down, learned and tested. A teacher can use 단어 in a formal lesson without switching to a more elevated synonym.
어휘 appears in course descriptions and headings about vocabulary knowledge. It names a stock or range of words, so it suits a discussion of someone’s vocabulary as a whole. 낱말 is another word for a language item and is familiar from children’s learning materials. Seeing 낱말 in a worksheet does not mean that the item itself is childish.
말 covers speech and what someone says. In a drama, a request to listen to someone’s 말 concerns their message, not their vocabulary list. This is why translating every English use of “word” as 단어 sounds awkward. First decide whether you mean an individual language item or something a person has said.
Words for Asking about Language
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 뜻 | meaning | What you ask about when a word is unfamiliar. |
| 발음 | pronunciation | How a word sounds when spoken. |
| 철자 | spelling | How a word is written. |
| 문장 | sentence | A larger unit that can contain several words. |
The classroom vocabulary lesson supplies the surrounding language for asking questions during a lesson.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 단어 세 개 mean three words or three syllables?
- Which word names a vocabulary notebook: 단어장 or 문장?
- In 단어가 생각나다, what comes to mind?
Show answers
- Three words.
- 단어장. 문장 means a sentence.
- The word itself, which takes 가 in this expression.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "word" in Korean?
Say 단어 (daneo).
What is the difference between 단어 and 말?
단어 is a word as a learnable item, and 말 is speech or a spoken word.
How do I say "new word"?
Say 새 단어.
What does 어휘 mean?
It means vocabulary, the whole set of words.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Classroom words vocabulary groups 단어 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add the word to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Related page: Korean alphabet in Korean.
- Related page: Horse in Korean.