πŸ”‘

The Most Useful Phrase: 'How do you say X in Korean?'

Keywords
ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”?
Lesson #
S
Done
Section
Basic Speaking
πŸ¦„
TL;DR πŸ¦„
  • πŸ”‘ 이거 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? [i-geo han-gu-geo-ro mwo-ra-go hae-yo?] β€” "What do you call this in Korean?"
  • 🍎 "Apple"은 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ λ­μ˜ˆμš”? ["apple"-eun han-gu-geo-ro mwo-ye-yo?] β€” "What is 'apple' in Korean?"
  • πŸ—£οΈ ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ μ–΄λ–»κ²Œ λ§ν•΄μš”? [han-gu-geo-ro eo-tteo-ke mal-hae-yo?] β€” "How do you say it in Korean?"
  • ❓ μ΄λ ‡κ²Œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ λΌμš”? [i-reo-ke mal-ha-myeon dwae-yo?] β€” "Is it okay to say it like this?"
  • βœ… λ„€, λ§žμ•„μš” [ne, ma-ja-yo] β€” "Yes, that's right"
πŸ”Š
🎧 Iru Helper Note: Hear every phrase in this lesson spoken aloud and practice your pronunciation with the Iru Helper Widgets.
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🌈 The Big Picture

ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? [han-gu-geo-ro mwo-ra-go hae-yo?] β€” "How do you say it in Korean?" β€” might be the single most useful sentence you'll ever learn. It turns every gap in your vocabulary into a quick lesson, on the spot, from a real person.
  • 이거 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? β€” "What do you call this in Korean?" (pointing at something)
  • "Receipt"λŠ” ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ λ­μ˜ˆμš”? β€” "What's 'receipt' in Korean?" (asking about a word you know in another language)
Once someone tells you the word, repeat it back β€” μ•„, "영수증"μ΄κ΅°μš”! ("Oh, it's '영수증'!") β€” to confirm you heard it correctly and to help it stick in memory.

🎭 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? vs. λ­μ˜ˆμš”?: Asking How to Say vs. Asking What It Is

These two look similar but ask different things. ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? asks how to express something you already understand β€” you have the concept, you just need the Korean word. 이게 λ­μ˜ˆμš”? asks what something is β€” you don't even know what the thing itself is yet.
  • (concept known, need the word) 이거 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? β€” "What do you call this in Korean?"
  • (object unknown entirely) 이게 λ­μ˜ˆμš”? β€” "What is this?" (you might not even know what it's used for)
If you're holding up an apple and just need the Korean word, use 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”?. If you're holding up a mystery kitchen gadget and have no idea what it even does, 이게 λ­μ˜ˆμš”? is more natural.

🧳 Essential Phrase Kit

  • 이거 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? [i-geo han-gu-geo-ro mwo-ra-go hae-yo?] β€” "What do you call this in Korean?"
  • "Apple"은 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ λ­μ˜ˆμš”? ["apple"-eun han-gu-geo-ro mwo-ye-yo?] β€” "What is 'apple' in Korean?"
  • ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ μ–΄λ–»κ²Œ λ§ν•΄μš”? [han-gu-geo-ro eo-tteo-ke mal-hae-yo?] β€” "How do you say it in Korean?"
  • μ΄λ ‡κ²Œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ λΌμš”? [i-reo-ke mal-ha-myeon dwae-yo?] β€” "Is it okay to say it like this?"
  • λ„€, λ§žμ•„μš” [ne, ma-ja-yo] β€” "Yes, that's right"
  • μ•„λ‹ˆμš”, μ΄λ ‡κ²Œ λ§ν•΄μš” [a-ni-yo, i-reo-ke mal-hae-yo] β€” "No, you say it like this"
  • λ‹€μ‹œ ν•œλ²ˆ 말해 μ£Όμ‹œκ² μ–΄μš”? [da-shi han-beon mal-hae ju-si-ge-sseo-yo?] β€” "Could you say it one more time?"
  • 이 단어 μ–΄λ–»κ²Œ μ¨μš”? [i da-neo eo-tteo-ke sseo-yo?] β€” "How do you write/spell this word?"
  • μ•„, "영수증"μ΄κ΅°μš”! [a, "yeong-su-jeung"-i-gun-yo!] β€” "Oh, it's '영수증'!"
  • μƒˆ 단어λ₯Ό λ°°μ› μ–΄μš” [sae da-neo-reul bae-wo-sseo-yo] β€” "I learned a new word"

πŸ› οΈ Putting Together

A. Pointing at street food
  • A: μ €κΈ°μš”, 이거 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”?
  • B: μ΄κ±°μš”? "ν˜Έλ–‘"이라고 ν•΄μš”. λ‹¬μ½€ν•œ κ°„μ‹μ΄μ—μš”.
  • A: ν˜Έλ–‘... μ•„, ν˜Έλ–‘μ΄κ΅°μš”! ν•˜λ‚˜ μ£Όμ„Έμš”.
A: Excuse me, what do you call this in Korean?
B: This? It's called "hotteok." It's a sweet snack.
A: Hotteok... oh, it's hotteok! One, please.
✨ Grammar note: "X"라고 ν•΄μš” ("it's called X") is the standard pattern for naming something β€” pair it with 이거 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? to learn new words from real situations.
B. Asking about an English word
  • A: "Receipt"λŠ” ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ λ­μ˜ˆμš”?
  • B: "영수증"μ΄μ—μš”.
  • A: 영수증... λ‹€μ‹œ ν•œλ²ˆ 말해 μ£Όμ‹œκ² μ–΄μš”?
  • B: 영. 수. 증. μ˜μˆ˜μ¦μ΄μ—μš”.
A: What is "receipt" in Korean?
B: It's "영수증."
A: Yeongsujeung... could you say it one more time?
B: 영. 수. 증. It's 영수증.
✨ Grammar note: When a new word is hard to catch, asking λ‹€μ‹œ ν•œλ²ˆ 말해 μ£Όμ‹œκ² μ–΄μš”? often prompts the other person to slow down and even spell it out syllable by syllable.
C. Confirming you used a new word correctly
  • A: μ–΄μ œ 배운 단어λ₯Ό 써 λ³Όκ²Œμš”. "이 옷 μ§„μ§œ μ˜ˆλ»μš”!" μ΄λ ‡κ²Œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ λΌμš”?
  • B: λ„€, λ§žμ•„μš”! μž˜ν–ˆμ–΄μš”.
  • A: λ‹€ν–‰μ΄μ—μš”. μƒˆ 단어λ₯Ό λ°°μ› μ–΄μš”.
A: I'll try using the word I learned yesterday. "This outfit is really pretty!" Is it okay to say it like this?
B: Yes, that's right! Well done.
A: Good, I'm relieved. I learned a new word.
✨ Grammar note: μ΄λ ‡κ²Œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ λΌμš”? ("is it okay to say it like this?") is perfect for testing out new vocabulary in a full sentence and getting quick feedback.

πŸ—£οΈ Speaking Practice: Mini Dialogue

민수: 지은아, 이거 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? μ•„, λ―Έμ•ˆ, 뭐라고 ν•΄?
[ji-eun-a, i-geo han-gu-geo-ro mwo-ra-go hae-yo? a, mi-an, mwo-ra-go hae?]
Jieun, what do you call this in Korean? Oh, sorry, what do you call it?
지은: μ–΄λ–€ κ±°? μ•„, κ·Έ 영수증? 그건 "영수증"이라고 ν•΄.
[eo-tteon geo? a, geu yeong-su-jeung? geu-geon "yeong-su-jeung"-i-ra-go hae]
Which thing? Oh, that receipt? That's called "yeongsujeung."
민수: 영수증... μ΄λ ‡κ²Œ λ°œμŒν•˜λ©΄ 돼?
[yeong-su-jeung... i-reo-ke ba-reum-ha-myeon dwae?]
Yeongsujeung... is it okay to pronounce it like this?
지은: 응, λ§žμ•„! 발음 쒋은데?
[eung, ma-ja! ba-reum jo-eun-de?]
Yeah, that's right! Your pronunciation is pretty good.
민수: κ³ λ§ˆμ›Œ. 였늘 μƒˆ 단어λ₯Ό λ°°μ› μ–΄. 영수증, 영수증...
[go-ma-wo. o-neul sae da-neo-reul bae-wo-sseo. yeong-su-jeung, yeong-su-jeung]
Thanks. I learned a new word today. Yeongsujeung, yeongsujeung...
지은: κ·Έλ ‡κ²Œ 계속 λ§ν•˜λ©΄ μ ˆλŒ€ μ•ˆ μžŠμ–΄λ²„λ¦΄ κ±°μ•Ό!
[geu-reo-ke gye-sok mal-ha-myeon jeol-dae an i-jeo-beo-ril geo-ya!]
If you keep saying it like that, you'll never forget it!

🧭 Speaking Tip

When someone teaches you a new word, repeat it back immediately with the pattern μ•„, "X"μ΄κ΅°μš”! ("Oh, it's 'X'!"). This does two things at once: it confirms you heard correctly, and it shows the other person you're genuinely engaging β€” which often makes them happy to teach you more.
If a word is tricky to pronounce, don't be afraid to ask λ‹€μ‹œ ν•œλ²ˆ 말해 μ£Όμ‹œκ² μ–΄μš”? or even ask them to break it into syllables. Most Koreans find it charming when learners ask for a word slowly, syllable by syllable.

⚠️ Pitfalls to Dodge

  • ❌ 이거 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? (dropping ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ β€” sounds like you're asking what the thing is, not the word)
      • βœ… 이거 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? β€” always include ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ to specify you want the Korean word
  • ❌ 이게 λ­μ˜ˆμš”? when you actually know the concept and just need the word
      • βœ… 이거 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? β€” use 뭐라고 ν•΄μš” when you know what it is and just need the word
  • ❌ Pointing and saying the English word loudly, hoping someone translates
      • βœ… "X"λŠ” ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ λ­μ˜ˆμš”? β€” frame it as an actual question, even with a foreign word inside
  • ❌ Never repeating the new word back β€” it goes in one ear and out the other
      • βœ… μ•„, "영수증"μ΄κ΅°μš”! β€” repeating immediately helps the word stick
πŸ”‘ 맀일 μƒˆ 단어λ₯Ό 배우면, μ–΄νœ˜λŠ” μžμ—°μŠ€λŸ½κ²Œ λŠ˜μ–΄λ‚˜μš”! ✨
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<summary>Try this exercise
Instructions: Choose the best phrase from this lesson for each situation. Tap "Answer" to check.
  1. You're pointing at street food and want to know its Korean name.
<summary>Answer
이거 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? β€” "What do you call this in Korean?"
  1. You know the English word "apple" and want the Korean equivalent.
<summary>Answer
"Apple"은 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ λ­μ˜ˆμš”? β€” "What is 'apple' in Korean?"
  1. You want a general way to ask how to say something in Korean.
<summary>Answer
ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ μ–΄λ–»κ²Œ λ§ν•΄μš”? β€” "How do you say it in Korean?"
  1. You just tried out a new word in a sentence and want to check it's correct.
<summary>Answer
μ΄λ ‡κ²Œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ λΌμš”? β€” "Is it okay to say it like this?"
  1. Someone asks if you said something correctly, and you want to confirm "yes."
<summary>Answer
λ„€, λ§žμ•„μš” β€” "Yes, that's right"
  1. You said something incorrectly and someone wants to correct you gently.
<summary>Answer
μ•„λ‹ˆμš”, μ΄λ ‡κ²Œ λ§ν•΄μš” β€” "No, you say it like this"
  1. You didn't catch a new word and want it repeated.
<summary>Answer
λ‹€μ‹œ ν•œλ²ˆ 말해 μ£Όμ‹œκ² μ–΄μš”? β€” "Could you say it one more time?"
  1. You want to know how a word is spelled or written.
<summary>Answer
이 단어 μ–΄λ–»κ²Œ μ¨μš”? β€” "How do you write/spell this word?"
  1. You just learned that the word for "receipt" is 영수증 β€” how do you confirm/react?
<summary>Answer
μ•„, "영수증"μ΄κ΅°μš”! β€” "Oh, it's '영수증'!"
  1. How do you say "I learned a new word"?
<summary>Answer
μƒˆ 단어λ₯Ό λ°°μ› μ–΄μš” β€” "I learned a new word"
πŸ“š
Vocabulary Box
  • 단어 β€” word
  • 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? β€” "what do you call it?"
  • μ–΄νœ˜ β€” vocabulary
  • 발음 β€” pronunciation
  • λ§žλ‹€ β€” to be correct
  • 틀리닀 β€” to be wrong
  • λ°°μš°λ‹€ β€” to learn
  • μžŠμ–΄λ²„λ¦¬λ‹€ β€” to forget
  • λ‹€μ‹œ β€” again
  • 단어λ₯Ό μ“°λ‹€ β€” to write/spell a word
Pitfalls πŸ’‘
  • Always include ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ when asking for the Korean word
  • 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? (how to say) vs λ­μ˜ˆμš”? (what is it) β€” different questions
  • Repeat new words back immediately to help them stick
πŸš€
Want more reps? Try pointing at five random objects around you right now and asking 이거 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? out loud β€” even if no one answers, the habit of asking is half the battle!
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πŸ“¦
🎯 Practice Hub β€” The Most Useful Phrase
The phrase that unlocks every other phrase! These three exercises cover asking how to say things, confirming new words, and full conversations. Use the Iru Helper Widgets to listen and repeat.

Exercise 1 β€” Ask Away πŸ”‘

A. How do you say "What do you call this in Korean?"
<summary>Answer
이거 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”?
B. How do you ask "What is 'apple' in Korean?"
<summary>Answer
"Apple"은 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ λ­μ˜ˆμš”?
C. How do you say "How do you say it in Korean?"
<summary>Answer
ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ μ–΄λ–»κ²Œ λ§ν•΄μš”?
D. How do you ask "Is it okay to say it like this?"
<summary>Answer
μ΄λ ‡κ²Œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ λΌμš”?
E. How do you say "Yes, that's right"?
<summary>Answer
λ„€, λ§žμ•„μš”
F. How do you say "No, you say it like this"?
<summary>Answer
μ•„λ‹ˆμš”, μ΄λ ‡κ²Œ λ§ν•΄μš”
G. How do you ask "Could you say it one more time?"
<summary>Answer
λ‹€μ‹œ ν•œλ²ˆ 말해 μ£Όμ‹œκ² μ–΄μš”?
H. How do you ask "How do you write/spell this word?"
<summary>Answer
이 단어 μ–΄λ–»κ²Œ μ¨μš”?
I. How do you say "Oh, it's '영수증'!"
<summary>Answer
μ•„, "영수증"μ΄κ΅°μš”!
J. How do you say "I learned a new word"?
<summary>Answer
μƒˆ 단어λ₯Ό λ°°μ› μ–΄μš”
πŸ“š
Quick Reference
  • ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ β€” "in Korean"
  • 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”? β€” "what do you call it?"
  • λ­μ˜ˆμš”? β€” "what is it?"
  • "X"μ΄κ΅°μš”! β€” "Oh, it's X!"
  • μ΄λ ‡κ²Œ β€” "like this"
  • 단어 β€” word

Exercise 2 β€” Learn & Confirm πŸ“š

A. You're holding a fan. Ask what it's called in Korean.
<summary>Answer
이거 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”?
B. Someone says it's "뢀채." React to confirm you heard it.
<summary>Answer
μ•„, "뢀채"μ΄κ΅°μš”!
C. Ask how to write the word 뢀채.
<summary>Answer
"뢀채" μ–΄λ–»κ²Œ μ¨μš”?
D. Ask "What is 'umbrella' in Korean?"
<summary>Answer
"Umbrella"λŠ” ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ λ­μ˜ˆμš”?
E. You tried a sentence with a new word. Ask if it's correct.
<summary>Answer
μ΄λ ‡κ²Œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ λΌμš”?
F. The answer is yes β€” respond "Yes, that's right!"
<summary>Answer
λ„€, λ§žμ•„μš”!
G. The answer is no β€” say "No, you say it like this."
<summary>Answer
μ•„λ‹ˆμš”, μ΄λ ‡κ²Œ λ§ν•΄μš”.
H. Ask the person to repeat the word one more time.
<summary>Answer
λ‹€μ‹œ ν•œλ²ˆ 말해 μ£Όμ‹œκ² μ–΄μš”?
I. Say "I learned a new word today."
<summary>Answer
였늘 μƒˆ 단어λ₯Ό λ°°μ› μ–΄μš”.
J. Say "Thanks to you, my vocabulary increased."
<summary>Answer
덕뢄에 μ–΄νœ˜κ°€ λŠ˜μ—ˆμ–΄μš”.
πŸ“š
Cheat Sheet
  • 뢀채 β€” fan
  • λŠ˜λ‹€ β€” to increase
  • 덕뢄에 β€” "thanks to..."
  • μ–΄λ–»κ²Œ μ¨μš”? β€” "how do you write/spell it?"
  • 였늘 β€” today

Exercise 3 β€” Full Conversations πŸ—£οΈ

A. Point at a snack at a convenience store and ask its Korean name.
<summary>Answer
μ €κΈ°μš”, 이거 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”?
B. The clerk answers "삼각김λ°₯μ΄μ—μš”." Confirm you heard it and ask how to spell it.
<summary>Answer
μ•„, "삼각김λ°₯"μ΄κ΅°μš”! μ–΄λ–»κ²Œ μ¨μš”?
C. Ask a friend how to say "deadline" in Korean.
<summary>Answer
"Deadline"은 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ λ­μ˜ˆμš”?
D. Try out the word in a sentence and ask if it's correct: "The deadline is tomorrow."
<summary>Answer
"마감일이 λ‚΄μΌμ΄μ—μš”." μ΄λ ‡κ²Œ λ§ν•˜λ©΄ λΌμš”?
E. Your friend confirms it's correct.
<summary>Answer
λ„€, λ§žμ•„μš”! μž˜ν–ˆμ–΄μš”.
F. Ask a coworker "How do you say 'meeting' in Korean?"
<summary>Answer
"Meeting"은 ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ λ­μ˜ˆμš”?
G. They say "회의." Ask them to say it one more time, slowly.
<summary>Answer
λ‹€μ‹œ ν•œλ²ˆ, 천천히 말해 μ£Όμ‹œκ² μ–΄μš”?
H. Thank them and say you learned a new word.
<summary>Answer
κ°μ‚¬ν•©λ‹ˆλ‹€. μƒˆ 단어λ₯Ό λ°°μ› μ–΄μš”.
I. Tell a friend you want to ask about five new words today.
<summary>Answer
였늘 μƒˆ 단어 λ‹€μ„― 개λ₯Ό 물어보고 μ‹Άμ–΄μš”.
J. Close the conversation by saying your vocabulary keeps increasing thanks to them.
<summary>Answer
덕뢄에 μ–΄νœ˜κ°€ 계속 λŠ˜μ–΄λ‚˜μš”. κ°μ‚¬ν•΄μš”!
πŸ“š
Cheat Sheet
  • 마감일 β€” deadline
  • 회의 β€” meeting
  • 삼각김λ°₯ β€” triangle-shaped rice ball (snack)
  • 물어보닀 β€” to ask (about something)
  • 계속 β€” continuously
  • λ‹€μ„― 개 β€” five (items)
πŸŽ‰ μž˜ν–ˆμ–΄μš”! With this one phrase, every conversation becomes a vocabulary lesson. Keep asking β€” ν•œκ΅­μ–΄λ‘œ 뭐라고 ν•΄μš”?!