For all the dog owners and dog lovers residing in Korea, it’s really good to know how to say “dog” in Korean.
You might want to use it to describe your current or previous pets or to exclaim your love for our furry little friends.
In this lesson, we will show you how to say “dog” in Korean, as well as give you some example uses.
Let’s get to it!
Contents
How to say “dog” in Korean
The Korean word for “dog” is very simple: You can just say 개 (gae)!
Often it appears that people confuse this word with being an alternative and the more common word for dog to be 강아지 (gangaji), but that is actually not true. 개 (gae) is the word to use when wanting to express the meaning of “dog.”
However, keep in mind that 개 (gae) is also the word used to count units and pieces, so don’t get confused if you see this word being used in a context other than “dog.”
Later in this post, we’ll cover more about the Korean word 강아지 (gangaji) and what it specifically means.
Sample Sentences
A great way to memorize the word for “dog” is by using it in real sentences. Go ahead and try for yourself!
이 개를 우리 식구로 생각해요 (i gaereul uri sikguro saenggakaeyo)
I consider this dog a member of our family.
저도 개를 기르고 있어요 (jeodo gaereul gireugo isseoyo)
I am also raising a dog.
그 개가 우리 집까지 따라왔어 (geu gaega uri jipkkaji ttarawasseo)
That dog followed me all the way home.
Before ending this lesson on how to say “dog” in Korean, it might be handy for you to learn some words similar to it.
“Puppy ” in Korean
The word for “puppy” in Korean is 강아지 (gangaji). As mentioned above, this word can be interchanged with (gae) if you mean “dog”
When someone sees a dog in Korea, they usually say 멍멍이 (meongmeongi). This is not really a word, but this is the cutest way you can refer to a pup or a dog when you see one, and especially kids in Korea love using it.
“Woof” in Korean
In Korean, a dog’s bark is called 멍멍 (meongmeong). It is the Korean equivalent of “woof woof.”
A Word of Caution About Romanization in Korean
While we often give the romanization for the words and phrases we talk about, it’s best to actually learn the Korean alphabet, Hangul. This is because romanization is only an approximation of the sounds in Korean. It can often be confusing because the pronunciation isn’t exact, so it’s easy to be misunderstood.
Romanization is perhaps best left to assist in learning the pronunciation of the words. The good news is that the Korean alphabet is extremely scientific, so you can learn to read in about 1 hour!
Wrap Up
Now, as long as you can remember this lesson, you should be ready to tell people about your never dying love of dogs, describe the pups you are raising, or simply point at every dog you see on the streets while jumping up and down chanting 멍멍이(meongmeongi)!
