How to Say “Gift” in Korean

If you’ve been wondering how to say “gift” in Korean, you’ve come to the right place!

This word can be used on so many occasions – birthdays, Christmas, Korean New Year, and of course, all of the Korean love holidays!

We’ve got a “gift” in store for you today. That’s right, we’re going to teach you how to say “gift” in Korean and we’ll even show you how you can use it in some common scenarios.

You’ve been waiting long enough so without further ado, here it is!

“Gift” in Korean

The way to say “gift” in Korean is 선물 (seonmul).  Commit it to memory and add it to your arsenal of Korean vocabulary words!

To help you get a feel for the usage of the word “gift” in Korean, here are some sentences that will help you. Remember, your learning should always focus on the practical usage of the word in phrases and conversation, so this will get you started. The brackets are added for the markers which are often left out in conversation and so are optional.

Example (Formal):

A: 당신을 위해 선물(을) 샀어요. (dangsineul wihae seonmul(eul) sasseoyo)

I bought a present for you.

B: 선물(을) 사줘서 감사합니다. (seonmul(eul) sajwoseo gamsahamnida)

Thank you for buying me a present.

Example (Informal):

A: 너를 위해 선물(을) 샀어. (neoreul wihae seonmul(eul) sasseo)

I bought a gift for you.

B: 선물(을) 사줘서 고마워. (seonmul(eul) sajwoseo gomawo)

Thank you for buying me a gift.

How to Remember the Word

The best way to remember new words in Korean is by associating them with ideas you already have stored in your brain!

Which words sound similar in English or your own native language are the best starting point. Other ideas may include other words you have previously learned in Korean.

For example, the word “sun” sounds similar to the first syllable in the word 선물 (seonmul). Also, the second syllable (물 | mul) is the same as the word for “water” in Korean. Perhaps draw a mental picture of the sun giving you water as a present!

If you have plans on giving yourself, a loved one, or a friend who’s interested in the Korean language and culture a gift, you may consider gifting them with a Korean language gift card.

Other words related to “gift” in Korean

Here are other similar words with similar meanings to “gift”.

Present in Korean

Similar to gift, the Korean word for present is also 선물 (seonmul).

Donation in Korean 

The word for donation in Korean is 기증품 (gijeungpum). While contribution in Korean is 기부 (gibu).

Bonus in Korean 

A gift can come in a form of a bonus. The Korean word for bonus is 보너스 (boneoseu).

Housewarming gifts in Korean

A housewarming gift is called a 집들이 (jipdeuri) in Korean. People usually give toilet paper or laundry detergent as housewarming presents in Korea.

A Word of Caution About Romanization

We’ve added the romanization (seon-mul) below the word to help with pronunciation. However, we recommend skipping romanization entirely and just moving on to becoming comfortable with Hangul (the Korean alphabet). The reason for this is that romanization leads to mistakes and confusion since there are so many competing systems. Imagine a Korean learning English by only spelling out words using Hangul and never learning to read English! It wouldn’t get you very far, would it?

Also, learning vocabulary words is a great way to help you start getting a feel for a new language but the best way to make fast progress is to learn to have conversations in Korean. You can get started by looking at our free list of Korean phrases or taking a look at our full Korean course if you want hand-holding throughout the learning process!

Have any other associations or ideas to help aid in memorization? Share your ideas in the comments below!