If there is one thing you will absolutely fall in love with once arriving in Korea, if you haven’t already, it’s Korean cosmetics. Particularly for women, but even catering to men now, the quality of Korean cosmetics is incredible.
South Korea is one of the best places for buying makeup. There are a large variety of Korean brands along with foreign brands to choose from, and all with prices that are mostly affordable, depending on the brand.
Read on to learn more about how to say “cosmetics” in Korean, along with tips for remembering it. We’ve got other tips and advice for important Korean vocabulary as well.
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“Cosmetics” in Korean
The word “cosmetics” in Korean is 화장품 (hwajangpum). The word 화장 (hwajang) means makeup, while the word 품 (pum) indicates item – although 품 (pum) on its own does not mean anything. The word 화장품 (hwajangpum) considers all cosmetics products but generally does not include skincare.
Sample sentences:
그 회사의 화장품을 어느 나라에서 제일 잘 팔아요? (geu hoesaui hwajangpumeul eoneu naraeseo jeil jal parayo?)
In which country do that company’s cosmetics products sell the best?
우리 언니는 비싼 고급 브랜드 화장품만 써요. (uri eonnineun bissan gogeup beuraendeu hwajangpumman sseoyo.)
My sister only uses high-priced top-quality brand cosmetics.
명품 화장품을 좋아해요? (myeongpum hwajangpumeul joahaeyo?)
Do you like luxury cosmetics?
내 생각에는 요즘 고급 화장품을 찾기가 힘들어. (nae saenggageneun yojeum gogeup hwajangpumeul chatgiga himdeureo.)
In my opinion, it’s hard to find good quality makeup products these days.
이 화장품을 어떻게 바르면 될까? (i hwajangpumeul eotteoke bareumyeon doelkka?)
How should I put on this makeup?
혹시 TV 홈쇼핑에서 화장품을 사본적 있어? (hoksi TV homsyopingeseo hwajangpumeul sabonjeok isseo?)
Do you perhaps have experience in buying cosmetics from a TV home shopping channel?
한국 화장품을 외제 화장품보다 아주 싼값에 구입할 수 있어. (hanguk hwajangpumeul oeje hwajangpumboda aju ssangapse guipal su isseo.)
Korean cosmetics are far more affordable than foreign cosmetics.
Association
To remember how to say “cosmetics” in Korean, we’ll create an English association for it. This can be any word, phrase, or image that helps you recall the Korean word and its meaning.
So how can we remember 화장품 (hwajangpum)? This takes a bit of imagination. Let’s break it down.
There are three elements, 화 – 장 – 품 (hwa-jang-pum), so to remember it better, let’s associate them with similar-sounding English words.
화 – what
장 – genre
품 – boom
From there, we’ll create a story to learn the vocabulary and its meaning.
What make-up genre is booming now? (화장품 | hwajangpum)
What associations can you think of to remember 화장품 (hwajangpum)? Let us know in the comments! Remember, the more unique or strange the story is, the easier it is to remember.
| 한글 (Korean) | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 화장품 가게 | hwajangpum gage | cosmetics store |
| 화장품 회사 | hwajangpum hoesa | cosmetics company |
| 화장품을 바르다 | hwajangpumeul bareuda | apply cosmetics/put on makeup |
| 화장품을 찍어 바르다 | hwajangpumeul jjigeo bareuda | apply makeup with fingers |
| 기초 화장품 | gicho hwajangpum | skin care products |
| 피부관리 | pibugwanli | skin care |
| 남성용 화장품 | namseongyong hwajangpum | men’s cosmetics |
| 색조 화장품 | saekjo hwajangpum | makeup |
| 천연 화장품 | cheonyeon hwajangpum | natural cosmetics |
| 주름 방지 크림 | jureum bangji keurim | anti-wrinkle cream |
| 눈썹 펜슬 | nunsseop penseul | eyebrow pencil |
A word of caution about Romanization
While it is possible for you to study the words in this article simply by reading their Romanized versions, it will come in handy for you to be able to read Hangeul if you ever wish to come to Korea. Hangeul is the Korean alphabet, and not difficult to learn. In fact, you can learn it in just 90 minutes.
After you’ve familiarized yourself with Hangeul, life in Korea will suddenly seem so much easier, and the country won’t appear so foreign for you. So, if you’re serious about learning Korean, why not learn Hangeul today?
Go here to get your free guide to the Korean Alphabet.
Hello May I ask how do you ask for skin care recommendations when buying skin care products?
Hi, Jessica! You can say ‘추천해주시겠어요?’ (What do you recommend?) ^^
How do you say “Wow your eye makeup looks pretty!”