How to say "cute" in Korean

Learn how to use gwiyeopda (귀엽다) in conversation

Say you're walking around the park and saw a puppy wagging its tail. Cute right? Have you ever been curious about how to express that in Korean? 

 

Gwiyeopda (귀엽다 ) directly translates to "to be cute". This is one way to say "that's cute" in Korean. However, you can also conjugate this according to the formality needed for the situation and who you're speaking to. In Korea, speech levels are significant. If you are just learning how to speak Korean, you must learn how to speak formally. Although it is hard to think of a reason to say this word formally, it is still nice to know. 

 

When you're talking to a superior or someone older than you, you can say "gwiyeopseumnida" (귀엽습니다). As you can see, it is just a conjugation of the main word "gwiyeopda" (귀엽다)with "seumnida" (습니다) at the end. This is the most formal form of the word and is probably what most language schools will teach first. 

 

"Gwiyeoweoyo" (귀여워요) is a slightly less formal conjugation that you can use when talking to someone older or a superior. 

 

When speaking with your friends or someone younger than you, you can use "gwiyeoweo" (귀여워), an informal or casual way of saying the word. 

 

Now you know how to express that something is cute in Korean in three different speech levels! 

 

For the pronunciation, you can watch this video as a guide: 

                     

 

 


Christine Morales

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