수조
sujo[sʰud͡ʑo̞]
The English word "aquarium" can be translated into Korean as 수조 (sujo) or 아쿠아리움.
Meaning: tank for keeping fish (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 수조 | sujo | [sʰud͡ʑo̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 아쿠아리움 | akuarium | [a̠kʰua̠ɾium] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The term used depends on whether you are referring to a physical container or a large-scale public attraction. Use 수조 when talking about a tank or vat used for keeping fish. Use 아쿠아리움 when referring to a large-scale facility or an aquarium attraction.
Which one should you use?
수조 refers specifically to the physical container or tank itself, whereas 아쿠아리움 is a loanword from English used to describe the facility or a large-scale public attraction.
How do you pronounce it?
sujo
Did you know?
- In a Korean household, if you are looking for a small glass bowl for a single goldfish, you would likely use the word 어항 (eo-hang) rather than 수조.
- In many Korean restaurants, a large glass tank displaying live seafood is called a 수족관 rather than an 아쿠아리움, even if it is quite large.
- The word 수조 is composed of the Hanja characters for 'water' (水) and 'tank/container' (槽), making it a highly descriptive term for any vessel holding liquid.
Examples in context
- 영희 씨, 이 주변에 수족관이 있나요?Excuse me, Younghi, is there an aquarium around here?
- 그 수족관에서 어떤 동물들을 볼 수 있나요?What kind of animals can you see at that aquarium?
- 수족관 가는 거 너무 신난다!I'm so excited to go to the aquarium!
- 수조가 너무 깨끗해요.sujoga neomu kkaekkeuthaeyo.The tank is very clean.
- 새 수조를 하나 샀어요.sae sujoreul hana sasseoyo.I bought a new tank.
- 수조 안에 물고기가 많아요.sujo ane mulgogiga manayo.There are many fish in the tank.
Example conversation
Subin and Dohyun are looking at a fish tank in a room.
- 수빈 Su-bin도현 씨, 이 수조 정말 예쁘네요.Dohyun ssi, i sujo jeongmal yeppeuneyo.Dohyun, this aquarium is really pretty.
- 도현 Do-hyeon감사합니다. 수빈 씨도 좋아하시네요.gamsahamnida. Subin ssido joahasineyo.Thank you. You like it too, Subin.
- 수빈 Su-bin수조 크기가 딱 적당해요.sujo keugiga ttak jeokdanghaeyo.The size of the aquarium is just right.
- 도현 Do-hyeon맞아요. 관리가 쉬운 크기예요.majayo. gwanriga swiun keugiyeyo.That's true. It's a size that is easy to manage.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “aquarium” translations and entries 수조, 아쿠아리움, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 수조, 아쿠아리움, CC BY-SA 4.0.
