굽다
gupda[ˈku(ː)p̚t͈a̠]
To bake in Korean is 굽다 (gupda).
The verb 굽다 is a broad term that covers baking, grilling and roasting, depending on the context and the cooking method used. To specify baking in an oven, you can use 오븐에 구우다. The phrase 구워보세요 is used to say 'try baking' in Korean.
Meaning: to cook in an oven (verb)
Which one should you use?
While 굽다 refers to dry heat (baking/grilling), 찌다 is used specifically for cooking with steam.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 굽다 is irregular, so the 'ㅂ' changes to '우' when combined with the polite ending –어요, resulting in 구워요.
How do you pronounce it?
gupda
Did you know?
- There is a separate word 굽다 that means 'to be bent' or 'curved'. Although they are spelled the same, they have entirely different meanings and usage patterns.
- Because 굽다 is so broad, Koreans often add the word 노릇노릇하게, which describes the specific 'golden brown' color achieved through baking or grilling.
- The word 굽다 was recorded in written form as early as 1466 in the Gugeupbang eonhae, a medical text from the early Joseon dynasty.
Examples in context
- 이 요리는 200도에서 30분 동안 구워야 해요.You need to bake this dish for 30 minutes at 200 degrees.
- 친구들과 함께 케이크를 구워 먹었어요.I baked and ate cake with my friends.
- 이 빵은 오븐에 구워서 맛있게 먹을 수 있어요.You can enjoy this bread by baking it in the oven.
- 오븐에 구워진 고구마는 따뜻하고 달콤해요.Baked sweet potatoes in the oven are warm and sweet.
- 오늘은 백종원 셰프의 레시피로 쿠키를 구워요.Today, I'm baking cookies following Chef Baek Jong-won's recipe.
- 아이들을 위해 이번 주말에 케이크를 구워요.I'll bake a cake for the kids this weekend.
- 빵을 구워요I bake bread
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bake” translations and entries 굽다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 굽다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
