Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 검다 | geomda | [ˈkɘ(ː)mt͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | predicative |
| 검은 | geomeun | [kʌ̹mɯn] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | attributive |
| 까맣다 | kkamata | [ˈk͈a̠(ː)ma̠tʰa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | predicative |
| 까만 | kkaman | attributive |
The terms provided describe the quality of absorbing all light. You can use these words as adjectives to describe an object's color, or use related nouns to refer to the color itself.
Which one should you use?
검다 and 까맣다 are predicative forms used to say that something 'is black'. To use these as adjectives that directly modify a noun, you must use their attributive forms, 검은 and 까만 respectively. The form 까만 is used to describe a noun with an emphasis on the intensity of the blackness. Additionally, there is a distinction between the adjective and the noun: while 검다 means 'to be black', the word 검정 is a noun meaning 'the color black'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the word for black to modify a noun directly, you must use the attributive form 검은 instead of the dictionary form 검다. Similarly, if you are using the more intense form, you must use the attributive form 까만 to describe a noun.
How do you pronounce it?
geomda
Did you know?
- In traditional Korean color theory, 검정 (black) represents the north and the element of water.
- The expression 검다 is often used metaphorically to describe a person's heart or intentions as 'black' when they are malicious or dishonest.
- The word 검은 appears in the 'Jīlín lèishì', a record from 1103. This makes it one of the oldest documented words in the Korean language.
Examples in context
- 내 고양이는 검은색 고양이야.My cat is black.This sentence is useful for describing the color of a cat using the form 검은.Tatoeba #8364960 by Eunhee, translation #7844818 by Ricardo14
- 톰은 검은 안경을 쓰고 있어.Tom is wearing black glasses.This sentence is useful for describing the color of glasses using the form 검은.Tatoeba #8396664 by Eunhee, translation #8827735 by alpucca
- 그녀는 조그만 검은 개를 기른다.She has a small black dog.This sentence is useful for describing the color of a dog using the form 검은.Tatoeba #11106720 by intertime, translation #315007 by CK
- 이 옷을 검은색으로 주세요.Please give me this dress in black.
- 제가 가장 좋아하는 색은 흑색입니다.My favorite color is black.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jihoon and Jieun are looking at a piece of charcoal.
- 지훈 Ji-hun이 숯은 색이 정말 검다.i sseoteun saegi jeongmal geomda.This charcoal is truly black in color.
- 지은 Ji-eun지훈 씨, 정말 아주 검네요.Jihoon ssi, jeongmal aju geomneyo.Jihoon, it really is very black.
- 지훈 Ji-hun그렇죠? 색이 아주 진해요.geureochyo? saegi aju jinhaeyo.Right? The color is very deep.
- 지은 Ji-eun그 색이 마음에 들어요.geu saegi maeume deureoyo.I like that color.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “black” translations and entries 검다, 검은, 까맣다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 검다, 검은, 까맣다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
