버블티
beobeulti[pʌ̹bɯɭtʰi]
Boba tea in Korean is 버블티 (beobeulti).
버블티 refers to a tea-based drink containing chewy tapioca pearls. You may see specific varieties such as 타로 버블티 for taro-flavored boba tea, or see the term 흑당 used to refer to the black sugar syrup commonly used in these drinks.
What does it mean word for word?
버블티 is a loanword from English, transliterating 'bubble tea' into Korean phonetics.
How do you pronounce it?
beobeulti
Did you know?
- If you want to emphasize the texture of the pearls, you might use the word 쫀득쫀득 (jjondeuk-jjondeuk), an onomatopoeia for a chewy or elastic sensation.
- The popularity of 흑당 (black sugar) boba tea led to a trend of 'tiger' drinks, where the syrup streaks the cup to look like tiger stripes.
- While the English word 'boba' is popular globally, if you ask for 'boba' in a Korean cafe, the staff might not immediately recognize the term as the drink.
Examples in context
- 저는 홍차 버블 티 주문하겠습니다.I would like to order a black tea bubble tea, please.
- 오늘 날씨가 더워. 버블티 한잔 마실래?Today's weather is hot. Would you like to get some boba tea?
- 버블티 정말 맛있어요.beobeulti jeongmal masisseoyo.Boba tea is really delicious.
- 저는 버블티를 좋아해요.jeoneun beobeultireul joahaeyo.I like boba tea.
- 오늘 버블티 한 잔 마실까요?oneul beobeulti han jan masilkkayo?Shall we drink a cup of boba tea today?
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding on a drink at a cafe.
- 수빈 Su-bin도현 씨, 버블티 마실래요?Dohyeon ssi, beobeulti masillaeyo?Dohyeon, do you want to drink boba tea?
- 도현 Do-hyeon네, 버블티 좋아요!Ne, beobeulti joayo!Yes, I love boba tea!
- 수빈 Su-bin저는 밀크 버블티로 할게요.Jeoneun milkeu beobeultiro halgeyo.I will have the milk boba tea.
- 도현 Do-hyeon그럼 제가 살게요.Geureom jega salgeyo.Then I will buy it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 버블티, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
