현미
hyeonmi[çʌ̹nmi]
The Korean phrase for brown rice is 현미 (hyeonmi).
현미 is a noun used to refer to unpolished rice.
Meaning: unpolished rice (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 현미 refers to brown rice, the term 백미 is used specifically for polished white rice.
How do you pronounce it?
hyeonmi
Did you know?
- Historically, 백미 or white rice was a status symbol of the wealthy, while 현미 was the staple for commoners.
- The word 현미 uses the Hanja character 玄, which means 'dark' or 'mysterious' rather than just 'brown'.
- When ordering rice in Korea, you might see 잡곡밥, which is a mixture of 현미 and other grains like beans and barley.
Examples in context
- 현미는 지긋지긋해. 백미밥을 줘!Brown rice is boring. Serve white rice!This sentence shows how to express a preference for white rice over 현미.Tatoeba #13250458 by qiwiwi, translation #10228712 by terrywallwork
- 건강을 위해 현미를 먹어요.geon-gang-eul wi-hae hyeon-mi-reul meog-eo-yo.I eat brown rice for my health.
- 마트에서 현미를 샀어요.ma-teu-e-seo hyeon-mi-reul sat-eo-yo.I bought brown rice at the mart.
Example conversation
Minji and Jihoon are talking about cooking at home.
- 민지 Min-ji지훈 씨, 오늘 저녁은 현미밥이에요.Ji-hun ssi, o-neul jeo-nyeok-eun hyeon-mi-bap-i-e-yo.Jihoon, tonight's dinner is brown rice.
- 지훈 Ji-hun와, 정말 건강한 식단이네요.Wa, jeong-mal geon-gang-han sik-dan-i-ne-yo.Wow, that is a very healthy meal plan.
- 민지 Min-ji현미가 몸에 좋다고 들었어요.Hyeon-mi-ga mom-e jot-da-go deul-eot-eo-yo.I heard brown rice is good for the body.
- 지훈 Ji-hun맞아요. 민지 씨 덕분에 건강해지겠어요.Ma-ja-yo. Min-ji ssi deok-bun-e geon-gang-hae-ji-get-eo-yo.That's right. Thanks to you, Minji, I will get healthy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brown rice” translations and entries 현미, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 현미, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
