가마솥
gamasot[ka̠ma̠sʰo̞t̚]
The English word "cauldron" is translated into Korean as 가마솥 (gamasot).
가마솥 refers to a large, bowl-shaped pot. While it can be translated as "cauldron," it specifically refers to a traditional Korean cooking vessel. You may also encounter the term 가마솥 요리, which means a "cauldron dish" or a "dish cooked in a cauldron."
Meaning: large bowl-shaped pot (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
gamasot
When do people say it?
A 가마솥 is a heavy, cast-iron pot traditionally used in Korea for cooking large amounts of rice or making stews over an open fire. Because of its design and history, the word evokes traditional Korean communal or large-scale cooking.
Did you know?
- In Korean folklore, the 가마솥 is sometimes believed to hold a spiritual energy, and traditional families would rarely discard an old one, often burying it or keeping it as a household heirloom.
- While 'cauldron' in English often evokes images of witches and magic, using 가마솥 in Korea evokes feelings of warmth, tradition, and home-cooked communal meals.
- Because of its heavy cast-iron lid, a 가마솥 functions as a primitive pressure cooker by trapping steam through its own weight.
Examples in context
- 오늘 저녁은 가마솥 요리를 만들 생각이야.I'm thinking of making a dish in a cauldron for dinner tonight.
- 가마솥이 정말 커요.gasamoti jeongmal keoyo.The cauldron is really large.
- 할머니께서 가마솥에 밥을 하셨어요.halmeonikkeseo gasote bap-eul hasyeosseoyo.Grandmother cooked rice in a cauldron.
- 마당에 커다란 가마솥이 있어요.madang-e keodaran gasoti isseoyo.There is a large cauldron in the yard.
Example conversation
Two people are looking at an old traditional kitchen in a rural house.
- 도현 Do-hyeon저 가마솥은 어디서 가져온 거예요?jeo gasoteun eodiseo gajyeoon geoyeyo?Where did you get that cauldron?
- 수빈 Su-bin도현 씨, 고물상에서 구했어요.Dohyeon ssi, gomulsang-eseo guhaesseoyo.Dohyeon, I got it from a junk shop.
- 도현 Do-hyeon정말 오래된 가마솥 같네요.jeongmal oldoen gasot gatneyo.It looks like a very old cauldron.
- 수빈 Su-bin맞아요, 아주 전통적이죠.majayo, aju jeontongjeokijyo.That's right, it is very traditional.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cauldron” translations and entries 가마솥, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
