체리
cheri[t͡ɕʰe̞ɾi]
The English word "cherry" can be translated into Korean as either 체리 (cheri) or 버찌.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 체리 | cheri | [t͡ɕʰe̞ɾi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 버찌 | beojji | [pʌ̹t͡ɕ͈i] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
In modern daily conversation, particularly when discussing food, sweets or imported fruits, 체리 is much more frequently used than 버찌. You will see it used in terms like 체리 나무 (cherry tree), 체리 파이 (cherry pie) and 체리 맛 (cherry flavor).
Which one should you use?
체리 is a loanword from English and is the most common way to refer to the commercial fruit found in supermarkets or desserts. In contrast, 버찌 refers to the native or wild cherry fruit, often used in a botanical or traditional context.
How do you pronounce it?
cheri
Did you know?
- The word 버찌 is closely linked to the 벚꽃 (cherry blossom) season, as the fruit appears only after the famous spring blossoms fall.
- Unlike the sweet 체리 sold in markets, native 버찌 are rarely sold commercially and are instead gathered by locals to make traditional syrups or liquors.
- In many Korean dessert menus, you will see the English-derived 체리 used to signal that the fruit is an imported, premium ingredient.
Example sentences for Korean are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Seoyeon are at a fruit market.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo서연 씨, 체리 좀 보세요.Seoyeon ssi, cheri jom boseyo.Seoyeon, look at these cherries.
- 서연 Seo-yeon와, 정말 맛있어 보여요.wa, jeongmal masisseo boyeoyo.Wow, they look delicious.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo체리 한 팩 살까요?cheri han paek salkkayo?Shall we buy a pack of cherries?
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 좋아요. 사요!ne, joayo. sayo!Yes, that sounds good. Let's buy them!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cherry” translations and entries 체리, 버찌, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
