밤
bam[pa̠m]
The English phrase "chestnut" is 밤 (bam) in Korean.
밤 refers to the edible nut of the chestnut tree or similar nuts from related plants. You can use related terms for specific preparations: 밤죽 is chestnut porridge and 밤찜 refers to braised chestnuts.
Meaning: edible nut of the Spanish chestnut or sweet chestnut tree (Castanea sativa), nut from a related shrub or tree, similar nut from an unrelated plant (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 밤 refers to the nut itself, the word 밤송이 is used specifically to refer to the prickly chestnut burr or husk that contains the nuts.
How do you pronounce it?
bam
Did you know?
- In Korean, the word 밤 is a homonym that is spelled exactly the same way as the word for 'night'.
- Chestnuts are a traditional part of the Korean Chuseok harvest festival. They are often offered to ancestors during the ritual ceremonies to symbolize fertility and prosperity.
- Korean street food culture often features 'gunbam', which are chestnuts roasted over an open fire. This is a nostalgic winter snack that evokes a sense of warmth and comfort for many Koreans.
Examples in context
- 고슴도치에 놀란 호랑이 밤송이 보고 절한다.A tiger surprised by a hedgehog will bow before the chestnut burrs.This sentence is useful for seeing 밤 used in the context of chestnut burrs.Tatoeba #2655665 by KoreanBeaver, translation #2834010 by 0ni
- 이 밤은 정말 달아요.i bam-eun jeong-mal dal-a-yo.This chestnut is really sweet.
- 가을에는 밤을 많이 먹어요.ga-eul-e-neun bam-eul man-i meog-eo-yo.I eat a lot of chestnuts in autumn.
Example conversation
Ji-hun and Seo-yeon are at a traditional market.
- 지훈 Ji-hun서연 씨, 밤 좀 살까요?Seoyeon ssi, bam jom salkkayo?Seo-yeon, shall we buy some chestnuts?
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 좋아요. 저도 밤 좋아해요.ne, joayo. jeodo bam joahaeyo.Yes, sounds good. I like chestnuts too.
- 지훈 Ji-hun여기 찐 밤이 있네요.yeogi jjin bam-i inneyo.There are steamed chestnuts here.
- 서연 Seo-yeon그거 정말 맛있겠어요.geugeo jeongmal masitgesseoyo.Those look really delicious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chestnut” translations and entries 밤, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
