How to Say "Cow" in Korean - How To Say Guide

소

so[sʰo̞]

The English word "cow" is translated into Korean as 소 (so).

소 refers to the adult female of the species Bos taurus.

Meaning: adult female of species Bos taurus (noun)

Which one should you use?

While 소 refers to the living animal, it is a different word from 소고기, which means "beef".

In traditional Korean culture, the 소 was historically considered a member of the family because of its vital role in farming, often leading to deep emotional bonds between the farmer and the animal.
Because the character 小 can also be read as 소, you might encounter this same sound to mean 'small' instead of 'cow' depending on the context.
While 소 is the standard word for a cow, the sound a cow makes is often written as 음메 in Korean children's books.

"그렇게 소고기만 먹어 대면 소가 돼 버릴 거야." "그럴 리 없거든."
"If you keep eating just beef, you'll turn into a cow!" "No way!"
This sentence shows a playful way to use 소 in conversation.
Tatoeba #8427696 by Eunhee, translation #2847262 by eirik174
소는 "음메", 닭은 "꼬꼬댁 꼬꼬", 돼지는 "꿀꿀", 오리는 "꽥꽥", 고양이는 "야옹".
The cow goes "moo," the rooster goes "cock-a-doodle-doo," the pig goes "oink, oink," the duck goes "quack, quack" and the cat goes "meow."
This sentence lists various animal sounds, including the sound a 소 makes.
Tatoeba #6822000 by yesjustryan, translation #866505 by papabear
조심하십시오. 길 위에 소가 있습니다.
Be careful! There's a cow in the road!
This sentence demonstrates how to use 소 when warning someone about an animal in the road.
Tatoeba #1587163 by JanAson, translation #1584214 by sundown

A man and a woman are walking through a rural field.

민준 Min-jun

저기 들판에 소가 한 마리 있어.
Jeogi deulpane so ga han mari isseo.
There is a cow in that field over there.
수빈 Su-bin

정말 크고 멋진 소네!
Jeongmal keugo meotjin sone!
It is such a big and wonderful cow!
민준 Min-jun

맞아, 아주 건강해 보여.
Maja, aju geon-ganghae boyeo.
Right, it looks very healthy.
수빈 Su-bin

우리도 저 소를 구경하자.
Urido jeo soreul gugyeonghaja.
Let's go look at that cow too.

Sources

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