악어
ageo[a̠ɡʌ̹]
The English word "crocodile" is translated into Korean as 악어 (ageo).
악어 is a noun used to refer to the reptile known as a crocodile.
Meaning: reptile (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
ageo
Did you know?
- The Korean word for crocodile, 악어, literally translates to 'crocodile fish'.
- The word 악어 can be confused with 악어 meaning 'evil language' if written in different characters or context, as 악 also means 'evil'.
- Because 악어 is a Sino-Korean word, it shares the same root characters as the words for crocodiles in Chinese and Japanese.
Examples in context
- 그 동물원에서 악어 한 마리만 봤어요.I only saw one crocodile at the zoo.
- 정말? 악어는 치명적인 동물이죠.Really? Crocodiles are deadly animals, you know.
- 사파리에서 악어를 봤어요.sapari-eseo ageoreul bwasseoyo.I saw a crocodile at the safari.
- 악어는 물속에 살아요.ageoreun mul-soge sarayo.Crocodiles live in the water.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a nature documentary they watched.
- 서연 Seo-yeon민준 씨, 아까 본 악어 진짜 컸죠?Minjun ssi, akka bon ageo jinja keotjyo?Minjun, that crocodile we saw earlier was really big, right?
- 민준 Min-jun네, 서연 씨. 정말 엄청난 크기였어요.Ne, Seoyeon ssi. Jeongmal eomcheongnan keugiyeosseoyo.Yes, Seoyeon. It was truly a huge size.
- 서연 Seo-yeon악어가 갑자기 움직여서 놀랐어요.Ageoga gapjagi umjigyeoseo nollasseoyo.I was startled because the crocodile moved suddenly.
- 민준 Min-jun저도 조금 무서웠어요.Jeodo jogeum museowosseoyo.I was a little scared too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crocodile” translations and entries 악어, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 악어, CC BY-SA 4.0.
