컵
keop[kʰʌ̹p̚]
The English word "cup" can be translated into Korean as 컵 (keop), 고뿌 or 잔 depending on the context.
Meaning: drinking vessel (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 컵 | keop | [kʰʌ̹p̚] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 잔 | jan | [t͡ɕa̠n] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 고뿌 | goppu | [ko̞p͈u] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | North Korea, dated |
The most common way to refer to a modern drinking vessel, such as a coffee mug or a plastic cup, is the loanword 컵.
Which one should you use?
컵 is a modern, colloquial loanword from English used for most contemporary cups. In contrast, 잔 is used specifically as a counter to denote the quantity of a drink. 고뿌 is an older term.
Is it said differently in some regions?
고뿌 is a term used in North Korea or in older, dated contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
잔 functions as a counter when you want to specify a quantity of a drink, such as saying "one cup of water" (물 한 잔).
How do you pronounce it?
keop
Did you know?
- The term 고뿌 is a linguistic relic of the Japanese colonial period, derived from the Japanese word 'koppu' which itself came from the Dutch 'kop'.
- The term 잔 can also be used metaphorically in poetic contexts to describe a 'cup of fate' or 'cup of sorrow', carrying a weight that 'cup' does not always have in English.
- In Korean, 잔 is used as a counter, meaning you can use it to count glasses of alcohol or tea even if the liquid is not actually inside a 'cup'.
Examples in context
- 이 컵, 너무 좋네!How nice this cup is!This sentence is useful for expressing an opinion about a 컵.Tatoeba #3677011 by Eunhee, translation #57889 by magnificentgoddess
- 이 컵 가져도 돼요?Can I have this cup?This sentence is useful for asking permission to take a 컵.Tatoeba #4952644 by rainbow4us, translation #7999602 by ciwlx
- 그는 컵에 우유를 부었다.She poured milk into a cup.This sentence is useful for describing an action involving a 컵.Tatoeba #8533928 by Eunhee, translation #8533217 by sundown
- 오늘은 커피 한 잔 마실래?Do you want to have a cup of coffee today?
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Min-jun are tidying up the kitchen.
- 지은 Ji-eun민준 씨, 이 컵 깨끗해요?Minjun ssi, i keop kkaekkeuthaeyo?Min-jun, is this cup clean?
- 민준 Min-jun네, 깨끗해요. 여기 있어요.Ne, kkaekkeuthaeyo. Yeogi isseoyo.Yes, it is clean. Here it is.
- 지은 Ji-eun고마워요. 컵을 선반에 놓을게요.Gomawoyo. Keobeul seonbane noeulgeyo.Thank you. I will put the cup on the shelf.
- 민준 Min-jun제가 도와줄게요.Jega dowajulgeyo.I will help you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cup” translations and entries 컵, 잔, 고뿌, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 고뿌, 잔, 컵, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
