카레
kare[kʰa̠ɾe̞]
In Korean, the word for the dish curry is 카레 (kare). Wiktionary also lists 커리 (keori).
Meaning: dish (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 카레 | kare | [kʰa̠ɾe̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 커리 | keori | [kʰʌ̹ɾi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
When you want to specify the dish of curry served specifically over rice, it is common to use the loanword 카레라이스 (kare-ra-i-seu).
Which one should you use?
The form 커리 is often used to refer to more authentic or spicy South Asian-style curries, as opposed to the Japanese-style curry common in Korea.
How do you pronounce it?
kare
Did you know?
- The word 카레 is a phonetic descendant of the Tamil word kaṟi, meaning 'sauce', making it a distant relative of many South Asian culinary terms.
- In Korea, 카레라이스 is often viewed as a nostalgic 'comfort food' associated with school lunches and home cooking.
Examples in context
- 저녁에 카레를 먹으러 갈까?Shall we go eat curry for dinner?
- 카레 주문할게요.I will order curry, please.
- 오늘 점심은 카레예요.oneul jeomsigeun kare-yeyo.Today's lunch is curry.
- 저는 카레를 정말 좋아해요.jeoneun kare-reul jeongmal joahae-yo.I really like curry.
- 이 카레는 조금 매워요.i kare-neun jogeum maewoyo.This curry is a little spicy.
Example conversation
Dohyun and Jieun are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- 도현 Do-hyeon지은 씨, 오늘 저녁 뭐 먹을까요?Jieun ssi, oneul jeonyeok mwo meogeulkkayo?Jieun, what shall we eat for dinner today?
- 지은 Ji-eun저는 카레가 먹고 싶어요.jeoneun kare-ga meokgo sipeoyo.I want to eat curry.
- 도현 Do-hyeon좋아요. 근처에 맛있는 집이 있어요.joayo. geuncheoe masinneun jibi isseoyo.Sounds good. There is a delicious place nearby.
- 지은 Ji-eun그럼 거기로 가요!geureom geogiro gayo!Then let's go there!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “curry” translations and entries 카레, 커리, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 카레, 커리, CC BY-SA 4.0.
