Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 춤추다 | chumchuda | [t͡ɕʰumt͡ɕʰuda̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 추다 | chuda | [t͡ɕʰuda̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 춤을 추다 | chum-eul chuda |
The verb forms are used to describe moving rhythmically to music. While 춤추다 is a standard way to express the action, you may also see the phrase 춤을 추다 used to emphasize the act of performing a specific dance or movement.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 춤을 추다 is composed of the noun 춤 (dance) and the verb 추다 (to dance/to perform).
Which one should you use?
There are different ways to refer to dance depending on the context. 춤 is the most common and widely-used term for dance. In contrast, 무용 specifically refers to the art of dance and is often used in more formal or educational contexts. Additionally, 댄스 is the English loanword used frequently in modern contexts like 'dance music' or specific dance styles.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 춤추다 or 추다 conjugates to 춤을 춰요 in the polite informal style used in everyday conversation to mean 'is dancing / dances (polite)'.
How do you pronounce it?
chumchuda
Did you know?
- In the 1459 text 월인석보, the word for dance was recorded as 춤〮츠〮다〮, which looks quite different from the modern 춤추다 due to historical phonetic shifts.
- In traditional Korean contexts, dancing is often conceptually tied to the 'flow' of spirit or rhythm rather than just physical movement.
- When referring to a person who dances professionally, you should use 무용수 instead of the common word for a person who dances.
Examples in context
- 춤을 추다To danceThis example shows how to use the verb 추다 to mean 'to dance'.
- 한국의 무용은 아름답습니다.Korean dance is beautiful.
- 오늘 노래에 맞춰 춰볼까?Shall we dance to the song today?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dance” translations and entries 춤추다, 추다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 추다, 춤추다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
