돌고래
dolgorae[to̞ɭɡo̞ɾɛ]
The Korean word for dolphin is 돌고래 (dolgorae).
돌고래 is a noun used to refer to the aquatic mammal.
Meaning: aquatic mammal (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
dolgorae
Did you know?
- The word 돌고래 is a compound of 돌, meaning 'stone', and 고래, meaning 'whale'.
- Because 돌고래 is built from the word for 'stone', some linguists suggest the name might historically refer to the appearance of these animals' skin or perhaps their behavior near rocky shores.
- While 돌고래 refers to the animal, the phrase 고래 is also used in idioms to describe something of an immense scale or an overwhelmingly large amount.
Examples in context
- 돌고래처럼 수영을 잘해요.He can swim like a dolphin.This sentence is useful for illustrating how to use the word 돌고래 in a comparison.Tatoeba #13187807 by atitarev, translation #13187808 by atitarev
- 씨엘씨 여자 아이돌은 돌고래에 대해 무엇을 알고 있을까요?What do CLC girl idols know about dolphins?
- 지금 커피를 마시면서 돌고래에 대해 얘기해봐요!Let's talk about dolphins while having coffee right now!
- 바다에 돌고래가 살아요.bada-e dolgo-rae-ga sarayo.Dolphins live in the sea.
- 저는 돌고래를 정말 좋아해요.jeoneun dolgo-rae-reul jeongmal joahaeyo.I really like dolphins.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are watching a nature documentary on TV.
- 지은 Ji-eun지훈 씨, 저 돌고래 좀 보세요!Jihoon ssi, jeo dolgo-rae jom boseyo!Jihoon, look at that dolphin!
- 지훈 Ji-hun정말 귀엽네요, 지은 씨.Jeongmal gwiyeopneyo, Jieun ssi.It's really cute, Jieun.
- 지은 Ji-eun돌고래는 정말 똑똑한 것 같아요.Dolgo-rae-neun jeongmal ttokttok-han geot gat-ayo.I think dolphins are very smart.
- 지훈 Ji-hun맞아요, 아주 영리한 동물이죠.Majayo, aju yeong-rihan dongmul-ijyo.That's right, they are very clever animals.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dolphin” translations and entries 돌고래, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 돌고래, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
