코끼리
kokkiri[kʰo̞k͈iɾi]
The Korean word for elephant is 코끼리 (kokkiri).
코끼리 is a noun used to refer to the mammal known as an elephant.
Meaning: mammal (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
kokkiri
Did you know?
- The word 코끼리 is a fascinating descriptive compound that literally translates to 'long-noser'.
- The word 코끼리 first appeared in written records in 1459 within the 월인석보, a Buddhist text documenting the life of Gautama Buddha.
- If you are looking for the word for 'trunk' in Korean, it is not a separate noun, but is simply referred to as the elephant's 'nose', or 코.
Examples in context
- 코끼리는 코가 아주 길어요.The elephant has a very long nose.
- 코끼리는 몸집이 아주 커요.kokkirineun momjibi aju keoyo.An elephant is very large.
- 그 코끼리는 코가 길어요.geu kokkirineun koga girieyo.That elephant has a long trunk.
- 동물원에서 코끼리를 봤어요.dongmulwoneseo kokkirireul bwasseoyo.I saw an elephant at the zoo.
Example conversation
Subin and Jihun are looking at a picture book in a library.
- 수빈 Su-bin지훈아, 이 코끼리 좀 봐!Jihun-a, i kokkiri jom bwa!Jihun, look at this elephant!
- 지훈 Ji-hun정말 크다. 코끼리는 정말 멋져.Jeongmal keuda. Kokkirineun jeongmal meotjyeo.It is really big. Elephants are truly cool.
- 수빈 Su-bin코가 정말 길지?Koga jeongmal gilji?The trunk is really long, right?
- 지훈 Ji-hun응, 정말 신기해.Eung, jeongmal singihae.Yeah, it's really amazing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “elephant” translations and entries 코끼리, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 코끼리, CC BY-SA 4.0.
