포옹하다
poonghada[ˈpʰo̞(ː)o̞ŋɦa̠da̠]
To embrace in Korean is 포옹하다 (poonghada). Wiktionary also lists 끌어안다 (kkeureoanda) and 껴안다 (kkyeoanda).
Meaning: to clasp (someone or each other) in the arms with affection (verb)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 포옹하다 | poonghada | [ˈpʰo̞(ː)o̞ŋɦa̠da̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 끌어안다 | kkeureoanda | [ˈk͈ɯ(ː)ɾʌ̹a̠nt͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 껴안다 | kkyeoanda | [k͈jʌ̹a̠nt͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
All these forms describe the act of clasping someone or each other in the arms with affection.
Which one should you use?
While all forms mean to embrace, 포옹하다 is more formal and clinical, often used in literature or formal descriptions of an embrace.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To use these in the past tense, use 포옹했다 for 포옹하다, 끌어안았다 for 끌어안다 and 껴안았다 for 껴안다.
How do you pronounce it?
poonghada
Did you know?
- Because Korean culture traditionally emphasizes physical distance in public, using the word 포옹 in a conversation can sound much more dramatic or romantic than simply saying 'hug' in English.
- While 포옹하다 is the standard word for 'embrace', Koreans often use the English loanword '허그' (hug) in casual social media posts or trendy contexts to sound more modern.
- The verb 껴안다 comes from the root 끼다, which can mean 'to be stuck' or 'to be wedged', suggesting a tight or snug fit during the embrace.
Example sentences for Korean are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “embrace” translations and entries 포옹하다, 끌어안다, 껴안다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
