금붕어
geumbung'eo[kɯmbuŋʌ̹]
The English word goldfish is translated into Korean as 금붕어 (geumbung'eo).
금붕어 is used to refer to the goldfish.
Meaning: fish (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 금 (geum) meaning 'gold', 붕 (bung) meaning 'fish' (from the Chinese character 鮒) and 어 (eo) meaning 'fish' (from the Chinese character 魚).
How do you pronounce it?
geumbung'eo
Did you know?
- In Korean culture, goldfish are often associated with wealth and luck because of the 금 (gold) element. They are sometimes kept in ponds to invite prosperity into a home.
- The word contains a redundancy because both 붕 and 어 refer to fish. It is essentially a way of saying 'gold carp fish'.
- While 금붕어 means 'goldfish', the word 붕어 on its own refers to the crucian carp, which is a common food fish in Korea and very different from a pet goldfish.
Examples in context
- 금붕어가 정말 예뻐요.geumbungeoga jeongmal yeppeoyo.The goldfish is really pretty.
- 어항에 금붕어가 한 마리 있어요.eo-hang-e geumbungeoga han mari isseoyo.There is one goldfish in the fishbowl.
- 금붕어에게 먹이를 줘요.geumbungeoege meog-ireul jwoyo.I feed the goldfish.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a pet shop window.
- 지은 Ji-eun저 금붕어 좀 보세요!jeo geumbungeo jom boseyo!Look at that goldfish!
- 민준 Min-jun정말 색이 예쁘네요.jeongmal saegi yeppeuneyo.The color is really pretty.
- 지은 Ji-eun민준 씨도 금붕어를 좋아해요?Minjun ssi-do geumbungeoreul joahaeyo?Do you like goldfish too, Minjun?
- 민준 Min-jun네, 아주 좋아해요.ne, aju joahaeyo.Yes, I like them very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goldfish” translations and entries 금붕어, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
