구글
Gugeul[kuɡɯɭ]
The English phrase 'google' can be expressed in Korean using 구글 (Gugeul).
구글 is the name of the company and the search engine itself, which can be written as 검색엔진 구글 (search engine Google). To express the actual action of searching for information online, it is common to use the colloquial verb 구글링하다.
Meaning: to search for (something) on the Internet using any comprehensive search engine (verb)
Which one should you use?
구글 refers to the entity or the name, whereas 구글링하다 is used to describe the act of searching on the internet.
How do you pronounce it?
Gugeul
Did you know?
- The word 구글 is written in the Hangul alphabet, which is a featural script. This means the shapes of the characters in 구글 are designed to mimic the physical position of the tongue and mouth when speaking.
- The suffix -ing in 구글링하다 is a 'Konglish' adaptation of the English gerund. It transforms a noun into an active process in a way that doesn't follow standard Korean grammar rules.
- In South Korea, 구글링 is often associated with searching for global or academic information, while 네이버 is used for local services and community blogs.
Examples in context
- 구글에서 찾은 정보Information found on Google
- 구글 가서 검색해봐Go to Google and search for it
- 구글링해서 그 단어 뜻 찾아봐Google it and find the meaning of that word
- 그거 한번 구글해봐.geugeo hanbeon gugeulhaebwa.Try googling that once.
- 모르는 건 구글에서 구글하면 돼.moreuneun geon gugeuleseo gugeulhamyeon dwae.If you don't know something, you can just google it on Google.
- 궁금한 내용을 구글해 봤어요.gunggeumhan naeyongeul gugeulhae bwasseoyo.I googled the content I was curious about.
Example conversation
A student is asking a friend for help with a term.
- 도현 Do-hyeon민지야, 이 단어 뜻이 뭐야?Minji-ya, i daneo tteusi mwoya?Minji, what does this word mean?
- 민지 Min-ji그거 직접 구글해 보는 건 어때?geugeo jikjeop gugeulhae boneun geon eottae?How about googling it yourself?
- 도현 Do-hyeon그래, 지금 바로 구글해 볼게.geurae, jigeum baro gugeulhae bolge.Okay, I will google it right now.
- 민지 Min-ji도현아, 검색 결과 잘 나오면 좋겠다.Dohyeon-a, geomsaek gyeolgwa jal naomyeon jokgetda.Dohyeon, I hope the search results come up well.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 구글, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
