허리케인
heorikein[hʌ̹ɾikʰe̞in]
The English word 'hurricane' is translated into Korean as 허리케인 (heorikein). Wiktionary also lists 폭풍 (pokpung) and 하리켄 (hariken).
Meaning: weather phenomenon (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 허리케인 | heorikein | [hʌ̹ɾikʰe̞in] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 폭풍 | pokpung | [pʰo̞k̚pʰuŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 하리켄 | hariken | North Korea |
허리케인 is a loanword used to specifically refer to a hurricane. In daily conversation, people more commonly use the word 태풍 (typhoon) to describe the large tropical cyclones that affect the region.
Which one should you use?
허리케인 specifically refers to the weather phenomenon known as a hurricane, whereas 폭풍 is a broader, more general term for any storm. Additionally, while 허리케인 is a loanword, 태풍 is the much more common term used in daily life to describe these weather events in Korea.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In North Korea, the spelling and pronunciation of the loanword differs from the South Korean version, appearing as 하리켄.
How do you pronounce it?
heorikein
Did you know?
- Koreans use the slang phrase 폭풍 흡입, meaning 'storm suction', to describe the act of eating food incredibly fast.
- The word 폭풍 can be written with the character 爆, which means 'to explode', linking the concept of a storm to an explosion.
- In South Korea, the word 태풍 is used as a catch-all term for any large tropical cyclone, regardless of whether it is technically a hurricane, typhoon or cyclone.
Examples in context
- 오늘 집에만 있자. 허리케인 올 것 같아.Let's just stay home today. It looks like a hurricane is coming.
- 허리케인이 오고 있어요.heorikeini ogo isseoyo.A hurricane is coming.
- 허리케인 때문에 전기가 끊겼어요.heorikein ttaemune jeongi ga kkeun-gyeosseoyo.The power went out because of the hurricane.
- 그 허리케인은 매우 강력해요.geu heorikeineun maeu gangnyeokhaeyo.That hurricane is very powerful.
Example conversation
Jihoon and Subin are checking the weather news on the TV.
- 지훈 Ji-hun뉴스에서 허리케인이 온다고 해요.nyuseueseo heorikeini on-dago haeyo.The news says a hurricane is coming.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말요? 많이 위험할까요?jeongmallyo? mani wiheom-halkkayo?Really? Will it be very dangerous?
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 대비를 해야 해요.ne, daebireul haeya haeyo.Yes, we need to prepare.
- 수빈 Su-bin지훈 씨, 창문을 꼭 닫으세요.Jihoon ssi, changmun-eul kkok daseuseyo.Jihoon, make sure to close the windows.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hurricane” translations and entries 허리케인, 폭풍, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 폭풍, 허리케인, CC BY-SA 4.0.
