이탈리아어
itallia'eo
The Korean word for the Italian language is 이탈리아어 (itallia'eo).
이탈리아어 is used specifically to refer to the Italian language.
Meaning: language (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 이탈리아, which means Italy and 어, which means language.
Which one should you use?
While 이탈리아어 refers specifically to the language, other related terms like 이탈리아인, 이태리인 or 이탈리아 사람 are used to refer to the people of Italy.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The suffix -어 (eo) is added to a country name to denote its language.
How do you pronounce it?
itallia'eo
Did you know?
- While 이탈리아어 is the standard term, you will often see the country referred to as 이태리 'Italy'. This version is a phonetic adaptation from the older Japanese transcription of the word.
- In Korean, the suffix -어 (eo) is written using the Chinese-derived Hanja character 語, which signifies 'language' or 'speech'.
- Korean distinguishes between the native word for language 말 'mal' and the Sino-Korean suffix -어 'eo'. While 이탈리아어 is the formal name of the language, a person might say they can speak 이탈리아 말 in casual conversation.
Examples in context
- 저분은 이탈리아 사람이에요.That person is Italian.
- 이탈리아어를 배우고 싶어요.I want to learn Italian.
- 지금 이탈리안 음식을 먹었어.I just had Italian food.
Example conversation
A man and a woman are talking about language classes at a cafe.
- 지은 Ji-eun현우 씨는 이탈리아어를 할 줄 알아요?hyeonu ssi-neun itallieoreul hal jul arayo?Do you know how to speak Italian, Hyeon-woo?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo아니요, 잘 못해요.aniyo, jal mothae-yo.No, I am not good at it.
- 지은 Ji-eun저는 이탈리아어를 배우고 있어요.jeoneun itallieoreul baeugo isseoyo.I am learning Italian.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo정말 멋진 취미네요!jeongmal meotjin chwimineyo!That is a really cool hobby!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “italian” translations and entries 이탈리아어, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 이탈리아어, CC BY-SA 4.0.
