전
jeon[t͡ɕʌ̹n]
jeon is the Korean word for a fried, filled pancake-like food.
전 is used as a generic category name for various types of Korean pan-fried dishes, often followed by the specific ingredient name.
Meaning: a fried, filled pancake-like food eaten in Korea (noun)
Which one should you use?
부침개 is a common synonym for jeon, though it often refers more specifically to a larger, sometimes thinner, pan-fried pancake.
How do you pronounce it?
jeon
Did you know?
- During the rainy season, it is a widespread Korean custom to eat 전 alongside 'makgeolli', a milky rice wine. The sound of rain is said to mimic the sizzling sound of frying 전 in a pan.
- Jeon is a central part of jesa, the traditional ancestral memorial services. Special varieties of jeon are prepared as offerings to show respect to ancestors.
- Due to the different Sino-Korean characters used, the single syllable 전 can represent many completely different concepts, including 'whole', 'field', 'money', and 'before'.
Examples in context
- 김치전Kimchijeon
- 해물파전Haemulpa-jeon
- 이 전은 정말 맛있어요.i jeon-eun jeongmal masisseoyo.This jeon is really delicious.
- 비 오는 날에는 전이 생각나요.bi oneun nal-eneun jeon-i saenggangnayo.I think of jeon on rainy days.
- 어머니가 맛있는 전을 만드셨어요.eomeoniga masinneun jeon-eul mandeusyeosseoyo.My mother made delicious jeon.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Hyunwoo are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- 서연 Seo-yeon오늘 저녁에 전 먹으러 갈까요?oneul jeonyeoge jeon meogeureo galkkayo?Shall we go eat jeon for dinner tonight?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo좋아요. 어떤 전을 제일 좋아해요?joayo. eotteon jeoneul jeil joahae-yo?Sounds good. Which kind of jeon do you like best?
- 서연 Seo-yeon저는 해물파전이 제일 좋아요.jeoneun haemulpajeoni jeil joayo.I like seafood scallion pancake the most.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo그럼 파전 잘하는 집으로 가요.geureom pajeon jalhaneun jibeuro gayo.Then let's go to a place that makes great pajeon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jeon” translations and entries 전, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
