빨랫감
ppallaetgam[p͈a̠ɭɭɛt̚k͈a̠m]
The English word 'laundry' can be translated into Korean as 빨랫감 (ppallaetgam) or 세탁물.
Meaning: that which needs to be laundered (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 빨랫감 | ppallaetgam | [p͈a̠ɭɭɛt̚k͈a̠m] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [p͈a̠ɭɭɛk͈a̠m] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 세탁물 | setangmul |
빨래 is a term for laundry used in day-to-day conversations and formal settings. The term 세탁 is the standard term for laundry in Korean.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 빨랫감 is composed of 빨래 (laundry/washing) and 감 (material/stuff), literally meaning 'material for washing'.
Which one should you use?
While 빨랫감 refers more to the 'stuff' or 'load' of laundry, 세탁물 is a more formal term often used in professional contexts like dry cleaning or laundry services and can be used to emphasize the items being laundered.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
세탁물 is the preferred term in formal or commercial settings, such as on receipts or signs at a laundromat.
How do you pronounce it?
ppallaetgam
Did you know?
- The verb used for washing laundry, 빨다, is a homonym that also means 'to suck' in entirely different contexts.
- Traditionally, Korean 빨래 involved using a wooden paddle to physically beat clothes against a rock to force dirt out.
- In historical Korean society, doing 빨래 was not a solitary chore but a communal social event where women gathered at local streams and rivers.
Examples in context
- 세탁소에서 저희 옷을 세탁해 주실 수 있을까요?Could you please launder our clothes at the laundry service?
- 저는 빨래를 오늘 다 해야 해요.I have to finish all the laundry today.
- 빨랫감이 산더미처럼 쌓였어요.ppallatgami sandomicheoreom ssayeosseoyo.The laundry is piled up like a mountain.
- 빨랫감을 분류해야 해요.ppallatgameul bunlyuhaeya haeyo.I need to sort the laundry.
Example conversation
Subin and Jihun are talking in their living room about chores.
- 수빈 Su-bin지훈 씨, 오늘 빨랫감이 너무 많아요.Jihun ssi, oneul ppallatgami neomu manayo.Jihun, there is too much laundry today.
- 지훈 Ji-hun제가 같이 해 줄게요.Jega gachi hae julgeyo.I will help you with it.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말요? 고마워요.Jeongmalyo? Gomawoyo.Really? Thank you.
- 지훈 Ji-hun빨랫감을 먼저 분류해 놓을게요.Ppallatgameul meonjeo bunlyuhae noeulgeyo.I will sort the laundry first.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “laundry” translations and entries 빨랫감, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
