편지
pyeonji[ˈpʰjɘ(ː)ɲd͡ʑi]
The Korean word for "letter" is 편지 (pyeonji).
편지 refers to a written message. The term 서신 is often used when referring to letters sent to authorities or official correspondences.
Meaning: written message (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
pyeonji
Did you know?
- One of the earliest examples of 편지 written in the native Korean alphabet was discovered in a grave from around 1585.
- In Korea, the act of writing a 편지 is often associated with a specific deep emotional sincerity that exceeds a simple 'message'.
- The word 편지 is a Sino-Korean word, meaning its roots are derived from Chinese characters even though it is a fundamental part of daily Korean speech.
Examples in context
- 나는 편지를 쓰고 있다.I'm writing a letter.This sentence is useful for expressing the continuous action of writing a letter with 편지.Tatoeba #11106467 by intertime, translation #258458 by CK
- 지난밤에 편지 하나를 썼다.I wrote a letter last night.This sentence is useful for describing the completed action of writing a letter with 편지.Tatoeba #11106492 by intertime, translation #257850 by CK
- 나는 이 편지를 그에게 쓰고 있어.I'm writing this letter to him.This sentence is useful for specifying the recipient of the letter being written with 편지.Tatoeba #4708178 by rainbow4us, translation #3907194 by CH
- 나는 가족에게 감동적인 편지를 보냈습니다.I sent a touching letter to my family.
- 그는 대통령에게 공식 서신을 보냈습니다.He sent an official letter to the president.
- 우편으로 온 편지를 확인해 봤어?Did you check the letter that came in the mail?
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Minjun and Jieun are talking about a package they received.
- 민준 Min-jun지은 씨, 이 편지 봤어요?Jieun ssi, i pyeonji bwasseoyo?Jieun, did you see this letter?
- 지은 Ji-eun아니요, 누구한테 온 편지예요?Aniyo, nuguhante on pyeonjiyeyo?No, who is the letter from?
- 민준 Min-jun제 친구가 보낸 편지예요.Je chinguga bonaen pyeonjiyeyo.It is a letter sent by my friend.
- 지은 Ji-eun정말 낭만적이네요!Jeongmal nangmanjeogineyo!That is really romantic!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “letter” translations and entries 편지, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 편지, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
