무스
museu[musʰɯ]
In Korean, the English word 'moose' is expressed as 무스 (museu). Wiktionary also lists 엘크 (elkeu) and 말코손바닥사슴 (malkosonbadaksaseum).
Meaning: largest member of the deer family (Alces alces) (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 무스 | museu | [musʰɯ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 엘크 | elkeu | |
| 말코손바닥사슴 | malkosonbadaksaseum | [ma̠ɭkʰo̞sʰo̞nba̠da̠ks͈a̠sʰɯm] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The word refers to the largest member of the deer family (Alces alces).
What does it mean word for word?
The formal name 말코손바닥사슴 is a descriptive term that literally translates to 'snout-palm deer', which refers to the animal's broad features and distinctive large snout.
Which one should you use?
There are three ways to refer to the animal: 무스, 엘크 (elk) refers to a different species of deer and 말코손바닥사슴 is the precise biological name.
How do you pronounce it?
museu
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse 무스 with 엘크, as these refer to different species of deer.
Did you know?
- Because the word 무스 is borrowed from English, it can be easily confused with the Korean word for hair styling products, which is also spelled 무스 and borrowed from the French 'mousse'.
- The formal name 말코손바닥사슴 contains the word 말, which means 'horse', but in this specific context it refers to the animal's large, prominent snout rather than a horse.
- The part 손바닥 in 말코손바닥사슴 refers to the animal's broad hooves or facial features by comparing them to a human palm.
Examples in context
- 난 엘크를 너무 좋아해!I really love moose!
- 무스는 아주 큰 동물이에요.museuneun aju keun dongmul-ieyo.A moose is a very large animal.
- 무스의 뿔은 정말 독특해요.museu-ui ppureun jeongmal dokteukhaeyo.The moose's antlers are very unique.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Hyeon-woo are looking at a nature documentary together.
- 지은 Ji-eun현우 씨, 저 무스 좀 보세요!Hyeon-u ssi, jeo museu jom boseyo!Hyeon-woo, look at that moose!
- 현우 Hyeon-woo정말 크네요, 지은 씨.Jeongmal keuneyo, Ji-eun ssi.It is really big, Ji-eun.
- 지은 Ji-eun무스는 정말 멋진 동물 같아요.Museuneun jeongmal meotjin dongmul gatayo.I think moose are wonderful animals.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo맞아요, 아주 강력해 보여요.Majayo, aju gangnyeokhae boyeoyo.That's true, they look very powerful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “moose” translations and entries 무스, 말코손바닥사슴, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 말코손바닥사슴, 무스, CC BY-SA 4.0.
