무슬림
museullim[musʰɯʎʎim]
The English word muslim is translated into Korean as 무슬림 (museullim). Wiktionary also lists 이슬람교도 (iseullamgyodo) and 회교도 (hoegyodo).
Meaning: believer of Islam (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 무슬림 | museullim | [musʰɯʎʎim] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 이슬람교도 | iseullamgyodo | [isʰɯɭɭa̠mɡjodo̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 회교도 | hoegyodo | [ɸwe̞ɡjodo̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [hø̞ɡjodo̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 모슬렘 | moseullem |
In Korean, 무슬림 is used to refer to a person who follows the religion of Islam. While 무슬림 refers to the person, the term 이슬람교 is the standard way to refer to the religion itself.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 이슬람교도 is a compound of 이슬람 (Islam) and 교도 (follower/believer).
Which one should you use?
무슬림 is a loanword from English/Arabic and is the most common, neutral way to refer to a Muslim in modern Korean. In contrast, 회교도 is an older, more traditional term for a Muslim and is used less frequently in modern media than 무슬림.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
museullim
What mistakes should you avoid?
모슬렘 is an older transliteration of 'Muslim' that is increasingly considered outdated or less precise than 무슬림.
Did you know?
- The word 회교 was once the primary way to refer to Islam in Korea, meaning the religion was named after the people's perceived origin or movements.
- In modern South Korea, 무슬림 is preferred in media because it is perceived as more respectful and globally aligned than the older Sino-Korean terms.
- Korean often adds the suffix -교 to the names of religions, such as 이슬람교 or 기독교, to explicitly categorize them as 'faiths' in a way English does not.
Examples in context
- 톰은 무슬림이다.Tom is a Muslim.This sentence is useful for stating that Tom is a Muslim using 무슬림.Tatoeba #11105686 by intertime, translation #1025162 by CK
- 사미는 무슬림이다.Sami is a Muslim.This sentence is useful for stating that Sami is a Muslim using 무슬림.Tatoeba #11107038 by intertime, translation #6447733 by OsoHombre
- 그 사람은 무슬림입니다.He is a Muslim.
- 정말요? 저도 무슬림 친구가 있어요.Is that so? I also have a Muslim friend.
- 나는 무슬림 친구를 만났어.I met a Muslim friend.
- 그는 친절한 무슬림이에요.geuneun chinjeolhan museullim-ieyo.He is a kind Muslim.
Example conversation
Minji and Minjun are talking about a new neighbor.
- 민지 Min-ji새로 이사 온 분은 무슬림인가요?saero isa on buneun museullim-ingayo?Is the new neighbor a Muslim?
- 민준 Min-jun네, 무슬림이시라고 들었어요.ne, museullim-isirago deureosseoyo.Yes, I heard he is a Muslim.
- 민지 Min-ji그럼 어떤 음식을 드실까요?geureom eotteon eumsig-eul deusilkkayo?Then, what kind of food should he eat?
- 민준 Min-jun음식을 미리 확인해 보는 게 좋겠어요.eumsig-eul miri hwaginhae boneun ge jo-gesseoyo.It would be good to check the food in advance.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “muslim” translations and entries 무슬림, 이슬람교도, 회교도, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 무슬림, 이슬람교도, 회교도, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
