오니기리
onigiri[o̞niɡiɾi]
The English phrase onigiri can be translated into Korean as 오니기리 or 삼각김밥.
Meaning: Japanese rice ball (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 오니기리 | onigiri | [o̞niɡiɾi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 삼각김밥 | samgakgimbap | [sʰa̠mɡa̠k̚k͈i(ː)mp͈a̠p̚] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
Both terms refer to the Japanese-style rice ball. However, 삼각김밥 is the most common way to refer to the mass-produced, triangular-shaped rice snacks found in Korean convenience stores (pyeon-ui-jeom).
What does it mean word for word?
The term 삼각김밥 is a compound of 삼각 (triangle) and 김밥 (gimbap/seaweed rice roll).
Which one should you use?
While 오니기리 is the phonetic transliteration of the Japanese word, 삼각김밥 is the standard term used in Korea to describe the triangular rice balls found in convenience stores.
How do you pronounce it?
onigiri
Did you know?
- In Korea, 삼각김밥 are almost always wrapped in a way that keeps the seaweed separate from the rice until the moment you open the plastic, preventing the seaweed from becoming soggy.
- The term 삼각김밥 describes a food that evolved into a cultural icon in Korea, often appearing in K-dramas as a symbol of a student's budget-friendly or lonely meal.
- The word 삼각 in 삼각김밥 comes from the Hanja (Chinese characters) for 'triangle', which is also used in mathematical contexts in Korea.
Examples in context
- 한 끼를 때우려고 편의점에 가서 삼각김밥을 사 먹었다.Went to the convenience store in order to solve the one meal and ate onigiri [triangular gimbap].This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 삼각김밥 when discussing buying a quick meal at a convenience store.
- 저는 오늘 점심에 삼각김밥을 먹었어요.I had onigiri for lunch today.
- 오늘 친구랑 주먹밥을 함께 먹었어.I had onigiri together with my friend today.
- 이 오니기리는 정말 맛있어요.i onigirineun jeongmal masisseoyo.This onigiri is really delicious.
- 편의점에서 오니기리를 하나 샀어요.pyeonijeomeseo onigirireul hana sasseoyo.I bought an onigiri at the convenience store.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Minjun are having a quick lunch together.
- 서연 Seo-yeon민준 씨, 그 오니기리 어디서 샀어요?Minjun ssi, geu onigiri eodiseo sasseoyo?Minjun, where did you buy that onigiri?
- 민준 Min-jun그냥 집 앞 편의점에서 샀어요.geunyang jip ap pyeonijeomeseo sasseoyo.I just bought it at the convenience store in front of my house.
- 서연 Seo-yeon저도 하나 사러 가야겠어요.jeodo hana sareo gaya-gesseoyo.I should go buy one too.
- 민준 Min-jun서연 씨도 드셔보세요, 맛있어요.Seoyeon ssi-do deusyeoboseyo, masisseoyo.You should try it too, Seoyeon, it's delicious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “onigiri” translations and entries 오니기리, 삼각김밥, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
