펭귄
penggwin[pʰe̞ŋɡɥin]
The Korean word for penguin is 펭귄 (penggwin).
펭귄 is used to refer to the flightless sea bird.
Meaning: flightless sea bird (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
penggwin
Did you know?
- In Korean pop culture, 펭귄 is often associated with a clumsy but cute image, leading to a surge of penguin-themed characters in 'kakao' messenger stickers.
- The word 펭귄 is a loanword from English, but in older Korean texts, you might find the term 펭귄새, which literally translates to 'penguin bird'.
- The word 펭귄 is a phonetic loanword from English, meaning it does not have a native Korean root or a traditional Hanja spelling.
Examples in context
- 일본에는 펭귄을 키우는 사람이 있대.Supposedly there are people in Japan who keep a penguin as a pet.This sentence is useful for mentioning that someone in Japan keeps a 펭귄 as a pet.Tatoeba #8398357 by Eunhee, translation #2726777 by AlanF_US
- 펭귄들은 보통 추운 날씨를 잘 견뎌내는 친구들이야.Penguins are friends who can withstand cold weather.
- 펭귄은 뒤뚱뒤뚱 걸어요.pengwin-eun dwidtung-dwidtung georeoyo.Penguins waddle when they walk.
- 우리 아기는 펭귄 인형을 좋아해요.uri agi-neun pengwin inhyeong-eul joahaeyo.My baby likes penguin dolls.
Example conversation
Minji and Dohyun are looking at a picture book together.
- 민지 Min-ji도현 씨, 이 펭귄 좀 보세요.Dohyun ssi, i penggwin jom bo-se-yo.Dohyun, look at this penguin.
- 도현 Do-hyeon정말 귀엽게 생겼네요!jeong-mal gwi-yeop-ge saeng-gyeon-ne-yo!It looks really cute!
- 민지 Min-ji펭귄은 날지 못하는 새예요.penggwin-eun nal-ji mot-ha-neun sae-ye-yo.Penguins are birds that cannot fly.
- 도현 Do-hyeon아, 그렇군요. 신기해요.a, geu-reoh-gun-yo. sin-gi-hae-yo.Oh, I see. That's interesting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “penguin” translations and entries 펭귄, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 펭귄, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
