퍼센트
peosenteu[pʰʌ̹sʰe̞ntʰɯ]
The English word 'percent' is translated into Korean as 퍼센트 (peosenteu) or 프로.
Meaning: a part or other object per hundred (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 퍼센트 | peosenteu | [pʰʌ̹sʰe̞ntʰɯ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 프로 | peuro | [pʰɯɾo̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
Both forms refer to a part or object per hundred. In written Korean, the percent sign (%) is used identically to how it is used in English.
Which one should you use?
The form 프로 is a common, more colloquial way to say percent compared to the loanword 퍼센트.
How do you pronounce it?
peosenteu
Did you know?
- While 퍼센트 is a direct loanword from English, the more common term 프로 actually traces its roots back to the German word Prozent.
- The word 프로 is a homonym used for both 'percent' and 'professional', the latter of which is an abbreviation of the English word 'professional'.
- In many contexts, you might encounter the term 할 (hal) or 푼 (pun) when discussing traditional fractions or rates. These are older ways to express parts of a whole, similar to how English speakers once used 'tenths' or 'hundredths'.
Examples in context
- 그 투자는 성공할 확률이 50%입니다.The investment has a 50% chance of success.
- 성공 확률이 오 퍼센트예요.seong-gong hwang-nyul-i o peosenteu-yeyo.The success probability is five percent.
- 배터리가 이십 퍼센트 남았어요.baeteori-ga i-sip peosenteu nam-asseoyo.There is twenty percent battery left.
- 할인율이 삼십 퍼센트입니다.harinyul-i sam-sip peosenteu-imnida.The discount rate is thirty percent.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Min-jun are checking the battery on a laptop.
- 지은 Ji-eun노트북 배터리가 얼마나 남았어?noteubuk baeteori-ga eolmana nam-asseo?How much battery is left on the laptop?
- 민준 Min-jun십 퍼센트밖에 안 남았어.sip peosenteu-bakke an nam-asseo.Only ten percent is left.
- 지은 Ji-eun빨리 충전기를 찾아야겠다.ppalli chungjeon-gi-reul chaj-aya-getda.We should find the charger quickly.
- 민준 Min-jun내가 충전기를 가져올게.naega chungjeon-gi-reul gajyeo-olge.I will go get the charger.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “percent” translations and entries 퍼센트, 프로, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 퍼센트, 프로, CC BY-SA 4.0.
