삼겹살
samgyeopsal[sʰa̠mɡjʌ̹ps͈a̠ɭ]
Pork belly in Korean is 삼겹살 (samgyeopsal).
The most common and widely recognized term for pork belly in Korean is 삼겹살.
Meaning: boneless cut of fatty meat (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 삼겹살 literally means 'three-layered meat', referring to the layers of fat and muscle in the pork belly.
Did you know?
- There is a long-standing cultural association between 삼겹살 and dusty work. Some believe eating fatty pork belly helps 'wash away' fine dust from the lungs after working in construction or during smoggy seasons.
- While the word literally describes the meat, many Koreans use 삼겹살 to refer to the entire social experience of Korean BBQ, not just the specific ingredient.
- Traditional 삼겹살 dinners often involve the 'ssam' technique, where meat is wrapped in a perilla leaf or lettuce with garlic and ssamjang. Swallowing the wrap in one bite is the customary way to eat it.
Examples in context
- 삼겹살은 정말 맛있어요.samgyeopsareun jeongmal masisseoyo.Pork belly is really delicious.
- 오늘 저녁은 삼겹살을 먹을까요?oneul jeonyeogeun samgyeopsareul meogeulkkayo?Shall we eat pork belly for dinner tonight?
- 마트에서 삼겹살을 샀어요.mateseo samgyeopsareul sasseoyo.I bought pork belly at the mart.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Dohyun are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- 서연 Seo-yeon도현 씨, 오늘 저녁에 뭐 먹을래요?Dohyun ssi, oneul jeonyeoge mwo meogeullaeyo?Dohyun, what do you want to eat for dinner today?
- 도현 Do-hyeon저는 삼겹살 먹고 싶어요.jeoneun samgyeopsal meokgo sipeoyo.I want to eat pork belly.
- 서연 Seo-yeon좋아요. 근처에 맛집이 있어요.joayo. geuncheoe matjibi isseoyo.Sounds good. There is a great restaurant nearby.
- 도현 Do-hyeon그럼 지금 바로 가요.geureom jigeum baro gayo.Then let's go right now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 삼겹살, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
