How to Say "Present" in Korean

선물

seonmul[ˈsʰɘ(ː)nmuɭ]

The English word 'present' is translated into Korean as 선물 (seonmul).

Meaning: to put (something) forward in order for it to be seen, to show, exhibit (verb)

Which one should you use?

While the English word 'present' can mean both a gift and the current time, the Korean word 선물 (seonmul) only refers to a gift.

seonmul

In Korea, giving certain types of 선물 like red ink on a card is avoided because red was historically used to write the names of the deceased.
In professional settings, a 선물 can be strictly regulated by the 'Kim Young-ran Act', which sets legal price limits on gifts to prevent bribery.
When receiving a 선물, it is a common traditional custom in Korea to decline the gift once or twice before finally accepting it to show humility.

그녀는 그에게 선물을 주었다.
She gave him a present.
This sentence shows how to use 선물 to express giving a gift.
Tatoeba #13250530 by qiwiwi, translation #887136 by CK
네 생일 선물로 펜 하나를 샀어.
I bought a pen for your birthday present.
This sentence demonstrates using 선물 in the context of a birthday gift.
Tatoeba #7801884 by HappyMidnight, translation #70475 by CK
생일 선물로 뭐를 원하세요?
What birthday present do you want?
This sentence shows how to ask about someone's desired birthday 선물.
Tatoeba #13185539 by atitarev, translation #6465871 by jasmaa
2 more sentences on Tatoeba

Minji and Dohyun are talking about a gift for a friend.

민지 Min-ji

도현 씨, 친구 선물 준비했어요?
Dohyun ssi, chin-gu seon-mul jun-bi-hae-sseo-yo?
Dohyun, did you prepare a present for our friend?
도현 Do-hyeon

네, 어제 예쁜 선물 샀어요.
Ne, eo-je ye-ppeun seon-mul sa-sseo-yo.
Yes, I bought a pretty present yesterday.
민지 Min-ji

와, 어떤 선물인지 정말 궁금해요.
Wa, eo-tteon seon-mul-in-ji jeong-mal gun-geum-hae-yo.
Wow, I'm really curious what the present is.
도현 Do-hyeon

비밀이에요. 나중에 선물 보여줄게요.
Bi-mil-i-e-yo. na-jung-e seon-mul bo-yeo-jul-ge-yo.
It's a secret. I'll show you the present later.

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏