해물
haemul[ˈhɛ(ː)muɭ]
The English word 'seafood' can be translated into Korean as 해물 (haemul). Wiktionary also lists 해산물 (haesanmul).
Meaning: fish, shellfish, seaweed and other edible aquatic life (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 해물 | haemul | [ˈhɛ(ː)muɭ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ˈhe̞(ː)muɭ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 해산물 | haesanmul | [ˈhɛ(ː)sʰa̠nmuɭ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ˈhe̞(ː)sʰa̠nmuɭ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The term refers to fish, shellfish, seaweed and other edible aquatic life.
Which one should you use?
While 해물 and 해산물 are often used interchangeably, 해산물 sounds slightly more formal and is frequently used in commercial contexts like grocery stores or menus to refer to seafood as a category of goods.
How do you pronounce it?
haemul
Did you know?
- There is a traditional Korean belief that certain 해산물, like octopus, can be eaten alive to improve health and stamina.
- While 해물 means 'seafood', the word 물 also means 'water'. In some contexts, 해물 is used specifically to describe shellfish and crustaceans, excluding finned fish which are called 생선.
- The word 해물 is composed of the characters for 'sea' and '물', where 물 can mean both 'water' and 'thing'.
Examples in context
- 해물을 정말 좋아해요.haemureul jeongmal joahae-yo.I really like seafood.
- 이 식당은 해물이 신선해요.i sikdang-eun haemuri sinseonhae-yo.The seafood is fresh at this restaurant.
- 해물을 넣어서 요리했어요.haemureul neoeoseo yori-haesseo-yo.I cooked it with seafood added.
Example conversation
Two friends are choosing what to eat for dinner.
- 서연 Seo-yeon오늘 저녁에 해물 요리 먹을까요?oneul jeonyeok-e haemul yori meog-eulkkayo?Shall we eat a seafood dish for dinner tonight?
- 지훈 Ji-hun좋아요, 저는 해물을 아주 좋아해요.jo-ayo, jeoneun haemureul aju joahae-yo.Sounds good, I love seafood very much.
- 서연 Seo-yeon그럼 근처 해물 전문점으로 가요.geureom geuncheo haemul jeonmunjeom-euro gayo.Then let's go to a nearby seafood specialty restaurant.
- 지훈 Ji-hun서연 씨가 추천하는 곳으로 가요.Seoyeon ssi-ga chucheon-haneun got-euro gayo.Let's go to the place you recommend, Seoyeon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “seafood” translations and entries 해물, 해산물, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 해산물, CC BY-SA 4.0.
