성
seong[sʰɘ(ː)ŋ]
In Korean, the word for sex (referring to a reproductive or gender category) is 성 (seong). If unsure, use 성별.
Meaning: reproductive/sexual/gender category (female or male) (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 성 | seong | [sʰɘ(ː)ŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 성별 | seongbyeol | [ˈsʰɘ(ː)ŋbjʌ̹ɭ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
When you are filling out official documents or forms that ask for your sex or gender, you will most frequently see the word 성별 used.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 성별 is a compound consisting of 성, meaning sex and 별, meaning type, kind or distinction.
Which one should you use?
While 성 means sex, 성별 is the more common term used when referring to a person's sex or gender category in everyday conversation and on forms. 성 itself is often used in more formal, academic or biological contexts, such as in the term 성차 (sex difference).
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
seong
When do people say it?
To speak more euphemistically or poetically about sexual relations, Koreans may use the phrase 사랑을 나누다, which literally means "to share love".
Did you know?
- The word 성 is a homonym with several unrelated meanings, including 'castle' 城, 'surname' 姓, and 'holy' 聖. In written Korean, these are distinguished by Hanja characters, but they sound identical in speech.
- While 성별 is the standard term for 'sex' on forms, the broader concept of 'sexual' or 'gender' in Korean often overlaps with the word 성, which can also describe a person's innate nature or character.
- The word for sex, 성, can be traced back to the Middle Korean form 셔ᇰ, which was documented as early as 1463 in the translation of the Lotus Sutra.
Examples in context
- 성별을 선택해 주세요.seongbyeoreul seontaekhae juseyo.Please select your sex.
- 이 서류에는 성 항목이 있어요.i seoryuenun seong hangmugi isseoyo.This document has a sex category.
- 성 구분이 명확합니다.seong gubuni myeonghwakhamnida.The sex distinction is clear.
Example conversation
Jihoon and Minji are filling out a registration form.
- 지훈 Ji-hun성 칸에 무엇을 적어야 해요?seong kane mueoseul jeogeoya haeyo?What should I write in the sex field?
- 민지 Min-ji남성이나 여성 중 하나를 적으면 돼요.namseongina yeoseong jung hanareul jeogeumyeon dwaeyo.You can just write either male or female.
- 지훈 Ji-hun민지 씨는 여성으로 적었군요.Minji ssineun yeoseong-euro jeogeotgunyo.Minji, you wrote female for yours.
- 민지 Min-ji네, 맞아요.ne, majayo.Yes, that's right.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sex” translations and entries 성, 성별, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 성, CC BY-SA 4.0.
