양말
yangmal[ja̠ŋma̠ɭ]
The Korean word for "sock" is 양말 (yangmal).
양말 is a noun used to refer to a covering for the foot.
Meaning: covering for the foot (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
yangmal
Did you know?
- The word 양말 uses the character 양, which means 'ocean'. In Sino-Korean, this was used to describe anything 'Western' because those items arrived from across the sea.
- While 양말 refers to modern socks, Korea has a traditional kind of sock called 버선 that is shaped specifically to fit the pointed toe of traditional shoes.
- When visiting a temple or a traditional house, Koreans often change their 양말 to a clean pair to show respect to the host and the space.
Examples in context
- 양말이 어디에 있어요?yangmal-i eodi-e iss-eoyo?Where are the socks?
- 이 양말은 아주 귀여워요.i yangmal-eun aju gwiyeow-eoyo.These socks are very cute.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Subin are getting ready to go out.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo수빈 씨, 제 양말 못 봤어요?Subin ssi, je yangmal mot bwasseoyo?Subin, have you seen my socks?
- 수빈 Su-bin세탁기에 있어요, 현우 씨.setakgi-e iss-eoyo, Hyunwoo ssi.They are in the washing machine, Hyunwoo.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo아, 찾았어요. 고마워요.a, chajass-eoyo. gomawoyo.Ah, I found them. Thank you.
- 수빈 Su-bin빨리 준비해요.ppalli junbi-haeyo.Get ready quickly.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 양말, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 양말, CC BY-SA 4.0.
