거리
geori[kʌ̹ɾi]
The English word street is translated into Korean as 거리 (geori), 길 or 도로. Wiktionary also lists 길거리 (gilgeori) and -가 (-ga).
Meaning: paved part of road in a village or a town (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 거리 | geori | [kʌ̹ɾi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 길 | gil | [kiɭ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 도로 | doro | [ˈto̞(ː)ɾo̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 길거리 | gilgeori | [kiɭk͈ʌ̹ɾi] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| -가 | -ga | [ɡá] (Yukjin, narrow) | suffix |
The term refers to a paved part of road in a village or a town. 길거리 음식 is the standard way to refer to street food in Korean.
What does it mean word for word?
The compound noun 길거리 combines 길 (road/path) and 거리 (street/distance) to mean the street or the outdoors.
Which one should you use?
거리 often refers to a more developed or specific street, frequently used in more formal or literary contexts than 길. In contrast, 도로 is a technical or formal term specifically referring to a road designed for vehicular traffic.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is geori.
Did you know?
- The word 거리 can also mean 'material' or 'subject matter' when used in different contexts, such as in the phrase 'story material'.
- The term 거리 is actually related to the word for 'distance', as both stem from the Sino-Korean word 距離.
- While 길 and 거리 mean street, the word 길 is also the root for many words describing paths or ways of doing things.
Examples in context
- 그가 거리를 건너는 것을 보았다.I saw him cross the street.This sentence uses 거리 to describe someone crossing a street.Tatoeba #11105312 by intertime, translation #260124 by CK
- 당신이 가장 좋아하는 길거리 음식은 뭔가요?What is your favourite street food?This sentence uses 길 to ask about a favorite type of street food.Tatoeba #11107003 by intertime, translation #7801420 by sundown
- 마지막으로 길바닥에서 돈 찾았던 게 언제야?When was the last time you found money on the street?This sentence uses 길 to describe finding money on the street.Tatoeba #13400568 by Uwe, translation #1747966 by Amastan
- 죄송한데, 이 거리는 어떻게 가나요?Excuse me, how do I get to this street?
- 계속 이 길을 따라가면 도착할 거예요.If you continue along this street, you'll arrive.
- 이 길로 가면 어떻게 되니?What happens if I go this way?
- 이 근처에 있는 이 길은 진짜 좋아.This street nearby is really great.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jihoon and Jieun are walking through a beautiful shopping area.
- 지훈 Ji-hun지은 씨, 이 거리 정말 멋지네요.Jieun ssi, i geori jeongmal meotjineyo.Jieun, this street is really wonderful.
- 지은 Ji-eun맞아요, 지훈 씨. 분위기가 참 좋아요.Majayo, Jihoon ssi. bunwigiga cham joayo.You're right, Jihoon. The atmosphere is very nice.
- 지훈 Ji-hun우리 이 거리에서 사진 찍을까요?Uri i geori-eseo sajin jjigeulkkayo?Shall we take a photo on this street?
- 지은 Ji-eun네, 좋아요. 여기서 찍어요.Ne, joayo. yeogiseo jjigeoyo.Yes, that's good. Let's take it here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “street” translations and entries 거리, 길, 도로, 길거리, -가, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 거리, 길, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
