설탕
seoltang[sʰʌ̹ɭtʰa̠ŋ]
The Korean word for sugar is 설탕 (seoltang). Wiktionary also lists 사탕 (satang).
Meaning: sucrose from sugar cane or sugar beet used to sweeten food and drink (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 설탕 | seoltang | [sʰʌ̹ɭtʰa̠ŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 사탕 | satang | [sʰa̠tʰa̠ŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
설탕 is used to refer to the granulated substance, such as sucrose from sugar cane or sugar beet, used to sweeten food and drinks.
Which one should you use?
While 설탕 refers to the granulated substance used in cooking, 사탕 refers to hard candy or sweets.
How do you pronounce it?
seoltang
Did you know?
- The word 설탕 is literally composed of the characters for 'snow' and 'sugar', making it 'snow sugar'.
- If you are looking for 'candy' in a general sense rather than hard candy, you might use the word 과자, which refers more broadly to snacks and sweets.
- The character '糖' used in 설탕 is also found in the words for other sweeteners, such as 'glucose' or 'fructose', marking them as a family of words.
Examples in context
- 설탕은 물에 잘 녹아.Sugar is soluble in water.This sentence shows the solubility of 설탕 in water.Tatoeba #8364913 by Eunhee, translation #2225415 by gone2bacolod
- 톰은 설탕있는 음료수를 피하려고 한다.Tom is trying to avoid drinks with sugar.This sentence illustrates how someone might avoid drinks containing 설탕.Tatoeba #8034307 by yesjustryan, translation #1024797 by CK
- 세트에 설탕을 더해 주세요.Please add sugar to the set.
- 너, 커피에 설탕 좀 넣어 줄래?Hey, could you put some sugar in the coffee?
- 커피에 설탕을 넣을까요?keopi-e seoltang-eul neoeulkkayo?Shall I put sugar in your coffee?
Example conversation
Minjun and Minji are making tea together at home.
- 민준 Min-jun민지 씨, 차에 설탕 넣을래요?Minji ssi, cha-e seoltang neollaeyo?Minji, do you want to put sugar in your tea?
- 민지 Min-ji아니요, 설탕은 안 넣어도 돼요.Aniyo, seoltang-eun an neo-eodo dwaeyo.No, you don't need to add sugar.
- 민준 Min-jun그럼 그냥 마실까요?Geureom geunyang masilkkayo?Then shall we just drink it as is?
- 민지 Min-ji네, 그게 더 맛있어요.Ne, geuge deo masisseoyo.Yes, it tastes better that way.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sugar” translations and entries 설탕, 사탕, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 사탕, 설탕, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
