도둑
doduk[to̞duk̚]
The English word "thief" is 도둑 (doduk) in Korean.
도둑 is used to refer to one who carries out theft.
Meaning: one who carries out theft (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 도둑 is the common word for a thief, 절도범 is the formal, legal term used in news reports or police contexts to refer to a person who has committed theft.
How does it change in a sentence?
When shouting 'Thief!' as an exclamation to alert others, the noun 도둑 is often used with the informal copula –이야 to mean 'It is a thief!' (도둑이야!).
How do you pronounce it?
doduk
Did you know?
- While 도둑 is the standard word, you may hear 도둑고양이 'stealing cat'. This does not mean a cat that steals, but refers to a stray cat or a cat that sneaks into a house.
- In Korean folklore, a thief is often personified in the character 'Hong Gil-dong', a legendary figure who acted as a noble robber to fight injustice.
- There is a popular Korean idiom '도둑놈 심보', which translates to 'the heart of a thief', used to describe someone who is being greedy or acting selfishly.
Examples in context
- 멈춰! 도둑이야!Stop! Thief!Tatoeba #11104723 by intertime, translation #1173317 by cntrational
- 그 도둑은 달아났다.The thief ran away.Tatoeba #11106573 by intertime, translation #36818 by CK
- 도둑을 잡다To catch a thief
- 경찰에 도움을 요청하세요. 도둑이 집을 털었어요.Please ask for police assistance. A thief broke into my house.
- 이 장소에서는 도둑들로부터 안전하지 않을 수도 있습니다.This place may not be safe from thieves.
- 그 도적은 제 소지품을 모두 훔쳤어요.That thief stole all of my belongings.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Subin and Dohyun are talking about a news report.
- 수빈 Su-bin방금 뉴스에서 도둑 소식을 봤어?banggeum nyuseueseo doduk sosigeul bwasseo?Did you see the news about the thief just now?
- 도현 Do-hyeon응, 정말 무서운 도둑이더라고.eung, jeongmal museoun dodugiradeogo.Yes, it was a really scary thief.
- 수빈 Su-bin도현아, 너도 조심해야 해.dohyeona, neodo josimhaeya hae.Dohyun, you should be careful too.
- 도현 Do-hyeon고마워, 수빈아. 나도 신경 쓸게.gomawo, subina. nado singyeong sseulge.Thanks, Subin. I'll be careful too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thief” translations and entries 도둑, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
