얇다
yalda[ˈja̠(ː)ɭt͈a̠]
The English word "thin" can be translated into Korean as either 가늘다 or 얇다 (yalda).
Meaning: having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite (adj)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 얇다 | yalda | [ˈja̠(ː)ɭt͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 가늘다 | ganeulda | [ka̠nɯɭda̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
In Korean, the word for "thin" changes depending on whether you are describing the thickness of a flat surface or the slenderness of a long object.
Which one should you use?
Use 얇다 when referring to the thickness of flat or broad surfaces, such as paper, books or slices of bread. Use 가늘다 when referring to the diameter or slenderness of long objects, such as hair, fingers or strings.
How do you pronounce it?
yalda
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use 얇다 to describe a thin wire or thread. Instead, use 가늘다 for long, slender objects.
Did you know?
- If you want to describe a person as thin or skinny, you should avoid both 가늘다 and 얇다 and use 날씬하다 for a positive connotation or 마르다 for a neutral one.
- When describing a voice that is thin or high-pitched, Korean speakers often use the word 가늘다 rather than a word for 'thickness'.
- The word 얇다 is used metaphorically to describe a lack of depth or substance, such as a 'thin' or superficial knowledge of a subject.
Example sentences for Korean are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Do-hyeon are looking at a notebook at a store.
- 지은 Ji-eun이 공책은 종이가 너무 얇다.i gong-chaek-eun jong-i-ga neo-mu yal-da.The paper in this notebook is too thin.
- 도현 Do-hyeon정말 그렇네요. 다른 것을 찾아봐요.jeong-mal geu-reot-ne-yo. da-reun geot-eul cha-ja-bwa-yo.You're right. Let's look for another one.
- 지은 Ji-eun이건 종이가 좀 더 두꺼워요.i-geon jong-i-ga jom deo du-kkeo-wo-yo.This one's paper is a bit thicker.
- 도현 Do-hyeon네, 이게 훨씬 좋겠어요.ne, i-ge hwol-ssin jo-ket-eo-yo.Yes, this one would be much better.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thin” translations and entries 얇다, 가늘다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
