떡볶이
tteokbokki[t͈ʌ̹k̚p͈o̞k͈i]
Tteokbokki is the English name for the Korean dish 떡볶이 (tteokbokki).
떡볶이 refers to stir-fried tteoks seasoned with red pepper paste. You can customize your order by adding ingredients, such as 치즈 떡볶이 (cheese tteokbokki) or 해물 떡볶이 (seafood tteokbokki). There is also a variation that mixes ramen and tteokbokki, known as 라볶이.
Meaning: stir-fried tteoks seasoned with red pepper paste (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
tteokbokki
Did you know?
- While today the dish is famously spicy and red, the original version from the Joseon Dynasty was a much milder, savory dish made with soy sauce rather than chili paste.
- If you are eating at a street stall, you might hear the term 떡튀순 (tteok-twi-sun), a common abbreviation used to order the trio of tteokbokki, fried foods, and sundae.
- The texture of the 'tteok' in 떡볶이 is often described using the Korean word 쫄깃하다 (jjolgit-hada), which refers to a specific chewy, bouncy sensation.
Examples in context
- 떡볶이가 정말 매워요.tteokbokki-ga jeongmal maewoyo.The tteokbokki is really spicy.
- 매콤한 떡볶이를 먹고 싶어요.maekomhan tteokbokki-reul meokgo sipeoyo.I want to eat spicy tteokbokki.
- 분식집에서 떡볶이를 주문했어요.bunsik-jip-eseo tteokbokki-reul jumun-haesseoyo.I ordered tteokbokki at the snack bar.
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to eat for a snack.
- 지은 Ji-eun지훈 씨, 떡볶이 먹을래요?Jihoon-ssi, tteokbokki meogeullaeyo?Jihoon, do you want to eat tteokbokki?
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 좋아요. 떡볶이 먹어요.Ne, joayo. tteokbokki meogeoyo.Yes, sounds good. Let's eat tteokbokki.
- 지은 Ji-eun근처에 맛있는 떡볶이집이 있어요.geuncheo-e masinneun tteokbokki-jip-i isseoyo.There is a delicious tteokbokki place nearby.
- 지훈 Ji-hun거기로 바로 가요.geogiro baro gayo.Let's go straight there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tteokbokki” translations and entries 떡볶이, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
