채소
chaeso[ˈt͡ɕʰɛ(ː)sʰo̞]
The Korean word for vegetables is 채소 (chaeso).
채소 refers to plants or parts of plants that are grown to be eaten as food. It is the standard term used in botanical, grocery and health contexts, such as when discussing vegetable intake (채소 섭취).
Which one should you use?
While 채소 is a general term for vegetables, you may encounter 나물 (namul), which is a culinary term specifically for vegetables that have been prepared as a seasoned side dish. Additionally, 야채 (yachae) is a very common synonym used in daily conversation, though some linguists consider 채소 to be the more standard term.
How does it change in a sentence?
To explicitly indicate plurality, you can add the suffix '-들' to create 채소들, though in Korean, the plural marker is often omitted if the context is clear.
How do you pronounce it?
chaeso
Did you know?
- The word 야채 is frequently used in daily life, but some people avoid it because they believe it originates from the Japanese word 'yasai'.
- In Korean cuisine, some 'vegetables' like 고사리 (bracken) or 취나물 (aster) are actually wild mountain greens harvested from the forest rather than grown in a farm.
- The word 채소 is a Sino-Korean word, meaning its roots are actually derived from Chinese characters rather than native Korean.
Examples in context
- 점심에 시금치 샐러드를 먹었어요.I had spinach salad for lunch.
- 가지 요리를 해봤어요?Have you tried cooking eggplant?
- 이 호박은 정말 크네요.This pumpkin is huge!
- 신선한 채소를 사고 싶어요.sinseonhan chaesoreul sago sipeoyo.I want to buy fresh vegetables.
- 이 요리에는 채소가 많이 들어가요.i yorie-neun chaesoga mani deureogayo.This dish contains a lot of vegetables.
- 채소를 골고루 먹어야 해요.chaesoreul golgoru meogeoya haeyo.You should eat various vegetables.
Example conversation
At a grocery store, Seo-yeon and Do-hyeon are shopping for ingredients.
- 서연 Seo-yeon도현 씨, 채소 코너가 어디예요?Do-hyeon ssi, chaeso koneoga eodiye-yo?Do-hyeon, where is the vegetable section?
- 도현 Do-hyeon저기 오른쪽 끝에 있어요.jeogi o-reun-jjok kkeute isseoyo.It is at the far right over there.
- 서연 Seo-yeon채소가 정말 싱싱해 보이네요.chaesoga jeongmal singsinghae boine-yo.The vegetables look really fresh.
- 도현 Do-hyeon그러니까 조금만 더 골라봐요.geureonikka jogum-man deo golrabwayo.That's true, let's pick out a few more.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 채소, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 채소, CC BY-SA 4.0.
