채식주의자
chaesikjuuija[ˈt͡ɕʰɛ(ː)ɕʰik̚t͡ɕ͈uɰid͡ʑa̠]
The English word "vegetarian" is translated into Korean as 채식주의자 (chaesikjuuija).
The term is used to refer to a person who follows a vegetarian diet and does not eat any animal flesh.
Meaning: person who does not eat any animal flesh (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 채식주의자 is composed of three parts: 채식 (vegetable-eating), 주의 (ism or principle) and the suffix 자 (person).
Which one should you use?
While 채식주의자 refers to the person, removing the final suffix 자 results in 채식주의, which refers to the concept of vegetarianism itself. The adjective form is 채식주의의, which relates to the type of diet eaten by vegetarians.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
chaesikjuuija
Did you know?
- Temple food, or 사찰음식, is a traditional form of vegetarianism in Korea that forbids the 'five pungent herbs' like garlic and onions to maintain a calm mind during meditation.
- The component part 주의 in 채식주의자 is the same word used to describe political ideologies, such as 'capitalism' or 'socialism'.
- The phrase 채식주의자 gained significant international visibility through the bestselling novel 'The Vegetarian' by Han Kang, which won the International Booker Prize.
Examples in context
- 너는 채식주의자가 되어야 해.You should become a vegetarian.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 채식주의자.Tatoeba #8362097 by Eunhee, translation #5945269 by mailohilohi
- 고기를 안 먹어요.I don't eat meat.
- 채식 메뉴 있나요?Do you have vegetarian options?
- 육류를 빼고 요리해 주세요.Please prepare the dish without meat.
- 저는 채식주의자예요.jeoneun chaesikjuuija-yeyo.I am a vegetarian.
- 그는 엄격한 채식주의자입니다.geuneun eomgyeokhan chaesikjuuija-imnida.He is a strict vegetarian.
Example conversation
Subin and Jihun are looking at a restaurant menu.
- 수빈 Su-bin지훈 씨는 채식주의자예요?jihun ssineun chaesikjuuija-yeyo?Are you a vegetarian, Jihun?
- 지훈 Ji-hun아니요, 저는 고기를 좋아해요.aniyo, jeoneun gogireul joahae-yo.No, I like meat.
- 수빈 Su-bin그럼 여기 메뉴가 괜찮겠네요.geureom yeogi menyuga gwaenchann-genneyo.Then the menu here should be fine.
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 고기 요리가 많아요.ne, gogi yorigga manh-ayo.Yes, there are many meat dishes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vegetarian” translations and entries 채식주의자, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
