젖은
jeojeun
To say wet in Korean, use 젖은 (jeojeun) before a noun, as in wet clothes. The verb behind it is 젖다, to become wet. If unsure, use 젖은.
Meaning: of an object: covered with or impregnated with liquid (adj)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 젖은 | jeojeun | |
| 젖다 | predicate | [t͡ɕʌ̹t̚t͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
젖은 describes an object covered with or soaked in liquid. To say something got wet with water, Koreans say 물에 젖다.
Which one should you use?
젖다 means that something becomes wet by itself, without an object. 적시다 is used when you wet something, such as wetting a cloth.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
젖은 is the form that modifies a noun. 젖다 is the dictionary form of the verb. 젖었어 is the informal past tense, often used to say something has become wet.
How do you pronounce it?
젖은 is romanized as jeojeun.
Did you know?
- The word 젖 (jeot) is a homonym that also means 'breast' or 'milk'. In some contexts, the word for 'wet' can sound like a reference to nursing, though the context usually makes the meaning clear.
- The word 젖다 appeared in the Worin cheon'gangjigok, a Buddhist text written in 1449. In Middle Korean, it was written with a tonal marker as 젖다〮.
- The term 젖다 can be used metaphorically in Korean to describe being 'soaked' in an atmosphere or an emotion, similar to how one might be 'steeped' in a feeling in English.
Examples in context
- 물풍선을 맞아서 옷이 젖었어.I was hit by a water balloon, so my clothes are wet.젖었어 is the casual past tense, used to say the clothes got wet.
- 비때문에 온 몸이 젖었어요.My whole body got wet because of the rain.
- 수영 후에 장갑이 물에 젖었어요.After swimming, the gloves got wet with water.
- 젖은 수건을 방에 두지 마세요.jeojeun sugeoneul bange duji maseyo.Don't leave the wet towel in the room.
- 비 때문에 젖은 신발을 말려야 해요.bi ttaemune jeojeun sinbareul mallyeoya haeyo.I need to dry my shoes that are wet from the rain.
Example conversation
Minjun and Jieun are coming inside after a sudden rain shower.
- 민준 Min-jun지은 씨, 머리가 다 젖었네요.Jieun ssi, meoriga da jeojeonneyo.Jieun, your hair is all wet.
- 지은 Ji-eun네, 우산이 없어서 많이 젖었어요.ne, usani eopseoseo mani jeojeosseoyo.Yes, I didn't have an umbrella, so I got very wet.
- 민준 Min-jun여기 젖은 옷을 닦을 수건 있어요.yeogi jeojeun oseul dakkeul sugeon isseoyo.Here is a towel to wipe your wet clothes.
- 지은 Ji-eun고마워요, 민준 씨.gomawoyo, Minjun ssi.Thank you, Minjun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wet” translations and entries 젖은, 젖다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 젖다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
