Learning Korean cooking vocabulary isn’t just about understanding ingredients—it’s also about mastering the action words (verbs) that bring those ingredients to life. Korean cuisine uses a wide variety of cooking verbs.
This comprehensive guide organizes essential Korean cooking verbs into categories based on their function in the kitchen.
Whether you’re a language learner, home cook, or fan of Korean culture, these verbs will help you speak, understand, and cook Korean food more naturally and precisely.
Let’s start with the first category: Knife-related cooking verbs.
1. Knife-Related Verbs in Korean Cooking
These verbs describe various cutting techniques used in Korean cooking. Knowing the distinctions will help you follow recipes more accurately and express actions more naturally in Korean.
1. 가르다 (gareuda)
To split or cut something into two parts.
✅ Example:
- 재료를 두 개로 갈랐어요. – I cut the ingredient in two.
2. 깎다 (kkakda)
To peel or trim with a knife.
✅ Example 1:
- 사과 껍질을 칼로 깎았어요. – I peeled the apple with a knife.
✅ Example 2: - 무의 끝부분을 깎아서 모양을 정리했어요. – I trimmed the end of the radish to neaten its shape.
3. 깍둑썰다 (kkakduk-sseolda)
To dice into cube-shaped pieces.
✅ Example:
- 감자를 깍둑썰기로 썰었어요. – I diced the potato into cubes.
4. 나박썰기 (nabak-sseolgi)
To slice into thin, flat squares.
✅ Example:
- 무를 나박썰기 했어요. – I cut the radish into thin square slices.
5. 다지다 (dajida)
To mince finely.
✅ Example:
- 양파를 곱게 다졌어요. – I finely minced the onion.
6. 돌려깎기 (dolryeo-kkakgi)
To peel in a spiral motion.
✅ Example:
- 무를 돌려깎기로 깎았어요. – I peeled the radish in a spiral motion.
7. 자르다 (jareuda)
To cut (general use with knife or scissors).
✅ Example:
- 김을 가위로 잘랐어요. – I cut the seaweed with scissors.
8. 저미다 (jeomida)
To slice thinly at an angle.
✅ Example:
- 고기를 얇게 저몄어요. – I thinly sliced the meat at an angle.
9. 썰다 (sseolda)
To slice (general slicing verb).
✅ Example:
- 오이를 얇게 썰어 주세요. – Please slice the cucumber thinly.
10. 어슷썰다 (eoseut-sseolda)
To slice diagonally.
✅ Example:
- 파를 어슷썰기로 썰었어요. – I cut the green onions diagonally.
11. 칼집을 내다 (kaljibeul naeda)
To score (make shallow cuts).
✅ Example:
- 오징어에 칼집을 냈어요. – I scored the squid with a knife.
12. 채썰다 (chae-sseolda)
To julienne (cut into thin strips).
✅ Example:
- 당근을 채썰었어요. – I julienned the carrot.
13. 포 뜨다 (po tteuda)
To fillet (usually fish).
✅ Example:
- 생선을 포 떴어요. – I filleted the fish.
2. Verbs Related to Temperature and Form Changes
This group of verbs covers cooking actions that involve temperature changes—such as boiling, freezing, melting, and cooking with heat. These words are essential for understanding Korean recipes and describing how ingredients react to heat or cold.
1. 끓다 / 끓이다 (kkeulta / kkeurida)
끓다 – To boil (intransitive: the water boils)
끓이다 – To boil (transitive: you boil something)
✅ Example 1:
- 물이 끓고 있어요. – The water is boiling.
✅ Example 2:
- 라면을 끓였어요. – I boiled ramen.
2. 얼다 / 얼리다 (eolda / eollida)
얼다 – To freeze (intransitive)
얼리다 – To freeze something (transitive)
✅ Example 1:
- 물이 얼었어요. – The water froze.
✅ Example 2:
- 고기를 얼렸어요. – I froze the meat.
3. 녹다 / 녹이다 (nokda / nokida)
녹다 – To melt (intransitive)
녹이다 – To melt something (transitive)
✅ Example 1:
- 아이스크림이 녹았어요. – The ice cream melted.
✅ Example 2:
- 설탕을 녹였어요. – I melted the sugar.
4. 익다 / 익히다 (ikda / ikhida)
익다 – To be cooked / ripened (intransitive)
익히다 – To cook or ripen something (transitive)
✅ Example 1:
- 고기가 잘 익었어요. – The meat is well-cooked.
✅ Example 2:
- 고기를 익혔어요. – I cooked the meat.
5. 고다 (goda)
To simmer for a long time (especially to make broth)
✅ Example:
- 뼈를 푹 고아서 육수를 만들었어요. – I simmered bones for a long time to make broth.
6. 굳히다 (gutchida)
To let something set or harden (like jelly or dough)
✅ Example:
- 젤리를 냉장고에 넣고 굳혔어요. – I let the jelly set in the fridge.
7. 굽다 (gupda)
To grill, roast, or bake
✅ Example:
- 고기를 불에 구웠어요. – I grilled the meat.
8. 데우다 (deuda)
To reheat something
✅ Example:
- 밥을 전자레인지에 데웠어요. – I reheated the rice in the microwave.
9. 데치다 (dechida)
To blanch (lightly boil vegetables briefly)
✅ Example:
- 시금치를 살짝 데쳤어요. – I blanched the spinach.
10. 뽑다 (ppopda)
To extract (such as oil, juice, or broth)
✅ Example:
- 기름을 뽑았어요. – I extracted fat from the meat.
11. 볶다 (bokkda)
To stir-fry
✅ Example:
- 야채를 볶았어요. – I stir-fried the vegetables.
12. 붇다 (butda)
To swell or get soggy after absorbing liquid
✅ Example:
- 국수가 불었어요. – The noodles got soggy.
13. 삶다 (samtda)
To boil (usually food like eggs, potatoes, etc.)
✅ Example:
- 달걀을 삶았어요. – I boiled the eggs.
14. 식히다 (sikhida)
To cool something down (after cooking)
✅ Example:
- 쿠키를 식히는 중이에요. – I’m letting the cookies cool.
15. 졸이다 (jorida)
To boil down or reduce (usually a sauce)
✅ Example:
- 양념을 졸였어요. – I boiled the sauce down.
16. 조리다 (jorida)
To simmer something in seasoned liquid (soy sauce, etc.)
✅ Example:
- 감자를 조렸어요. – I simmered potatoes in sauce.
17. 중탕하다 (jungtang-hada)
To double boil (e.g. for chocolate or sauces)
✅ Example:
- 초콜릿을 중탕으로 녹였어요. – I melted the chocolate using a double boiler.
18. 지지다 (jijida)
To pan-fry (especially flat ingredients)
✅ Example:
- 계란 지단을 프라이팬에 지졌어요. – I pan-fried Jidan(thin egg sheet used as garnish after thinly sliced).
19. 찌다 (jjida)
To steam
✅ Example:
- 만두를 찌고 있어요. – I’m steaming dumplings.
20. 토렴하다 (toryeom-hada)
To rinse or warm with hot broth (often for rice)
✅ Example:
- 밥을 육수로 토렴했어요. – I warmed the rice with broth.
21. 튀기다 (twigida)
To deep-fry
✅ Example:
- 고구마를 튀겼어요. – I deep-fried the sweet potatoes.
22. 퍼지다 (peojida)
To become mushy or overcooked (often noodles)
✅ Example:
- 국수가 퍼졌어요. – The noodles became mushy.
23. 훈제하다 (hunje-hada)
To smoke (food)
✅ Example:
- 연어를 훈제했어요. – I smoked the salmon.
24. 우리다 (urida)
To steep or brew (mainly broth, tea, kelp, etc.)
✅ Example:
- 다시마를 우리고 있어요. – I’m steeping kelp for broth
3. Other Cooking-Related Verbs
This category includes various verbs that describe essential cooking actions beyond just heat or cutting. These actions involve mixing, kneading, soaking, shaping, and more—covering a wide range of common steps in Korean cooking.
1. 내리다 (naerida)
To brew or filter slowly (usually coffee or broth)
✅ Example:
- 커피를 내렸어요. – I brewed coffee.
2. 반죽하다 (banjuk-hada)
To knead dough
✅ Example:
- 밀가루를 반죽했어요. – I kneaded the flour into dough.
3. 비비다 (bibida)
To mix by rubbing or stirring (usually with rice or sauce)
✅ Example:
- 비빔밥을 비볐어요. – I mixed the bibimbap.
4. 불리다 (bullida)
To soak and swell (dried ingredients like beans, rice, etc.)
✅ Example:
- 쌀을 물에 불렸어요. – I soaked the rice in water.
5. 빚다 (bijda)
To shape something by hand (usually dumplings or rice cakes)
✅ Example:
- 송편을 빚었어요. – I shaped songpyeon (half-moon rice cakes).
6. 숙성하다 (suksseong-hada)
To age or ferment (meat, sauce, etc.)
✅ Example:
- 고기를 냉장고에서 숙성했어요. – I aged the meat in the refrigerator.
7. 치다 (chida)
To beat, whip, or vigorously stir (often eggs or meringue)
✅ Example:
- 머랭을 단단하게 쳤어요. – I whipped the meringue until stiff.
8. 치대다 (chidaeda)
To knead hard with hands (to mix seasoning into meat or dough thoroughly)
✅ Example:
- 고기를 양념과 함께 치댔어요. – I kneaded the meat with seasoning.
좋습니다! 이어서 네 번째 카테고리인
4. 간과 관련된 동사 (Seasoning & Tasting Verbs) 전체를 사용자님 포맷에 맞춰 정리해드립니다.
4. Seasoning & Tasting Verbs
Korean: 간과 관련된 동사
This category covers verbs related to seasoning, tasting, marinating, pickling, and flavor adjustment. These are frequently used in both spoken and written Korean recipes and are key to describing how flavor is handled in Korean cooking.
1. 간을 하다 (ganeul hada)
To season (with salt, soy sauce, etc.)
✅ Example:
- 국에 간을 했어요. – I seasoned the soup.
2. 간을 보다 (ganeul boda)
To taste food to check the seasoning
✅ Example:
- 찌개 간을 봤어요. – I tasted the stew to check the seasoning.
3. 간을 맞추다 (ganeul matchuda)
To adjust the seasoning to the desired level
✅ Example:
- 간을 맞춰서 더 맛있어졌어요. – I adjusted the seasoning and it tastes better now.
4. 맛보다 (matboda)
To taste (to see how it tastes)
✅ Example:
- 요리를 맛봤어요. – I tasted the food.
5. 양념하다 (yangnyeom-hada)
To season or marinate with sauce or seasoning mix
✅ Example:
- 고기를 양념했어요. – I seasoned the meat with sauce.
6. 절이다 (jeorida)
To salt or pickle (vegetables, etc.)
✅ Example:
- 무를 소금에 절였어요. – I salted the radish.
7. 염지하다 (yeomji-hada)
To brine (typically meat)
✅ Example:
- 닭고기를 염지했어요. – I brined the chicken.
8. 재우다 (jaeuda)
To marinate
✅ Example:
- 갈비를 양념에 재웠어요. – I marinated the galbi in sauce.
9. 무치다 (muchida)
To mix vegetables with seasoning (usually hands)
✅ Example:
- 콩나물을 무쳤어요. – I mixed the bean sprouts with seasoning.
10. 버무리다 (beomurida)
To mix thoroughly with hands (until seasoning is well combined)
✅ Example:
- 김치를 양념과 버무렸어요. – I mixed the kimchi with seasoning using my hands.
11. 담그다 (damgeuda)
To soak or ferment (long-term)
✅ Example:
- 김치를 담갔어요. – I made (fermented) kimchi.
12. 치다 (chida)
To sprinkle seasoning (like salt or pepper)
✅ Example:
- 구운 고기에 소금을 쳤어요. – I sprinkled salt on the cooked meat.
5. General Cooking-Related Verbs
This group includes common verbs used during food preparation and kitchen tasks. These actions range from washing, scooping, wrapping, to serving—useful in any stage of cooking, plating, or cleaning.
1. 감싸다 (gamssada)
To wrap or cover (usually with seaweed or leaves)
✅ Example:
- 밥을 김으로 감쌌어요. – I wrapped the rice with seaweed.
2. 건져내다 (geonjyeonaeda)
To scoop out solid ingredients from soup or liquid
✅ Example:
- 국에서 고기를 건져냈어요. – I scooped out the meat from the soup.
3. 건지다 (geonjida)
To take out from liquid or oil
✅ Example:
- 튀김을 기름에서 건졌어요. – I took the fried food out of the oil.
4. 계량하다 (gyeryang-hada)
To measure (ingredients)
✅ Example:
- 설탕을 정확히 계량했어요. – I measured the sugar precisely.
5. 굴리다 (gullida)
To roll (usually dough or meatballs)
✅ Example:
- 완자를 손으로 굴렸어요. – I rolled the meatballs by hand.
6. 긁다 (geulgda)
To scrape (usually from a pan or bowl)
✅ Example:
- 밥을 냄비 바닥에서 긁었어요. – I scraped the rice from the bottom of the pot.
7. 까다 (kkada)
To peel by hand (e.g. boiled egg or garlic)
✅ Example:
- 달걀 껍질을 깠어요. – I peeled the boiled egg.
8. 깨다 (kkaeda)
To crack open (e.g. eggs, shellfish)
✅ Example:
- 계란을 깼어요. – I cracked the egg.
9. 나누다 (nanuda)
To divide (e.g. dough or portions)
✅ Example:
- 반죽을 네 등분으로 나눴어요. – I divided the dough into four parts.
10. 다듬다 (dadeumda)
To trim (herbs, vegetables)
✅ Example:
- 미나리를 다듬었어요. – I trimmed the water parsley.
11. 닦다 (dakta)
To wipe or clean (surfaces or tools)
✅ Example:
- 도마를 깨끗이 닦았어요. – I wiped the cutting board clean.
12. 덜다 (deolda)
To take a portion out (from a larger dish)
✅ Example:
- 밥을 덜어서 접시에 담았어요. – I took a portion of rice and put it on a plate.
13. 따다 (ttada)
To open or pick (a bottle, fruit)
✅ Example:
- 병을 땄어요. – I opened the bottle.
14. 따르다 (ttareuda)
To pour
✅ Example:
- 물을 컵에 따랐어요. – I poured water into the cup.
15. 만들다 (mandeulda)
To make, create (general cooking term)
✅ Example:
- 김밥을 만들었어요. – I made gimbap.
16. 매다 (maeda)
To tie (with string or rope)
✅ Example:
- 고기를 실로 묶어 매었어요. – I tied the meat with string.
17. 먹다 (meokda)
To eat
✅ Example:
- 저녁을 먹었어요. – I ate dinner.
18. 묻히다 (mutchida)
To coat with powder or sauce (e.g. flour, seasoning)
✅ Example:
- 생선을 밀가루에 묻혔어요. – I coated the fish in flour.
19. 뭉치다 (mungchida)
To clump together (often used for dough or rice)
✅ Example:
- 반죽이 하나로 뭉쳤어요. – The dough formed into a ball.
20. 받치다 (batchida)
To drain using a strainer or sieve
✅ Example:
- 국수를 체에 받쳤어요. – I drained the noodles using a strainer.
21. 보관하다 (bogwan-hada)
To store (in a container or fridge)
✅ Example:
- 음식을 냉장고에 보관했어요. – I stored the food in the fridge.
22. 뿌리다 (ppurida)
To sprinkle (seasonings, seeds, etc.)
✅ Example:
- 깨를 위에 뿌렸어요. – I sprinkled sesame seeds on top.
23. 섞다 (seokda)
To mix (general term)
✅ Example:
- 재료를 골고루 섞었어요. – I mixed the ingredients evenly.
24. 싸다 (ssada)
To wrap (usually with leaves or seaweed)
✅ Example:
- 김밥을 김으로 쌌어요. – I wrapped the gimbap in seaweed.
25. 씻다 (ssitda)
To wash or rinse
✅ Example:
- 채소를 깨끗이 씻었어요. – I washed the vegetables thoroughly.
26. 옮기다 (olmgida)
To move or transfer (ingredients or food)
✅ Example:
- 된장을 그릇에 옮겼어요. – I moved the doenjang to a bowl.
27. 조리하다 (jori-hada)
To cook (general, often formal)
✅ Example:
- 저는 요리를 직접 조리해요. – I cook the food myself.
28. 조절하다 (jojeol-hada)
To adjust (temperature, amount, etc.)
✅ Example:
- 불의 세기를 조절했어요. – I adjusted the heat level.
29. 접다 (jeopda)
To fold (e.g. dumpling wrapper)
✅ Example:
- 만두피를 반으로 접었어요. – I folded the dumpling wrapper in half.
30. 첨가하다 (cheomga-hada)
To add (usually ingredients)
✅ Example:
- 설탕을 첨가했어요. – I added sugar.
31. 채우다 (chaeuda)
To fill (a container or space with food)
✅ Example:
- 그릇에 밥을 채웠어요. – I filled the bowl with rice.
32. 퍼내다 (peonaeda)
To scoop out (with a spoon or ladle)
✅ Example:
- 국을 그릇에 퍼냈어요. – I scooped the soup into a bowl.
33. 펴다 (pyeoda)
To spread out or flatten
✅ Example:
- 반죽을 넓게 폈어요. – I spread the dough out.
34. 포장하다 (pojang-hada)
To wrap or package (for gift or storage)
✅ Example:
- 떡을 예쁘게 포장했어요. – I nicely wrapped the rice cakes.
35. 푸다 (puda)
To ladle, scoop or serve (usually soup or rice)
✅ Example:
- 밥을 그릇에 푸고 있었어요. – I was serving rice into a bowl.
36. 헹구다 (hengguda)
To rinse (typically after soaking or washing)
✅ Example:
- 쌀을 깨끗이 헹궜어요. – I rinsed the rice clean.
Conclusion: Practice These Verbs While Watching Korean Cooking Videos
Now that you’ve learned all these essential Korean cooking verbs, the best way to make them stick is to see them in action. Try watching Korean cooking YouTube videos, food Reels, or short-form clips where chefs prepare meals step by step.
Pay attention to how they 썰다 (slice) vegetables, 볶다 (stir-fry) ingredients, or 재우다 (marinate) meat—and try saying the verbs out loud as you watch. You can even pause the video, repeat the phrase, and mimic the motion yourself.
Immersing yourself this way helps connect the language with real-life visuals, making your learning more natural, memorable, and fun.
Ready to speak like a Korean chef? Press play and start cooking—in Korean!
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