Sound and Mimetic Words
Learn Korean sound words (멍멍, 쾅, 똑똑) and mimetic words that describe movement, feelings and texture (반짝반짝, 두근두근, 쫄깃쫄깃).
Narae · Everyday conversation & today's KoreanWhat you will learn in this lesson
- Know the difference between sound words (의성어) and mimetic words (의태어)
- Use common animal sounds and everyday noises
- Describe movement, weather, feelings and food texture with repeated words
Did you know a Korean dog doesn't say "woof"? It says 멍멍! Korean has thousands of fun sound and shape words. Koreans use them every day, from kids' books to food ads. Let's play with them!
Two kinds of words
의성어 are sound words. They copy a real sound, like a dog barking or a door closing.
의태어 are mimetic words. They don't copy a sound. Instead, they paint a picture of a movement, a shape, a feeling or a texture. English has only a few of these, but Korean has a huge number.
Many of them are repeated: 반짝 + 반짝 = 반짝반짝. Repeating often shows that the action continues or happens many times. These words are not slang; they are standard Korean, used by everyone, from children to news reporters and poets.
Animal sounds
- 멍멍 meongmeong woof (dog)
- 야옹 yaong meow (cat)
- 꼬끼오 kkokkio cock-a-doodle-doo (rooster)
- 음매 eummae moo (cow)
- 꿀꿀 kkulkkul oink (pig)
- 짹짹 jjaekjjaek tweet (small bird)
Everyday sounds
- 문이 쾅 닫혔어요. [무니 쾅 다처써요.] muni kwang datyeosseoyo. The door slammed shut with a bang. 쾅 = a loud bang or crash.
- 똑똑, 들어가도 돼요? ttokttok, deureogado dwaeyo? Knock knock, may I come in? 똑똑 = knocking. People sometimes say it out loud before opening a door.
- 물을 꿀꺽 마셨어요. [무를 꿀꺽 마셔써요.] mureul kkulkkeok masyeosseoyo. I gulped down the water. 꿀꺽 = the sound of swallowing.
- 아기가 쿨쿨 자요. agiga kulkul jayo. The baby is sound asleep. 쿨쿨 = the sound of deep breathing while fast asleep.
When I'm nervous before a test, I say 심장이 두근두근해! My heart is pounding. And when I see a puppy, I want to say 멍멍! Try saying these out loud. They're fun!
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Movement
- 거북이가 엉금엉금 기어가요. geobugiga eonggeumeonggeum gieogayo. The turtle is crawling along slowly. 엉금엉금 = slow, heavy crawling.
- 고양이가 살금살금 다가왔어요. [고양이가 살금살금 다가와써요.] goyangiga salgeumsalgeum dagawasseoyo. The cat crept up quietly. 살금살금 = moving quietly so no one notices.
- 공이 데굴데굴 굴러갔어요. [공이 데굴데굴 굴러가써요.] gongi deguldegul gulleogasseoyo. The ball rolled and rolled away. 데굴데굴 = something round rolling.
- 별이 반짝반짝 빛나요. [벼리 반짝반짝 빈나요.] byeori banjjakbanjjak binnayo. The stars are twinkling. 반짝반짝 = twinkling, sparkling. Also used for very clean, shiny things.
Weather and feelings
- 비가 보슬보슬 내려요. biga boseulboseul naeryeoyo. A soft drizzle is falling. 보슬보슬 = light, gentle rain.
- 비가 주룩주룩 와요. biga jurukjuruk wayo. It's pouring with rain. 주룩주룩 = heavy rain falling in streams.
- 가슴이 두근두근해요. gaseumi dugeundugeunhaeyo. My heart is pounding. 두근두근 = a beating heart, from excitement, love or nerves.
Food texture words
| Word | Feeling | Foods Koreans use it for |
|---|---|---|
| 바삭바삭 | Crispy, crunchy | Fried chicken, crackers, fresh 튀김 |
| 쫄깃쫄깃 | Chewy and springy | Rice cakes (떡), cold noodles, squid |
| 말랑말랑 | Soft and squishy | Fresh bread, jelly, a baby's cheek |
| 촉촉 | Moist | Cake, fresh bread |
| 아삭아삭 | Crisp and fresh | Cucumber, apple, fresh kimchi |
Korean food reviews and ads use these words all the time.
Texture in sentences
- 치킨이 정말 바삭바삭해요. [치키니 정말 바삭빠사캐요.] chikini jeongmal basakbasakaeyo. The chicken is really crispy.
- 떡이 쫄깃쫄깃해서 맛있어요. [떠기 쫄긷쫄기태서 마시써요.] tteogi jjolgitjjolgitaeseo masisseoyo. The rice cake is chewy, so it's delicious.
- 빵이 말랑말랑해요. ppangi mallangmallanghaeyo. The bread is soft and squishy.
- 사과가 아삭아삭해요. [사과가 아사가사캐요.] sagwaga asagasakaeyo. The apple is crisp.
Many mimetic words become verbs or adjectives with 하다, and some take -거리다 to show something happening again and again.
- 바삭바삭 + 하다 → 바삭바삭하다 (to be crispy)
- 두근두근 + 하다 → 두근두근하다 (heart pounding)
- 반짝 + 거리다 → 반짝거리다 (to keep twinkling)
- As adverbs, they usually come right before the verb: 쿨쿨 자다, 데굴데굴 구르다
- 내일 발표라서 두근두근해. naeil balpyoraseo dugeundugeunhae.My presentation is tomorrow, so my heart is pounding.
- 바닥이 반짝거려요. badagi banjjakgeoryeoyo.The floor is shining.
Bright vowels and dark vowels
- 반짝반짝 vs 번쩍번쩍 banjjakbanjjak vs beonjjeokbeonjjeok twinkling vs flashing brightly Words with bright vowels like ㅏ and ㅗ often feel small, light or cute. Words with dark vowels like ㅓ and ㅜ often feel bigger, heavier or stronger. A small star goes 반짝반짝; lightning goes 번쩍.
- 졸졸 vs 줄줄 joljol vs juljul trickling vs streaming A small stream flows 졸졸. When sweat or tears run down a lot, they flow 줄줄.
- 말랑말랑 vs 물렁물렁 mallangmallang vs mulleongmulleong soft and squishy vs too soft 말랑말랑 sounds cute and pleasant, like jelly. 물렁물렁 feels softer and heavier, and can sound less pleasant, like overripe fruit.
Tips for using them
Use them to sound lively. Saying 비가 와요 is correct, but 비가 주룩주룩 와요 paints a picture. Koreans will feel that your Korean is warm and natural.
They are fine with anyone. Unlike slang, these words are not rude. You can use them with teachers, older people and coworkers. Very cute ones, like animal sounds, are mostly for children or for fun.
Learn them with pictures. Because 의태어 describe images, they are easier to remember if you imagine the scene: a turtle going 엉금엉금, a ball going 데굴데굴.
At a chicken restaurant
Check quiz
Q1. What sound does a Korean cat make?
Q2. Which word describes chewy rice cakes?
Q3. Heavy rain is falling. Which word fits?
Q4. What does 살금살금 describe?
Q5. You are excited before meeting someone you like. Your heart goes…
Q6. What is the difference between 의성어 and 의태어?
That was fun, right? Next time you eat Korean food, say 바삭바삭해요! or 쫄깃쫄깃해요! The cook will be so happy. 잘했어요!
Key points
- 의성어 copy sounds: 멍멍, 야옹, 쾅, 똑똑, 꿀꺽
- 의태어 paint pictures: 반짝반짝, 엉금엉금, 살금살금, 데굴데굴
- Repeating a word shows a continuing or repeated action
- Food words: 바삭바삭 (crispy), 쫄깃쫄깃 (chewy), 말랑말랑 (soft)
- Add 하다 to make many of them into verbs or adjectives
Recommended official free resources
- Korean Basic Dictionary (multilingual) — National Institute of Korean Language
- Standard Korean Dictionary — National Institute of Korean Language
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