Korean word

곰

Pronunciation

Romanizationkom

Meaning

  • nounbear

Example

어제 동물원에서 곰을 봤어요.eo je tong mu rwo ne seo ko meul pwa sseo yo

Yesterday, I saw a bear at the zoo.

Illustration for 곰 (bear)

More examples

산에서 큰 곰을 봐서 놀랐어요.sa ne seo keun ko meul pwa seo nol la sseo yo

I was surprised when I saw a big bear in the mountains.

Core concept

A powerful, furry wild mammal that walks on four legs and is commonly associated with wooded mountain areas.

Common phrases

  • 곰 한 마리kom han ma ri

    one bear

  • 곰인형ko min hyeong

    teddy bear

  • 곰처럼kom cheo reom

    like a bear

Similar words

곰인형kominhyeong: A stuffed toy shaped like a bear and made for cuddling.
곰돌이komdori: A warm, familiar name for a bear used with affection.

Definition in Korean

큰 몸집에 두꺼운 털과 강한 발톱을 가진 네발의 포유동물로, 주로 산과 숲에서 생활하는 동물keun mom ji be tu kkeo un teol gwa kang han pal to beul ka jin ne ba rui po yu dong mul lo chu ro san gwa su pe seo saeng hwal ha neun tong mul

Word origin

The word belongs to native Korean vocabulary rather than being a recent loanword, but its earlier history is uncertain.

Usage tips

  • When a number is stated, Korean normally counts this animal with the standard counter for living creatures rather than adding a plural ending to the noun.

Related words

  • 곰인형kominhyeongteddy bearnoun
  • 곰돌이komdorilittle bearnoun
  • 곰가죽komgajukbear hidenoun

Word lists with this word