Korean word

떡

Pronunciation

Romanizationtteok

Meaning

  • nounrice cake

Example

명절이라서 떡을 만들었어요.myeong jeo ri ra seo tteo geul man deu reo sseo yo

Because it was a holiday, we made rice cakes.

Illustration for 떡 (rice cake)

More examples

시장에 가서 떡을 샀어요.si jang e ka seo tteo geul sa sseo yo

I went to the market and bought rice cakes.

Core concept

A traditional Korean food made by cooking rice or rice flour and then pounding or pressing it into many shapes.

Common phrases

  • 떡 사다tteok sa da

    buy rice cakes

  • 떡 나눠 먹다tteok na nwo meok tta

    share rice cakes

  • 떡 선물tteok seon mul

    rice cake gift

Similar words

밥pap: Cooked rice that can also refer to the meal built around it.
빵ppang: A flour-based food baked in many forms for breakfast or a quick snack.
과자kwaja: A small sweet or salty food eaten between meals, such as a cookie or chip.

Definition in Korean

밥이나 쌀가루 등을 재료로 하여 찌거나 익혀서 찧거나 눌러 만든 여러 형태의 한국 전통 음식의 총칭.pa bi na ssal ga ru teung eul chae ryo ro ha yeo jji geo na i kyeo seo jji keo na nul leo man deun yeo reo hyeong tae ui han guk cheon tong eum si gui chong ching

Word origin

This native Korean word has a long recorded history and names grain foods made by cooking and then pounding or pressing them.

Usage tips

  • The English label rice cake can suggest one fixed dessert, but this word covers many shapes and uses, so context matters.

Related words

Word lists with this word