Korean word

수건

Pronunciation

Romanizationsugeon

Meaning

  • nountowel

Example

수건 좀 줄래?su geon chom chul lae

Can you pass me a towel?

Illustration for 수건 (towel)

More examples

젖은 수건으로 손을 닦았어.cheo jeun su geo neu ro so neul ta kka sseo

I wiped my hands with a wet towel.

Core concept

A piece of cloth used to wipe away water from the body, hands, or other wet places.

Common phrases

  • 젖은 수건cheo jeun su geon

    wet towel

  • 수건 한 장su geon han chang

    one towel

  • 수건으로 닦다su geo neu ro tak tta

    wipe with a towel

Similar words

타올taol: A towel for drying the body or hair after a bath or exercise.
물수건mulsugeon: A cloth moistened with water for quickly wiping the hands or face.
손수건sonsugeon: A small cloth carried in a pocket for wiping the hands or face.

Definition in Korean

물기 제거용 천으로, 작은 손수건부터 목욕용 큰 타월까지를 가리키는 말.mul gi che geo yong cheo neu ro cha geun son su geon bu teo mo gyo gyong keun ta wol kka ji reul ka ri ki neun mal

Word origin

수건 (sugeon, "towel") comes from a Sino-Korean term for a cloth used with the hand, and Korean later used it for towels of many sizes.

Usage tips

  • English often says hand towel or bath towel, but Korean can use 수건 (sugeon, "towel") for both, with the situation showing which size is meant.

Related words

  • 수건걸이sugeongeoritowel racknoun

Word lists with this word