Appendix:English terms of Korean origin

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Words of Korean origin have entered other languages, including English.

Words that appear in at least some English dictionaries[edit]

bulgogi
from 불고기, thin strips of marinated beef
chaebol
from 재벌, family-controlled conglomerate facilitated by government credit
gook
Possibly from han-guk (한국) meaning Korea or miguk (미국) meaning United States. Offensive term for an East Asian possibly originated by US soldiers during the Korean War.
hanbok
from 한복, Korean clothes
hapkido
from 합기도, a modern martial art
kimchi
from 김치, spicy vegetable dish, usually cabbage or radish fermented with chili and salt. The phrase "in deep kimchi" is sometimes used to describe a person in a perilous situation.
kisaeng
from 기생, female Korean entertainers
Korea
from Goryeo (고려, 高麗), a historic dynasty of Korea
sijo
from 시조, a Korean style of lyrical poetry
taekwondo
from 태권도, a globally-popular sport and martial art

Words that do not appear in dictionaries but may be well known[edit]

bibimbap
from 비빔밥, white rice mixed with vegetables, beef, and chili paste
chobo
from 초보, a novice, especially in Internet gaming
gosu
from 고수, a person with great skill, especially in Internet gaming
hantavirus
from 한탄, the Hantan River
Hyundai
from 현대, Korean company, the name of which also means "modern"
kalbi
from 갈비, barbecued marinated beef ribs
Samsung
from 삼성, Korean conglomerate
soju
from 소주, Korean liquor