찰떡

Korean

Etymology

First attested in the Geumganggyeong samgahae (金剛經三家解 / 금강경삼가해), 1482, as Middle Korean ᄎᆞᆯ〮ᄯᅥᆨ〮 (Yale: chól-sték), equivalent to 찰 (chal-, “sticky, glutinous”) +‎ 떡 (tteok, “rice cake”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕʰa̠ɭt͈ʌ̹k̚]
• Phonetic hangul: [찰떡]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	chaltteok
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	chal'tteog
McCune–Reischauer?	ch'alttŏk
Yale Romanization?	chalttek

Noun

찰떡 • (chaltteok)

1. glutinous rice cake

   Synonym: 찹쌀떡 (chapssaltteok)

2. Used in similes for things stuck tightly together.

   서로 찰떡처럼 붙은 연인

   seoro chaltteok-cheoreom buteun yeonin

   lovers next to each other like two sticky rice cakes

Derived terms

• 찰떡같다 (chaltteokgatda)
• 찰떡궁합(宮合) (chaltteokgunghap)