How do you say "island" in Korean?

섬

seom

Noun Hangul

In Korean, "island" is 섬 (seom).

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Pronunciation

Seom is one soft syllable, rhyming with 'saum', closer to 'sum' with rounded lips.

Writing and usage

섬 is written using hangul. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

그들은 작은 섬으로 항해했다.

geudeureun jageun seomeuro hanghaehaetda.

They sailed to a small island.

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How to remember 섬

An island floating alone, quiet as the sum, seom, of nothing but sea around it.

Related words

Browse all Korean words in the glossary.

Questions about 섬

How do you pronounce 섬?

Seom is one soft syllable, rhyming with 'saum', closer to 'sum' with rounded lips.

Is 섬 formal or casual?

섬 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 섬 written in Korean?

섬 is written using hangul. Romanised, it reads as seom.

Where can I practice Korean words for free?

You can play free Korean minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Korean glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Island" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Korean language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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