How do you say "wish" in Korean?

소원을 빌다

sowoneul bilda

Verb Hangul

In Korean, "wish" is 소원을 빌다 (sowoneul bilda).

Listen to the pronunciation:

Free Korean learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games

Pronunciation

Sowoneul bilda is two words, so-WON-eul bil-DA, with the won syllable rounded and the b in bilda kept soft.

Writing and usage

소원을 빌다 is written using hangul. It's a verb, 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

생일 축하해.

saengil chukhahae.

I wish you a happy birthday.

Test your Korean knowledge in our free browser games.

How to remember 소원을 빌다

Sowoneul bilda literally means 'to beg a wish,' so picture begging a genie, sowon, for a favor.

Related words

Browse all Korean words in the glossary.

Questions about 소원을 빌다

How do you pronounce 소원을 빌다?

Sowoneul bilda is two words, so-WON-eul bil-DA, with the won syllable rounded and the b in bilda kept soft.

Is 소원을 빌다 formal or casual?

소원을 빌다 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 소원을 빌다 written in Korean?

소원을 빌다 is written using hangul. Romanised, it reads as sowoneul bilda.

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.

"Wish" 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.

Noun Town language-learning game on PC, Mac and VR

The full experience

Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR

These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.

See the full game ▶

Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town