how to say cute in Korean- a quick guide

See something so adorable that you can’t help but say it’s so cute?but how to say cute in korean?

Now, you do 

Because “cute/aeygo” culture is a big part of korea, and you’ll run into it many time. In fact many korean women wants to be seen as cute.  

So make sure you learn this word. It will help make lots of friends and girlfriends in Korea.

here’s a quick guide on how to say “cute” in Korean plus related cute  words, phrases, and quick tips to add some cuteness into the way you speak Korean.

Let’s get started.

How to Say CUTE in Korean

Cute in Korean is 귀엽다 (gwiyeopda).it is the basic dictionary form and literally means “to be cute” .you can use this word when you are talking to yourself.

However you are talking to someone else and you want to say it’s/ they are ‘cute’ in Korean,you will need to conjugate it.

For example,

 if you see a cute puppy on instgram, you could say to yourself 귀엽다 to express that you think the puppy is so cute.

But If you are talking to someone else and you say ‘cute’ in Korean, then you must conjugate  귀엽다 into the relevant tense  and politeness level.

Let’s take a look at the different forms you can use.

Here’s how to say cute in Korean language in a formal, causal and standard way with translations and pronunciation

• Cute in korean ( basic verb form)-귀엽다[gwi-yeop-da]
• Cute in korean(informal)귀여워[gwi-yeo-weo]
• Cute in korean(polite)-귀여워요[gwi-yeo-weo-yo]
• Cute in korean(formal)-귀엽습니다

Cute in korean standard form

If you want to say cute in korean standard form, just use  귀여워요 (gwi-yeo-weo-yo).

The  요[yo] ending  make it more polite and proper to use in situations where you have to show respect to the other person.

You can use this form when talking to people you are not close with  or older than you like 

your teacher,boss,seniors, grandparents, parents-in-law,strangers and older peoples.

EXAMPLES

Your clothes are so cute

옷은 너무 귀여워요- oseun nomu gwiyowoyo

Jungkook is so cute

정국이가 너무 귀여워요

jonggugiga nomu gwiyowoyo

“You made these? They’re cute!

직접 만드셨어요? 귀여워요!

You always look so cute.

당신은 언제 봐도 너무 귀여워요.

Koalas are very cute. 

코알라는 아주 귀여워요.

You’re so cute when you’re scared. 

너는 겁먹을 때 너무 귀여워요.

noneun gommogeul ttae nomu gwiyowoyo

The lyrics are really cute. 

가사가 너무 귀여워요.

All babies are small and cute.

모든 아기들은 작고 귀여워요.

modeun agideureun jakkko gwiyowoyo

cute in korean informal

The Casual/Informal Way to Say Cute in Korean  is 귀여워[gwi-yeo-weo] and it means “It’s cute”. If you want to say something is cute , you can use this directly before the noun. 

You can use this form when talking with people who are younger than you , close friends Or siblings. 

If  you are in doubt, just use the standard version of cute 귀여워요 (gwi-yeo-weo-yo) to be safe.

Example

You are so pretty and cute!

넌 진짜 예쁘고 귀여워!

non jinjja yeppeugo gwiyowo

The Baby Is Cute’

아기가 귀여워[a-gi-ga gwi-yeo-weo]

My cat is cute

내 고양이는 귀여워-nae goyangineun gwiyowo

You’re so cute when your angry. 

너 화났을 때 너무 귀여워.

no hwanasseul ttae nomu gwiyowo

I just love her dimples. They’re so cute! 

그 여자의 보조개 너무 좋아. 너무 귀여워.

The baby in the bunting suit looks so cute. 

우주복 외투를 입은 아기가 아주 귀여워 보인다.

He is really funny and so cute. 

그는 정말 재미있고 너무 귀여워.

geuneun jongmal jaemiitkko nomu gwiyowo

cute in korean formal

귀엽습니다 (gwiyeopseumnida) Is  the most formal way to say “cute in korean” . we take the dictionary form , drop the -da and add seumnida (습니다) ending which makes it more formal.

But korean hardly use this in daily life conversations.because it sound a bit awkward and unnatural. 

You can use the casual or polite forms most often.

This korean word fo cute is used mostly on TV, news,and presentations or when speaking to large audiences. 

You might have heard  this formal form used to talk about aegyo celebrities and kpop stars aegyo and cuteness.

Example

The Peter Rabbit Museum is so cute. 

피터 래빗 박물관은 정말 귀엽습니다.

Dolphins are very cute. 

돌고래는 매우 귀엽습니다.

The toys are very cute. 

이 장난감은 매우 귀엽습니다.

Cute in korean slang

귀요미 (gwi-yo-mi) is a Korean slang word used to say  someone is cute or acts cute. Gwiyomi is literal translated as “cute little ear” or “cute little spoon”.

The whole word Gwiyomi is made up  tow words such as Gwi (귀) means “ear” or “spoon” and  mi (미)  means cute 

You could use this to describe a baby, child, pet, your boyfriend or girlfriend. etc. 

It’s a very versatile slang word and usually young guys loves to use this word describe their significant other.

How to Use “Cute in korean sentences with modify a noun

Well, we have looked at so the different words to describe cuteness, but how to Use “Cute in korean sentences with modify a noun.

Sometimes you want to say cutecat instead of the cat is cute 

And here is how to do it

귀여운 (gwiyeoun) + noun

if you want to use “cute” to modify a noun, then you’d use the korean word 귀여운 (gwiyeoun) before the noun.

For example, if you see a cute rabbit, you could say 귀여운 토끼

(gwiyoun tokki)

Cute rabbit= 귀여운 (gwiyeoun)+ 토끼(rabbit)= 귀여운 토끼(gwiyoun tokki)

Cute cat=  귀여운 + 고양이(cat)= 귀여운 고양이 (gui-yeo-woon Goyang-yi)

Cute boy=귀여운 +소년(boy)=귀여운 소년(gwiyoun sonyon)

Cute dress=귀여운 +드레스(deuresseu)=귀여운 드레스(gwiyoun deuresseu)

Cute baby=귀여운 +아기(agi)=귀여운 아기(gwiyoun agi)

How to say you are cute in Korean?

To say “you are cute” in Korean, you can just say 귀여워 for (informal), 귀여워요for  (polite), or 귀엽습니다 for (formal) situations. It can also mean It is cute.’, ‘He/She is cute.”

When speaking Korean often likes to  dopped the pronouns such as ‘you’, ‘he’, ‘she’ from the sentence, if it is clear from the context who you are referring to.

But if you still want to say it, just add the pronoun ‘you’ and say ‘ 너는 귀여워 [neo-neun gwi-yeo-weo] means “You are cute’”in Korean. 

This is made up of  the syllable 너 means ‘you’,the topic marking particle”는” and the verb 귀엽다 conjugated into the informal present tense.

How to say so cute in Korean?

Sometimes something or someone is just so adorable that ,you can’t wait to compliment someone for their extreme cuteness by saying  ‘so cute’

Here’s how to say “so cute” in korean.

“So cute in Korean” is translated as 너무 귀여워요 [neo-mu gwi-yeo-weo-yo]. It is made up of the two words 너무 means ‘too’ and the verb 귀엽다 conjugated into the polite present tense(귀여워요).

Example

So cute!

너무 귀여워![neo-mu gwi-yeo-wo]

YOUR HANDWRITING IS SO CUTE

글씨체는 너무 귀여워요.-geulssicheneun nomu gwiyowoyo

HIS REACTION IS  CUTE

반응은 귀엽다-ban-eung-eun gwiyeobda

귀염둥이 [gwi-yeom-dung-i]- Cutie’ in Korean.

귀염둥이 [gwi-yeom-dung-i] means Cutie’ in Korean.

If your boyfriend/girlfriend is being very cute , you can call them a ‘cutie’. 

Thank you in korean |How to respond when you are being called cute?

감사합니다(Kam-sa-ham-ni-da) means “thank you” in Korean and is the standard way. You can use it to show respect to strangers, boss, elderly people. Koreans also use 고맙습니다(gomabseubnida) in all formal settings, whereas고마워 (gomawo) is for casual situation. You can use the phrases 고마워요 (gomawoyo)/ 감사해요 (gamsahaeyo) to show appreciation in polite way.

So, Here is how to say thank you in Korean(formal & informal) in different situations.

Thank you in Korean informal – 고마워 (gomawo) 

Thank you in Korean polite – 고마워요 (gomawoyo) or 감사해요 (gamsahaeyo) 

Thank you in Korean formal – 감사합니다(kam-sa-ham-ni-da) or 고맙습니다 (gomabseubnida)

In Korean, there are multiple expressions of gratitude Like this 

Thank you in Korean slang  -감사 (gahm-sa)

Thank you in Korean while texting – ㄱㅅ

Even so, if you are a tourist or even a newbie to learning Korean, it is okay to learn only two expressions: the standard formal form 감사합니다(kam-sa-ham-ni-da) and the informal 고마워 (gomawo).

It is enough to give thanks to anyone in Korea.

If you want to know in detail, here’s a complete guide on “how to say thank you” in Korean in formal, informal, and polite situations. 

You’ll also learn how to go beyond 감사합니다 (kam-sa-ham-ni-da) and thank like a native speaker would with examples and exercises.

  10 alternative Ways to Say cute in Korean

o   so cute IN KOREAN- 너무 귀여워요-nomu gwiyowoyo

o   you are pretty” in Korean-이뻐요- ippoyo

o   You are beautiful” in Korean-아름다우세요-aleumdauseyo

o   he’s cute-그는 귀엽다-geuneun gwiyoptta

o    THAT IS SO CUTE-너무 귀엽다-neomu gwiyeobda

o   lovely” in Korean-사랑스러워-sarangseurowo

o    WHY ARE YOU SO CUTE TODAY-오늘 왜 이렇게 귀여워요?

o   It’s cute right?-귀엽죠?-gwiyopjjyo

o    YOUR CHEEKS ARE SO CUTE-뺨은 너무 귀여워요.

o   You two are so cute-둘이 너무 귀여워-dul-i neomu gwiyeowo

o   SO CUTE, I WILL DIE-귀여워 죽겠다-gwiyowo jukkkettta

o   THIS IS CUTE-너무 귀여워-nomu gwiyowo

o   PRETTY IN KOREAN-예쁘다-yeppeuda

o   YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL-너무 아름다워요

o   CUTE SMILE-귀여운 미소-gwiyeoun miso

o   NO, I AM NOT CUTE-아니, 난 귀엽지 않아

o   OMG SO CUTE-세상에 너무 귀여

What is Aegyo?

aegyo is korean is a way of speaking and acting childish or babyish or cute in Korean.

It is so popular among Korean actors, especially K-Pop idols and korean actresses.

Aegyo can also be a visual aesthetic — the way you dress (think like Hello Kitty-style) or how you present yourself.

it is also a way for women to flirt or show affection too. You can us this to tease their husband or boyfriend, or to joke around if they hate aegyo korean culture.

How to act cute and show Aegyo?

There are lots of ways to use aegyo. 

You can show your cuteness by adding cute exaggerated endings or sending cute emojis  while texting or your body language such as cute hand gestures and hearts. 

In fact, bbuing bbuing, or the “crying” gesture is a favorite among K-Pop idols.

basically it comes down to context ,tone and cute hand gestures!

Here’s video on how kpop stars show their  aegyo 

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If you want to use aegyo in speech, you’ll add the “m” or “ng” sound to the end 

Here are a few examples

• 오빠 (oppa) becomes  오빵 (oppang)
• 어디야? (eodiya) becomes 어디얌? (eodiyam)
• 배고파 (baegopa) becomes 배 고팡 (baegopang)
• 헬로 (hello) to 헬롱 (hellong)

Bur remmber, don’t do aegyo in extreme like in korean dramas. Some people hate it so much that you can drive the other person mad. 

If you’ve watched K-Dramas, you’ll know what I’m talking about here.

Watch this video below “Best funny aegyo scene in Korean drama “can shows you how dramatic it can sound.

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Cute Korean Words and Phrases

Okay, you know how to show your aegyo. 

Let’s learn some cute Korean words and phrases too. 

You can use these with your boyfriend/girlfriend or husband /wife or even with friends whenever you want to show your cuteness.

• “I love you” – 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo)
• Let’s date. 사귀자.
• Hello my love. 안녕 내 사랑!.
• I like you- 나 너 좋아해
• I’ve got a crush on you. 나는 너에게 반했어.
• “I miss you” – 보고 싶어 (bogo sipeo)
• “You’re pretty” – 예쁘 네요 (yeppeuneyo)
• “Mine”-Naekkeo 
• “Sweetheart”-애인 (aein) 
• “Prince”-왕자님 (wangjanim) 
• “Princess”-공주님 (gongjunim) 
• Do you want to date? 사귈래?
• Don’t be so cold. 그렇게 쌀쌀맞게 대하지 마세요.
• You are handsome. 잘 생겼어요!
• You look pretty! 예쁘네요!
• “Honey” or “Darling” – 여보 (yeobo)
• I want to be with you- 같이 있고 싶어요.
• “Baby” – 자기야 (jagiya)
• Do you have time? 혹시 시간 있으세요?
• Aren’t I cute?” – 내가 귀엽지? (naega gwiyeobji)
• Don’t cry -울지 마
• Give me a hug. 안아 줘.
• I want to hug you. 안아주고 싶어.
• “Be happy” – 행쇼 (haengsyo)
• Good luck 화이팅
• I’m happy. 행복해
• “Don’t lie” – 뻥치지마 (ppeongchijima)
• I want to kiss you. 뽀뽀하고/키스하고 싶어요.
• “Buy this for me” (Make sure to be super whiny!) – 사줘 (sajwo)
• “I promise” – 약속애요 (yaksokaeyo)

 WRAP UP & CONCLUSION

 Great job. You finally how to say cute in korean and show your cuteness in korean way. 

You can use  the different forms to say cute in korean language . but when you are doubt just ua e the words  for causal situations and  for formal situation. 

Korean will understand you. 

So, Go say hi and show your cute side off in Korean! And if you want more examples, make sure you watch some Korean TV shows and see how aegyo is done.

But wait “Don’t go!”

Check out these articles before you go 

If you’re new to the language, then you have to learn these Korean phrases to ace your first conversation. 

Sorry in korean

 Yes in korean 

 Good morning in korean