Korean Dictionary
How to say "Defrost" in Korean
“Defrost” in Korean is 해동하다 (pronounced "haedong hada").
해동하다
haedong hada
Usage & Context
Thawing frozen food safely. Essential for food safety to prevent bacterial growth. Methods include refrigerator, cold water, and microwave.
Example Sentence
고기를 해동해요.
I defrost meat.
How to use 해동하다 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Defrost” is 해동하다, romanized as haedong hada.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 해동하다.
Pronunciation Guide
해 (hae) sounds like 'heh' as in 'heck' but softer, or 'hay' in 'haystack'. 동 (dong) sounds like 'dong' as in 'dongle'. 하 (ha) sounds like 'hah' as in 'haha'. 다 (da) sounds like 'dah' as in 'dad'. Put it together: 'heh-dong hah-dah'.
Formal & Casual Forms
Formal (존댓말)
해동합니다
haedong hamnida
Used in very formal settings or when addressing someone of much higher status.
Casual (반말)
해동해
haedong hae
Used with close friends, family, or people younger than you.
More Example Sentences
Giving advice for meal preparation.
냉동실에 있던 고기를 미리 꺼내서 해동해야 해요.
You need to take out the meat from the freezer and defrost it in advance.
Describing the use of kitchen appliances.
전자레인지 해동 기능으로 빠르게 해동했어요.
I quickly defrosted it using the microwave's defrost function.
Providing a food safety tip.
냉장고에서 자연 해동하는 것이 가장 안전해요.
Natural defrosting in the refrigerator is the safest.
Cultural Context
'해동하다' is a common term in Korean cooking, as many households freeze meat, fish, and sometimes even pre-made broths or side dishes for convenience. Proper defrosting is emphasized for food safety, especially for ingredients like meat (고기) and seafood (해산물). Korean refrigerators often have a dedicated '해동' (defrost) setting or a specific compartment for thawing, making it a practical, everyday verb for home cooks.
Editorial note
We review entries like 해동하다 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
고기를 해동하다
to defrost meat
냉동식품을 해동하다
to defrost frozen food
해동 기능
defrost function (on a microwave)
Related Expressions
녹이다
nogida
to melt, dissolve (broader, can apply to ice, sugar, etc.)
얼리다
eollida
to freeze (antonym)
냉동하다
naengdonghada
to freeze (similar to 얼리다)
녹다
nokda
to melt, thaw (intransitive, 'it melts')
More Cooking Words
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