Korean Dictionary
How to say "Freezing" in Korean
“Freezing” in Korean is 얼어붙는 (pronounced "eoreobutneun").
얼어붙는
eoreobutneun
Usage & Context
Describes extremely cold conditions where water freezes. Freezing temperatures in Korea occur during winter and can create hazardous road conditions. Important for safety warnings.
Example Sentence
도로가 얼어붙어서 미끄러워요.
The road is slippery because it is frozen.
How to use 얼어붙는 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Freezing” is 얼어붙는, romanized as eoreobutneun.
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 얼어붙는.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'UH-ruh-buht-neun' — '얼어' flows as 'uh-ruh' because the 'ㄹ' links forward. '붙는' gets nasalized: the 'ㅌ' before 'ㄴ' becomes an 'n' sound, so you actually say 'buhn-neun' rather than 'buht-neun'.
More Example Sentences
Describing a severe cold snap
한강이 얼어붙을 정도로 추워요.
It's cold enough to freeze the Han River.
Walking home in deep winter
얼어붙은 손을 호호 불었어요.
I blew on my frozen hands to warm them.
Metaphorical — reacting to scary news
충격으로 몸이 얼어붙었어요.
I froze up from the shock.
Cultural Context
In Seoul winters, '한강이 얼었다' (the Han River froze) is a literal news headline — the KMA officially reports the first freeze each year from 노량진 측정소. '얼어붙다' is also used emotionally and socially: a tense room is '분위기가 얼어붙었다' (the atmosphere froze), and someone paralyzed with fear is '얼어붙었다'. During a 한파 (cold wave), elderly Koreans take the same kind of precautions against frozen water pipes that the U.S. Midwest does.
Editorial note
We review entries like 얼어붙는 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
물이 얼어붙었어요.
The water froze solid.
밖이 얼어붙을 만큼 추워요.
It's freezing cold outside.
완전 얼어 죽겠어!
I'm freezing to death!
Related Expressions
한파
Hanpa
Cold wave
영하
Yeongha
Below zero (Celsius)
꽁꽁 얼다
Kkongkkong eolda
To freeze solid
동상
Dongsang
Frostbite
More Weather Words
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