Korean Dictionary
How to say "Goldfish" in Korean
“Goldfish” in Korean is 금붕어 (pronounced "Geumungeo").
금붕어
Geumungeo
Usage & Context
금붕어 (goldfish) are popular pets in Korea, often kept in small bowls or garden ponds. Goldfish are associated with luck and prosperity in East Asian cultures. In Korean slang, 금붕어 is sometimes used humorously to describe someone with a short attention span.
Example Sentence
어항에 금붕어를 키우고 있어요.
I am raising goldfish in a fish tank.
How to use 금붕어 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Goldfish” is 금붕어, romanized as Geumungeo.
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 금붕어.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'geum-boong-uh' — the first syllable rhymes with 'gum,' 'boong' rhymes with 'boom' but ends in 'ng' like 'song,' and 'uh' is a short, unstressed 'uh' sound. Keep all three syllables even and light.
More Example Sentences
reminiscing about a childhood memory common in Korea
어렸을 때 학교 앞에서 금붕어를 사 왔어요.
When I was young, I bought a goldfish in front of school.
friends teasing each other for having a short memory
너 진짜 금붕어야? 방금 말한 거 벌써 까먹었어.
Are you actually a goldfish? You already forgot what I just said.
advice on how to care for a pet goldfish
금붕어 먹이를 너무 많이 주면 안 돼요.
You shouldn't give goldfish too much food.
Cultural Context
In Korea, 금붕어 are a nostalgic childhood staple — they used to be sold cheaply outside elementary schools in plastic bags, a memory many Koreans in their 30s and 40s still reference. Culturally, goldfish (like other East Asian contexts) are linked to good luck and abundance, and appear in feng shui-influenced interior design. The slang use of 금붕어 for someone with a '3-second memory' (금붕어 기억력) is extremely common in casual speech and variety shows.
Editorial note
We review entries like 금붕어 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
금붕어를 키우고 있어요.
I'm keeping goldfish.
금붕어가 죽었어요.
The goldfish died.
금붕어 기억력이야.
You've got a goldfish memory.
Related Expressions
어항
eo-hang
fish tank / bowl
열대어
yeol-dae-eo
tropical fish
잉어
ing-eo
carp
금붕어 기억력
geum-boong-eo gi-eok-ryeok
goldfish memory (short attention span)
More Animals Words
Master Korean with AI-Powered Learning
Practice Goldfish and 10,000+ words with native pronunciation and AI conversation.
