Korean Dictionary
How to say "Minhwa (Folk Painting)" in Korean
“Minhwa (Folk Painting)” in Korean is 민화 (pronounced "minhwa").
민화
minhwa
Usage & Context
Minhwa are traditional Korean folk paintings depicting animals, plants, and mythical creatures. They were painted by anonymous artists and hung in homes for good luck. Today minhwa are appreciated as fine art and cultural heritage.
Example Sentence
민화는 서민들이 즐기던 한국 전통 그림이에요.
Minhwa are traditional Korean paintings enjoyed by commoners.
How to use 민화 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Minhwa (Folk Painting)” is 민화, romanized as minhwa.
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 민화.
Pronunciation Guide
For 민화 (minhwa), 'Min' sounds like 'mint' without the 't'. 'Hwa' is pronounced like 'wah' but with a soft 'h' sound at the beginning, similar to 'Hwaseong'. The stress is relatively even across the syllables.
More Example Sentences
Explaining the typical themes and subjects of minhwa.
민화는 주로 서민들의 생활과 염원을 담고 있어요.
Minhwa mainly contains the lives and wishes of commoners.
Observing a current trend in cultural activities.
요즘 민화 배우는 강좌가 인기가 많더라고요.
Lately, classes for learning minhwa seem to be very popular.
Explaining the symbolism of a specific minhwa artwork.
이 그림은 호랑이가 그려진 민화인데, 액운을 쫓는 의미가 있어요.
This painting is a minhwa with a tiger drawn on it, which has the meaning of warding off evil spirits.
Cultural Context
Minhwa are traditional Korean folk paintings, often characterized by their vibrant colors, bold lines, and symbolic motifs like tigers, dragons, peonies, and carp. Unlike paintings for the royal court, minhwa were produced by anonymous artists for commoners, serving decorative purposes, bringing good luck, or warding off evil. They offer a vivid glimpse into the everyday lives, beliefs, and aspirations of ordinary Koreans. Today, minhwa is experiencing a resurgence, with many modern artists and enthusiasts learning and creating new works.
Editorial note
We review entries like 민화 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
민화 전시회
Minhwa exhibition
민화 그리기
Painting minhwa
한국 민화
Korean folk painting
Related Expressions
전통 그림
jeontong geurim
Traditional painting
풍속화
pungsokhwa
Genre painting (depicting daily life)
궁중화
gungjunghwa
Court painting (a contrast to minhwa)
액운
aegun
Bad luck, evil spirits (often warded off by minhwa)
More Korean History Words
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