Korean Dictionary
How to say "Seaweed Soup" in Korean
“Seaweed Soup” in Korean is 미역국 (pronounced "Miyeokguk").
미역국
Miyeokguk
Usage & Context
미역국 (seaweed soup) is traditionally eaten on birthdays in Korea, as it is the soup mothers eat after giving birth. Not eating 미역국 on your birthday is considered unlucky by some. The soup is also associated with good health and postpartum recovery.
Example Sentence
생일에는 미역국을 먹는 게 한국 전통이에요.
Eating seaweed soup on birthdays is a Korean tradition.
How to use 미역국 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Seaweed Soup” is 미역국, romanized as Miyeokguk.
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 미역국.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'mee-yuk-gook' — 'mee' rhymes with 'me,' 'yuk' sounds like 'yook' but shorter (think the 'u' in 'put'), and 'gook' rhymes with 'book.' The three syllables flow quickly together into one word.
More Example Sentences
greeting a friend on their birthday
생일 축하해! 미역국은 먹었어?
Happy birthday! Did you have seaweed soup?
explaining a Korean test-day superstition
시험 날 아침에는 미역국을 먹지 않아요.
We don't eat seaweed soup on the morning of an exam.
expressing nostalgia for home cooking
엄마가 끓여 주신 미역국이 세상에서 제일 맛있어요.
The seaweed soup my mom makes is the best in the world.
Cultural Context
미역국 carries deep cultural weight in Korea. It's what new mothers eat every day for weeks after giving birth — a tradition called 산후조리 — because 미역 is rich in iodine and calcium, believed to restore the body. That's why Koreans eat 미역국 on birthdays: it honors the mother who gave birth to you. But on exam days, students and job seekers strictly avoid it — the verb 미역국 먹다 ('to eat seaweed soup') is slang for failing a test, because miyeok is slippery and you 'slip' on the exam. Offering 미역국 before someone's CSAT (수능) is a huge faux pas.
Editorial note
We review entries like 미역국 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
생일에 미역국 먹었어요?
Did you eat seaweed soup on your birthday?
시험 전에는 미역국 먹지 마세요.
Don't eat seaweed soup before an exam.
미역국 한 그릇 더 주세요.
One more bowl of seaweed soup, please.
Related Expressions
미역
mi-yeok
dried seaweed (wakame)
생일
saeng-il
birthday
산후조리
san-hu-jo-ri
postpartum care
소고기 미역국
so-go-gi mi-yeok-guk
beef seaweed soup (most common variation)
More Food Words
Related Articles
Master Korean with AI-Powered Learning
Practice Seaweed Soup and 10,000+ words with native pronunciation and AI conversation.
