Korean Dictionary
How to say "Palm" in Korean
“Palm” in Korean is 손바닥 (pronounced "sonbadak").
손바닥
sonbadak
Usage & Context
The inner surface of the hand. Used in medical and everyday contexts. Important for describing hand features.
Example Sentence
손바닥이 가려워요.
My palm is itchy.
How to use 손바닥 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Palm” is 손바닥, romanized as sonbadak.
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 손바닥.
Pronunciation Guide
The first syllable, 'son,' sounds like 'sawn' (as in 'sawn wood'). 'Ba' is pronounced like 'bah' (as in 'bah humbug'). 'Dak' sounds like 'dock' but with a sharp, unreleased 'k' sound at the end. The stress is fairly even across the syllables.
More Example Sentences
Describing a heartwarming moment with a baby.
아기가 제 손바닥을 잡았어요.
The baby held my palm.
Expressing nervousness or feeling hot.
손바닥에 땀이 많이 나네요.
My palms are sweating a lot.
Describing something very small in size.
동전이 손바닥만 해요.
The coin is only the size of a palm.
Cultural Context
While '손바닥' literally means 'palm,' it's often used in idiomatic expressions. For instance, '손바닥 뒤집듯' (like flipping a palm) describes something changing easily or quickly. It's also common to compare sizes to a 'palm' (손바닥만 하다) in daily conversation, emphasizing smallness, much like 'palm-sized' in English.
Editorial note
We review entries like 손바닥 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
손바닥 뒤집듯
like flipping a palm (meaning easily, quickly)
손바닥만 한
palm-sized
손바닥을 비비다
to rub one's palms (often implying begging or flattery)
Related Expressions
손등
sondeung
back of the hand
손목
sonmok
wrist
손금
songeum
palm lines (for fortune-telling)
손
son
hand
More Body Parts Words
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