Korean Dictionary
How to say "Portrait" in Korean
“Portrait” in Korean is 초상화 (pronounced "Chosanghwa").
초상화
Chosanghwa
Usage & Context
Portrait painting, an important genre in Korean art history. Used to document important figures and family members.
Example Sentence
초상화는 인물을 표현합니다.
Portraits depict people.
How to use 초상화 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Portrait” is 초상화, romanized as Chosanghwa.
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 초상화.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'cho-sahng-hwa' — 'cho' rhymes with 'show,' 'sang' ends with the 'ng' in 'song,' and 'hwa' is a quick blend of 'h' + 'wah' in one syllable.
Formal & Casual Forms
Formal (존댓말)
초상화
chosanghwa
Standard term for a painted/drawn portrait in both everyday and formal contexts
Casual (반말)
얼굴 그림
eolgul geurim
Literal casual version ('face drawing'), used when speaking to children or informally
More Example Sentences
planning a museum visit
국립중앙박물관에 조선 시대 초상화가 전시되어 있어요.
Joseon-era portraits are on display at the National Museum of Korea.
describing a family home
할아버지의 초상화를 거실에 걸어두었어요.
We hung grandfather's portrait in the living room.
chatting about tech trends
요즘은 AI로 초상화를 그려주는 앱이 유행이에요.
Apps that draw portraits with AI are trendy these days.
Cultural Context
Joseon-era 초상화 were famous for a principle called 일호불사 편시타인 — 'one wrong hair and it becomes someone else' — meaning painters strove for uncompromising realism, even depicting smallpox scars and blemishes. Many of these, like the portrait of 윤두서, are now National Treasures. In modern Korea, 초상화 also refers to graduation portraits, memorial portraits at funerals (영정 사진), and increasingly, AI-generated portraits on apps like Snow and Epik that went viral in the 2020s.
Editorial note
We review entries like 초상화 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
초상화를 그리다
To paint a portrait
초상화를 걸다
To hang a portrait
가족 초상화
Family portrait
Related Expressions
자화상
jahwasang
self-portrait
영정
yeongjeong
memorial portrait (for the deceased)
풍경화
punggyeonghwa
landscape painting (contrast)
인물화
inmulhwa
figure painting (synonym)
More Art & Design Words
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