Korean Dictionary
How to say "Press" in Korean
“Press” in Korean is 누르다 (pronounced "nureuda").
누르다
nureuda
Usage & Context
Applying downward force to food. Used for tofu, vegetables, and dough. Removes moisture and creates desired texture.
Example Sentence
두부를 눌러요.
I press tofu.
How to use 누르다 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Press” is 누르다, romanized as nureuda.
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 누르다.
Pronunciation Guide
"누르다" (nureuda) sounds like "noo-roo-dah." The "nu" is like "new" without the 'w' sound, the "reu" is a soft 'r' sound followed by a vowel similar to the 'u' in "putt," and "da" is like "dah" in "father."
Formal & Casual Forms
Formal (존댓말)
눌러요
nulleoyo
This is the common polite form used in daily conversation.
Casual (반말)
눌러
nulleo
Used with close friends or family, or when speaking to someone younger.
More Example Sentences
Giving instructions for operating something.
버튼을 누르면 문이 열려요.
If you press the button, the door opens.
Explaining a step in a recipe.
두부를 무거운 걸로 눌러서 물기를 빼세요.
Press the tofu with something heavy to remove the water.
Admitting a small mistake in public.
엘리베이터 층수 버튼을 잘못 눌렀어요.
I pressed the wrong floor button on the elevator.
Cultural Context
"누르다" is a versatile verb. In cooking, it's essential for preparing ingredients like tofu or making certain types of kimchi where vegetables are pressed to remove water. Beyond cooking, it's widely used for pressing buttons (버튼을 누르다), suppressing emotions (감정을 누르다), or even holding something down (종이를 누르다). Its usage extends to controlling or suppressing something, like "화를 누르다" (to suppress anger), making it a very common verb in daily life.
Editorial note
We review entries like 누르다 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
버튼을 누르다
to press a button
두부를 누르다
to press tofu
감정을 누르다
to suppress emotions
Related Expressions
압박하다
appakada
to pressure, to oppress
짓누르다
jin'nureuda
to crush, to weigh down heavily
누르스름하다
nureuseureumhada
yellowish (related to the color of something pressed or aged, though not a direct synonym)
올리다
ollida
to raise, to lift (antonym)
More Cooking Words
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