Korean Dictionary
How to say "Rice cooker" in Korean
“Rice cooker” in Korean is 밥솥 (pronounced "Bapsot").
밥솥
Bapsot
Usage & Context
An essential kitchen appliance in virtually every Korean household. The quality and texture of rice is taken very seriously in Korean culture. Modern Korean rice cookers (especially brands like Cuckoo and Cuchen) are technologically advanced and highly prized as gifts.
Example Sentence
한국 가정에는 밥솥이 꼭 있어야 해요.
Korean households must have a rice cooker.
How to use 밥솥 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Rice cooker” is 밥솥, romanized as Bapsot.
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 밥솥.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'bahp-sot.' 'Bap' rhymes with 'pop,' and the final 't' in 'sot' is almost swallowed — barely released, the way Koreans end syllables with ㅌ/ㅅ/ㄷ.
Formal & Casual Forms
Formal (존댓말)
전기밥솥
jeongi-bapsot
Technical / formal term for an electric rice cooker, used on product labels and in manuals
Casual (반말)
밥통
baptong
Everyday casual word for a rice cooker (literally 'rice bucket'); also slang for a slow-witted person, so watch the context
More Example Sentences
recommending an appliance to a friend setting up a new apartment
쿠쿠 밥솥이 압력이 세서 밥이 찰져요.
Cuckoo rice cookers have strong pressure, so the rice turns out sticky and glossy.
showing off a new kitchen gadget
밥솥에 잡곡 모드도 있어서 편해요.
The rice cooker has a multigrain mode too, so it's super convenient.
reminiscing about moving out for the first time
자취 시작할 때 제일 먼저 산 게 밥솥이에요.
The first thing I bought when I started living alone was a rice cooker.
Cultural Context
Rice cookers are almost sacred in a Korean kitchen. The dominant brands — 쿠쿠 (Cuckoo) and 쿠첸 (Cuchen) — are known for their pressure-cooker models that produce noticeably chewier rice than non-pressure Japanese cookers, which is why Chinese and Southeast Asian tourists famously load up on them at Korean duty-free shops. Many units feature a cheerful female voice announcing '맛있는 밥이 완성되었습니다' ('delicious rice is ready') when cooking finishes. A rice cooker is also a traditional wedding or housewarming gift, and in dorms and goshiwon rooms, the little 3-인용 (three-person) 밥솥 is often the single most-used appliance.
Editorial note
We review entries like 밥솥 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
밥솥에 쌀 안쳐 놨어요.
I've already set the rice in the cooker.
밥솥 취사 눌러 줘.
Hit the cook button on the rice cooker.
맛있는 밥이 완성되었습니다.
Your delicious rice is ready. (the cooker's voice line)
Related Expressions
밥
bap
cooked rice / a meal
쌀
ssal
uncooked rice
압력밥솥
amnyeok-bapsot
pressure rice cooker
취사
chwisa
the 'cook' function / cooking
More Food Words
Master Korean with AI-Powered Learning
Practice Rice cooker and 10,000+ words with native pronunciation and AI conversation.
