Korean Dictionary
How to say "Salty" in Korean
“Salty” in Korean is 짜다 (pronounced "Jjada").
짜다
Jjada
Usage & Context
Describing food with excess salt. 짜요 is the polite form. Koreans are quite direct about food tastes. Telling a host 조금 짜요 (it's a bit salty) is acceptable feedback in Korean food culture. Fermented foods like kimchi can be quite salty.
Example Sentence
국이 좀 짜네요. 물 더 넣을까요?
The soup is a bit salty. Shall we add more water?
How to use 짜다 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Salty” is 짜다, romanized as Jjada.
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 짜다.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'jja-da' — 'jja' has a strong tensed 'jj' (like a held double j) with an open 'ah' vowel, and 'da' ends flat.
Formal & Casual Forms
Formal (존댓말)
짭니다
jjamnida
Formal form, used in writing or formal speech
Casual (반말)
짜
jja
Casual, exclaimed while tasting salty food
More Example Sentences
commenting on a homemade meal
국이 좀 짜요.
The soup is a bit salty.
discussing instant noodles
라면은 짜지만 맛있어요.
Ramyeon is salty but delicious.
a parent giving health advice
짜게 먹으면 건강에 안 좋아요.
Eating salty food is bad for your health.
Cultural Context
Korean cuisine relies heavily on salty fermented bases — 간장 (soy sauce), 된장 (soybean paste), 고추장 (chili paste) — so 짜다 comes up often. In slang, 짜다 can also describe a stingy person ('tight-fisted'). Health-conscious Koreans aim for 싱겁게 먹기 (eating less salty).
Editorial note
We review entries like 짜다 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
짜요.
It's salty.
너무 짜요.
It's too salty.
덜 짜게 해 주세요.
Please make it less salty.
Related Expressions
짠맛
jjanmat
salty flavor
소금
sogeum
salt
싱겁다
singgeopda
to be bland / not salty enough
간을 맞추다
ganeul matchuda
to adjust seasoning
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