Korean Dictionary
How to say "Scooter" in Korean
“Scooter” in Korean is 오토바이 (pronounced "otobai").
오토바이
otobai
Usage & Context
오토바이 is the Korean word for motorcycle or scooter and is widely used for food delivery services in Korea. Delivery riders on 오토바이 are a ubiquitous sight in Korean cities and are known for their speed. Electric 오토바이 are growing in popularity as Korea pushes for greener urban transportation.
Example Sentence
배달 기사님이 오토바이를 타고 음식을 가져다줬어요.
The delivery person brought the food on a scooter.
How to use 오토바이 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Scooter” is 오토바이, romanized as otobai.
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 오토바이.
Pronunciation Guide
Say '오' (o) like 'oh'. '토' (to) sounds like 'toe'. '바' (ba) is like 'bah' in 'bah-bah black sheep'. '이' (i) is like 'ee' in 'see'. The rhythm is fairly even across the syllables.
More Example Sentences
Explaining the speed of food delivery services.
배달 앱으로 주문하면 오토바이로 금방 와요.
If you order through a delivery app, it comes quickly by scooter/motorcycle.
Giving safety advice to someone about to ride.
오토바이를 탈 때는 항상 헬멧을 써야 안전해요.
When riding a motorcycle/scooter, it's always safe to wear a helmet.
Noticing a trend in urban transportation.
요즘은 전기 오토바이도 많이 보여요.
These days, you see a lot of electric scooters/motorcycles too.
Cultural Context
오토바이 (otobai) is the general term for both motorcycles and scooters in Korea. They are an iconic sight in Korean cities, primarily used by '배달 기사님' (baedal gisanim - delivery riders) who navigate traffic with impressive speed to deliver food and goods. The rapid growth of food delivery services has made 오토바이 an indispensable part of daily Korean life, with electric models becoming increasingly common as cities push for greener transport.
Editorial note
We review entries like 오토바이 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
오토바이를 타다
to ride a motorcycle/scooter
오토바이 배달
motorcycle/scooter delivery
오토바이 사고
motorcycle/scooter accident
Related Expressions
배달
baedal
delivery
퀵서비스
kwikseobiseu
quick service (express delivery)
헬멧
helmet
helmet
스쿠터
seukuteo
scooter (often used for smaller, lighter models)
More Transportation Words
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