Korean Dictionary
How to say "Stir-fry" in Korean
“Stir-fry” in Korean is 볶다 (pronounced "bokda").
볶다
bokda
Usage & Context
A fundamental cooking technique in Korean cuisine. Used for preparing vegetables, rice, and meat dishes. Requires high heat and constant stirring to achieve the perfect texture.
Example Sentence
야채를 볶아요.
I stir-fry vegetables.
How to use 볶다 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Stir-fry” is 볶다, romanized as bokda.
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 볶다.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'bok-da' — 'bok' rhymes with English 'bock' with an unreleased 'k', 'da' like 'dah' (short).
More Example Sentences
describing a home-cooked meal
김치를 볶아서 김치볶음밥 만들었어요.
I stir-fried kimchi to make kimchi fried rice.
recipe instruction
기름을 두르고 마늘부터 볶으세요.
Add oil and start by stir-frying the garlic.
explaining a dish to a foreigner
떡을 볶으면 떡볶이가 돼요.
If you stir-fry rice cakes you get tteokbokki.
Cultural Context
볶다 is a core Korean cooking verb appearing in beloved dishes like 떡볶이 (stir-fried rice cakes), 김치볶음밥 (kimchi fried rice), and 잡채 (glass noodles). The noun form '볶음' often attaches to ingredients — e.g., '제육볶음' (stir-fried pork). It implies high-heat cooking with a small amount of oil, not deep frying.
Editorial note
We review entries like 볶다 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
야채를 볶아요.
I'm stir-frying vegetables.
센 불에 볶으세요.
Stir-fry on high heat.
고기랑 같이 볶아요.
Stir-fry it together with the meat.
Related Expressions
볶음
bokkeum
stir-fry (noun)
볶음밥
bokkeumbap
fried rice
볶음요리
bokkeum yori
stir-fried dish
프라이팬
peuraipaen
frying pan
More Cooking Words
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