Korean Dictionary
How to say "Strain" in Korean
“Strain” in Korean is 거르다 (pronounced "georeuda").
거르다
georeuda
Usage & Context
Separating solids from liquids using a sieve or strainer. Essential for making clear broths and removing lumps. Creates smooth texture.
Example Sentence
국을 거르다.
I strain the soup.
How to use 거르다 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Strain” is 거르다, romanized as georeuda.
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 거르다.
Pronunciation Guide
거 (geo) sounds like 'guh' in 'gull'. 르 (reu) sounds like 'ruh' in 'run' with a light 'r' sound. 다 (da) sounds like 'dah' in 'dah-ling'. Together: 'Guh-reu-dah'. Note that '르' is a 'ㄹ' irregular verb, so its conjugation will change.
Formal & Casual Forms
Formal (존댓말)
걸러요
geolleoyo
This is the standard polite form. Note the 르 irregular conjugation where 르 changes to ㄹㄹ when followed by certain endings.
Casual (반말)
걸러
geolleo
This is the informal form, used with close friends or family.
More Example Sentences
Giving a cooking tip for making clear soup.
육수를 맑게 하기 위해 거르세요.
Strain the broth to make it clear.
Describing how one makes coffee.
커피를 내릴 때 필터로 걸러요.
When brewing coffee, I strain it with a filter.
Giving advice on maintaining a positive mindset (figurative use of '걸러내다').
안 좋은 생각은 걸러내고 좋은 생각만 하세요.
Filter out bad thoughts and only think good ones.
Cultural Context
거르다 is commonly used for straining or filtering liquids in cooking, like making clear broths (육수, yuksu) or brewing coffee. It's a '르' irregular verb, so its conjugation changes (e.g., 거르다 becomes 걸러요). Interestingly, '거르다' has another common meaning: 'to skip (a meal)' (식사를 거르다). While seemingly unrelated, context usually makes it clear which meaning is intended, but it's a point of potential confusion for learners.
Editorial note
We review entries like 거르다 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
육수를 거르다
to strain broth
커피를 거르다
to filter coffee
찌꺼기를 거르다
to strain out dregs/sediment
Related Expressions
필터링하다
pilteoringhada
to filter (loanword)
체로 치다
chero chida
to sift (using a sieve)
정수하다
jeongsuda
to purify (water)
섞다
seokda
to mix (antonym in a sense of combining rather than separating)
More Cooking Words
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