Korean Dictionary
How to say "Yutnori (Traditional Board Game)" in Korean
“Yutnori (Traditional Board Game)” in Korean is 윷놀이 (pronounced "yutnori").
윷놀이
yutnori
Usage & Context
윷놀이 is a traditional Korean board game played especially during 설날 and 추석 using four wooden sticks thrown like dice. Teams move tokens around a board based on how the sticks land: do (pig), gae (dog), geol (sheep), yut (cow), or mo (horse). 윷놀이 is one of the most beloved Korean family games that brings generations together.
Example Sentence
윷놀이에서 우리 팀이 이겼어요!
Our team won at yutnori!
How to use 윷놀이 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Yutnori (Traditional Board Game)” is 윷놀이, romanized as yutnori.
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 윷놀이.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'yoot-noh-ree' — 'yut' rhymes with 'foot' (short 'oo'), and 'nori' flows like the Japanese seaweed. The double 't-n' creates a slight pause between syllables.
More Example Sentences
sharing holiday memories
설날에 온 가족이 모여 윷놀이를 했어요.
The whole family gathered for yutnori on Lunar New Year.
mid-game excitement
모가 나와서 말을 네 칸 옮겼어요!
I rolled a 'mo' so I moved my token four spaces!
introducing a cultural game to friends
윷놀이는 규칙이 간단해서 외국인 친구도 금방 배워요.
Yutnori rules are simple, so even foreign friends learn quickly.
Cultural Context
윷놀이 is the definitive family game of 설날 (Lunar New Year) and 추석 (Chuseok), played with four wooden sticks thrown to land flat-side or round-side up. The five possible results — 도(1), 개(2), 걸(3), 윷(4), 모(5) — are named after ancient Korean livestock (pig, dog, sheep, cow, horse), reflecting the game's agricultural roots stretching back over a thousand years. Rolling 윷 or 모 grants another throw, and the real drama comes from '잡기' (capturing) — landing on an opponent's token sends theirs back to start, which produces the loudest screams of any Korean holiday. Modern families often bet small amounts of money or chores on the outcome, and cafes now sell deluxe sets with brass sticks and embroidered boards.
Editorial note
We review entries like 윷놀이 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
윷놀이 한판 할까?
Shall we play a round of yutnori?
모 나왔다!
I got a 'mo'! (highest roll)
말을 잡다
to capture an opponent's piece
Related Expressions
설날
seollal
Lunar New Year
윷판
yutpan
yutnori board
말
mal
game piece / token (lit. 'horse')
민속놀이
minsok-nori
traditional folk game
More Holidays & Festivals Words
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