14 Insane Korean Tongue Twisters

Original blog post: https://ling-app.com/ko/korean-tongue-twisters/

Have you ever dared to try Korean tongue twisters? Yes, it’s challenging, but it’s definitely worth it! So, we’re learning some valuable tongue twisters today!

We’ve all had a fair share of challenging experiences trying to do tongue twisters. Let’s admit it, they’re no piece of cake, but when you do it perfectly, it’s so much fun! Tongue twisters are a fun way to test your articulation skills and can be utilized as a form of verbal competition.

In this blog post, we are going to talk about different famous Korean tongue twisters that you’ll gear when you go to South Korea. You will also learn their romanization and English translations.

How Can Tongue Twisters Help Korean Language Learners?

Korean tongue twisters can go beyond just funny words guaranteed to elicit guffaws from both the people trying to say them and the people watching them. As said above, tongue twisters are fun ways to test your pronunciation and articulation skills, especially when you’re learning a foreign language like the Korean language.

It’s not just bored native speakers of a language that like playing with tongue twisters. You can use them to learn a new language.

First, you can practice your pronunciation skills. By their very nature, tongue twisters make for excellent pronunciation practice for Korean language learners. Language is made up of a highly specific collection of sounds, or to put it another way; it requires extremely specific movements of the tongue, lips, and palate.

Tongue twisters can also develop your listening skills. Listening is important if you’re learning Korean or any other foreign language because this is where you’ll start. You have to listen to the right pronunciation of the words. While speaking, you evaluate your delivery and make improvements. It can also help with listening since they use similar-sounding words.

Lastly, learning tongue twisters can also help you learn more vocabulary words and pick up some Korean sentence structure rules. Even if it’s often used for fun, it still strictly follows the grammar rules of the Korean language. Plus, the vocabulary words you can use in your Korean conversations.

Korean Tongue Twisters

Now that we know a little about how Korean tongue twisters let us learn about some famous tongue twisters. Take advantage of romanization and English translation to practice your Korean skills.

경찰청 철창살은 외철창살이고 검찰청 철창살은 쌍철창살이다.

Romanization: Gyeong-chal-cheong cheol-chang-sa-reun noe-cheol-chang-sa-ri-go geom-chal-cheong cheol-chang-sa-reun ssang-cheol-chang-sa-ri-da.

English Translation: The iron bar windows at the police headquarters are single-layer iron bars, whereas those at the prosecutor’s office are double-layer iron bars.

네가 그린 기린 그림은 못 그린 기린 그림이고 내가 그린 기린 그림은 잘 그린 기린 그림이다.

Romanization: Ne-ga geu-rin gi-rin geu-ri-meun mot geu-rin gi-rin geu-ri-mi-go nae-ga geu-rin gi-rin geu-ri-meun jal geu-rin gi-rin geu-ri-mi-da.

English Translation: Your drawing of a giraffe is a poorly done drawing of a giraffe, but mine is a well-drawn drawing of a giraffe.

간장 공장 공장장은 장 공장장이고 된장 공장 공장장은 강 공장장이다.

Romanization: Gan-jang gong-jang gong-jang-jang-eun jang gong-jang-jang-i-go doen-jang gong-jang gong-jang-jang-eun gang gong-jang-jang-i-da.

English Translation: Factory manager Jang is in charge of the soy sauce factory, and factory manager Kang is in charge of the bean paste factory.

서울특별시 특허허가과 허가과장 허 과장.

Romanization: Seo-ul-teuk-byeol-si teu-keo-heo-ga-gwa heo-ga-gwa-jang heo-gwa-jang.

Translation: Chief Heo of Seoul Metropolitan City‘s patent issuing section authorization.

고려고 교복은 고급 교복이고 고려고 교복은 고급 원단을 사용했다.

Romanization: Gohryeogoh gyo-pog-eun go-geub gyo-pog-i-go gohryeogoh gyo-pog-eun go-geub won-dan-eur sa-yong-haess-da.

Translation: Gohryeogoh uniforms are of high quality, and the materials used to make them are also of high quality.

저분은 백 법학박사이고 이분은 박 법학박사이다.

Romanization: Jeobun-eun baeg beobhagbagsaigo ibun-eun bag beobhagbagsaida.

Translation: That is Mr. Baek, a doctor of law, and this is Mr. Park, also a doctor of law.

체다치즈를 최고 많이 먹은 최다은이 체다치즈 먹기 대회 최다 우승자이다.

Romanization: Chedachijeureul choego mani meogeun choedaeuni chedachijeu meokgi daehoe choeda useungjaida

Translation: Choi-Da-Eun won the cheddar cheese eating contest because he ate most of the cheese.

박범복군은 밤벚꽃놀이를 가고 방범복양은 낮벚꽃놀이를 간다.

Romanization: Bakbeombokguneun bambeotkkonnorireul gago bangbeombogyangeun natbeotkkonnorireul ganda.

Translation: Park Beom-bok goes to the cherry blossoms at night, and Bang Bum-bok goes during the day.

육통 통장 적금 통장은 황색 적금 통장이고 팔통 통장 적금 통장은 녹색 적금 통장이다.

Romanization: Yug-tong tong-chang cheog-geum-tong chang-uen hwang-saeg cheog-geum-tong-chang-i-gop’ar-tong tong-chang cheog-geum-tong chang-uen nog-saeg cheog-geum-tong-chang-i-da.

Translation: Six dong bank book savings book is the yellow bank savings book, and eight dong bank book savings book is the green bank savings book.

목동 로얄 뉴로얄 레스토랑 뉴메뉴 미트소시지소스스파게티 크림소시지소스스테이크.

Romanization: Mokdong ro-yal nyu-ro-yar re-seu-t’o-rang nyu-me-nyu mi-teu-so-shi-chi-so-seu-seu-p’a-ge-t’i, k’eu-rim-so-shi-chi-so-seu-seu-t’e-i-keu.

Translation: Mokdong Royal’s new menu includes meat sausage sauce spaghetti and cream sausage sauce steak.

저 철창의 쇠창살은 새 쇠창살이다.

Romanization: Jo cholchange swechangsareun sae swechangsarida

Translation: The steel bars of that prison room is new steel bars.

들의 콩깍지는 깐 콩깍지인가 안깐 콩깍지인가. 깐 콩깍지면 어떻고 안 깐 콩각지면어떠냐. 깐 콩깍지나 안 깐 콩깍지나 콩깍지는 다 콩깍지인데.

Romanization: Deure kongkkakjjineun kkan kongkkakjjiinga ankkan kongkkakjjiinga kkan kongkkakjjimyon ottoko an kkan konggakjjimyonottonya kkan kongkkakjjina an kkan kongkkakjjina kongkkakjjineun da kongkkakjjiinde

Translation: Are their pods peeled or unpeeled pods? What’s wrong with peeled beans? What’s wrong with not peeled beans? Pea pods, whether they’re peeled or not, are pea pods.

안 촉촉한 초코칩 나라에 살던 안 촉촉한 초코칩이 촉촉한 초코칩 나라의 촉촉한 초코칩을 보고 촉촉한 초코칩이 되고 싶어서 촉촉한 초코칩 나라에 갔는데 촉촉한 초코칩 나라의 문지기가 “넌 촉촉한 초코칩이 아니고 안 촉촉한 초코칩이니까 안 촉촉한 초코칩 나라에서 살아”라고 해서 안 촉촉한 초코칩은 촉촉한 초코칩이 되는 것을 포기하고 안 촉촉한 초코칩 나라로 돌아갔다.

Romanization: An chok-chok-han cho-ko-chip na-ra-e sal-deon an chok-chok-han cho-ko-chip-i chok-chok-han cho-ko-chip na-ra-ui chok-chok-han cho-ko-chip-eul po-go chok-chok-han cho-ko-chip-i doe-go ship-eo-seo chok-chok-han cho-ko-chip na-ra-e ka-neun-de chok-chok-han cho-ko-chip na-ra-ui mun-ji-gi-ga “neon chok-chok-han cho-ko-chip-i a-ni-go an chok-chok-han cho-ko-chip-i-ni-kka an chok-chok-han cho-ko-chip na-ra-e-seo sal-a”ra-go-hae-seo an chok-chok-han cho-ko-chip-eun chok-chok-han cho-ko-chip-i doe-neun got-eul po-gi-ha-go an chok-chok-han cho-ko-chip na-ra-ro dol-a-gat-da.

Translation: A non-moist chocolate chip cookie that lived in non-moist chocolate chip cookie land saw a moist chocolate chip cookie from moist chocolate chip cookie land and wanted to become a moist chocolate chip cookie and so went to moist chocolate chip cookie land, but the gate-keeper of moist chocolate chip cookie land said, “You are not a moist chocolate chip cookie, but a non-moist chocolate chip cookie, so live in non-moist chocolate chip cookie land,” so the non-moist chocolate chip cookie gave up on becoming a moist chocolate chip cookie and went back to non-moist chocolate chip cookie land.

Learn More Than Just Korean Tongue Twisters

Learning Korean tongue twisters are a good headstart to learning Korean. But, if you wanna go deeper and develop your other language skills, Ling App can be a great help. So, what’s with Ling App that you have to try and discover?

With highly-developed features, Ling App can surely help you learn a language in record time. Familiarize yourself with the Korean writing system by mastering bite-size lessons. The lessons are fun and engaging. There are also extensive grammar explanations that will guide you through the whole process. Improve your speaking skills with audio recordings from native speakers.

Learning Korean should be like tongue twisters. It’s challenging, but it feels rewarding when you succeed. So, learn Korean with Ling App now!