Korean Nature WordsNature & geography words with romanization — free list

To talk about nature in Korean, start with 자연 (jayeon, nature) and key geography words: 산 (san, mountain), 바다 (bada, sea), and 강 (gang, river). This free list covers landscapes, sky, and outdoor words each with romanization and meaning.

KoreanRomanizationMeaning
자연 jayeon nature
san mountain
바다 bada sea / ocean
gang river
호수 hosu lake
하늘 haneul sky
ttang ground / earth
나무 namu tree / wood
kkot flower
pul grass / herb
sup forest
seom island
deul field / plain
언덕 eondok hill
계곡 gyegok valley
폭포 pokpo waterfall
dol stone / rock
모래 morae sand
byeol star
dal moon
hae sun
구름 gureum cloud
무지개 mujigae rainbow
동굴 donggul cave

💡 Good to know

자연 is the general word for nature; geography words use 에 가다 (go to a place): 산에 가다 = go to the mountain. Note 해 means both sun and year in different contexts — here it means sun.

Lesson: Nature vocabulary →Lesson: Weather →

FAQ

How do you say mountain in Korean?
Mountain is 산 (san). To say you're going to the mountain, use 산에 가다. Korea's most famous is 한라산 (Hallasan) on Jeju island.
How do you say sea or ocean in Korean?
Sea is 바다 (bada). You can say 바다에 가요 (I'm going to the sea). The word for ocean in a broader sense is 대양 (daeyang), but 바다 is used in everyday speech.
What are some common Korean nature words?
Key nature words include 자연 (nature), 산 (mountain), 바다 (sea), 강 (river), 숲 (forest), 하늘 (sky), 꽃 (flower), and 별 (star). The full list with romanization is above.
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Written by Alvin Lim Certified Korean Language Teacher (Level 2)