Upper Intermediate Korean Nature Vocabulary (TOPIK 5)

A complete list of 170 upper intermediate-level Korean nature vocabulary words (TOPIK 5). Every word includes romanization and its English meaning, curated by a certified Korean language teacher. Filter to search, or switch levels below.

Level: TOPIK 1TOPIK 2TOPIK 3TOPIK 4TOPIK 5TOPIK 6
Korean Romanization Meaning
곤충 gonchung insect, bug
공중 gongjung the public, general public
그물 geumul net, mesh
금 geum gold, precious metal
금속 geumsok metal
기린 girin giraffe
기상 gisang weather, meteorology, spirit
기압 giap atmospheric pressure
기체 giche gas, vapor (state of matter)
깃털 gitteol feather, down
까치 kkachi magpie (bird)
꺼지다 kkeojida to go out, be extinguished, disappear
꺾이다 kkeokkida to be bent, broken, falter
꽁꽁 kkongkkong frozen solid, tightly bound
꽃샘추위 kkotsaemchuwi late spring cold snap
낚다 nakda to catch (fish or person), hook, lure
날아들다 naradeulda to fly in, come flying
날아오르다 naraoreuda to soar, fly up
남색 namsaek indigo blue, navy (color)
내비치다 naebichida to hint, suggest subtly, let show
냉기 naenggi cold air, chill
냉대 naengdae cold treatment, giving the cold shoulder
노을 noeul sunset glow, afterglow in the sky
논 non rice paddy, rice field
논밭 nonbat rice paddies and dry fields, farmland
농작물 nongjangmul crops, farm produce
놓아주다 noajuda to let go, to release, to set free
눈발 nunbal blowing snow, drifting snowflakes
눈사태 nunsatae avalanche
늑대 neukdae wolf
다이아몬드 daiamondeu diamond
대나무 daenamu bamboo
동식물 dongsingmul animals and plants, flora and fauna
두꺼비 dukkeobi toad
뒤덮다 dwideopda to cover entirely, to blanket
뒤흔들다 dwiheundeulda to shake, to rock, to disturb
들 deul field, open plain
들판 deulpan open field, plain
따갑다 ttagapda to be stinging, to be burning (pain or heat)
떫다 tteolda to be astringent, to be tart
라일락 raillak lilac
맞히다 mathida to answer correctly, to hit the mark
매연 maeyeon exhaust fumes, smog
메마르다 memareuda to be dry, to be arid, to be parched
멸종 myeoljong extinction
목재 mokjae lumber, wood material
물방울 mulbangul water droplet
미생물 misaengmul microorganism, microbe
밀려오다 millyeooda to surge in, to come flooding in
바이러스 baireoseu virus
밭 bat field, crop field
배기가스 baegigaseu exhaust gas, emissions
배출 baechul emission, discharge, output
번지다 beonjida to spread, to bleed (of color or ink)
벚꽃 beotkkot cherry blossom
베다 beda to lie against, to rest on
벼락 byeorak lightning bolt, thunderbolt
병아리 byeongari chick (baby chicken)
부시다 busida to be dazzlingly bright, to be blinding
부풀다 bupulda to swell, to puff up, to inflate
불길 bulgil flame, blaze
붉은색 bulgeunsaek red color
비둘기 bidulgi pigeon, dove
빙하 bingha glacier, ice sheet
뾰족하다 ppyojokhada to be pointed, to be sharp
뿔 ppul horn, antler
사슴 saseum deer
산사태 sansatae landslide
산성비 sanseongbi acid rain
산소 sanso gravesite, tomb
새까맣다 saekkamata to be jet-black, to be completely black
새싹 saessak sprout, young shoot
새파랗다 saeparata to be vivid blue, to be bright blue
색상 saeksang color, hue
샘 saem envy, jealousy; spring, source of water
생명력 saengmyeongnyeok vitality, life force
생명체 saengmyeongche living organism, life form
생물 saengmul living thing, organism, biology
생산량 saengsallyang production volume, output amount
생태계 saengtaegye ecosystem
서리다 seorida to mist over, to be filled with tears or haze
석탄 seoktan coal
성분 seongbun component, ingredient, element
세균 segyun bacteria, germ
세차다 sechada to be strong, to be powerful, to be fierce
솟구치다 sotguchida to shoot up, to surge upward
솟아오르다 sosaoreuda to rise up, to soar upward
수면 sumyeon sleep, sleeping
수증기 sujeunggi steam, water vapor
수질 sujil water quality
수해 suhae flood damage, water damage
수확 suhwak harvest, crop yield
시냇물 sinaenmul stream water, brook
싹 ssak sprout, shoot, bud
썰물 sseolmul ebb tide, low tide
아열대 ayeoldae subtropical region
알칼리성 alkalliseong alkalinity, alkaline property
암벽 ambyeok rock face, cliff wall
액체 aekche liquid
야생 yasaeng wild, wilderness
어둑어둑하다 eodugeodukhada to be getting dark, to be dusky
얼어붙다 eoreobutda to freeze solid, to freeze over
얽히다 eokhida to be entangled, to be involved
여우 yeou fox
연평균 yeonpyeonggyun annual average
열대야 yeoldaeya tropical night (min temp above 25°C)
염소 yeomso goat
온난화 onnanhwa global warming
온대 ondae temperate zone
온화하다 onhwahada to be mild, to be gentle
우기 ugi rainy season
우량 uryang excellent quality, superiority
원유 wonyu crude oil
유전자 yujeonja gene
윤 yun luster, gloss
일다 ilda to rise, to arise, to stir up
자연재해 jayeonjaehae natural disaster
자외선 jaoeseon ultraviolet rays, UV rays
잔잔하다 janjanhada to be calm, to be gentle, to be serene
잡초 japcho weed, wild plant
재질 jaejil material, texture, quality
저기압 jeogiap low pressure system
저물다 jeomulda to grow dark, to set (sun)
적색 jeoksaek red color, scarlet
제비 jebi swallow (bird); lottery draw
종 jong bell; servant (historical)
중성 jungseong neutral (gender/chemistry)
지다 jida to lose; to set (sun); to be built
진화 jinhwa evolution; fire extinguishing
진흙 jinheuk mud, clay
쪼다 jjoda to peck; to be stingy
참새 chamsae sparrow
찾아들다 chajadeulda to come in, to find one's way to
천연 cheonyeon natural, nature-derived
철 cheol season; iron (metal)
청색 cheongsaek blue color, azure
체감 chegam perceived feeling, felt sense
초원 chowon grassland, meadow
추수 chusu harvest
친환경 chinhwangyeong eco-friendliness, environmental friendliness
침수 chimsu flooding, inundation
탁하다 takhada to be murky, to be turbid
태양열 taeyangyeol solar heat, solar energy
토양 toyang soil, earth
토지 toji land, ground
투명 tumyeong transparency
파묻히다 pamuthida to be buried, to be immersed in
팥 pat red bean
펄럭이다 peolleogida to flutter, to flap
폐수 pyesu wastewater, sewage
폭발 pokbal explosion
푸른색 pureunsaek blue-green color
풍년 pungnyeon bumper harvest year
풍력 pungnyeok wind power
풍성하다 pungseonghada to be abundant, to be plentiful
피어나다 pieonada to bloom, to blossom
피어오르다 pieooreuda to rise up, to drift upward
함박눈 hambangnun large snowflakes
향기롭다 hyanggiropda to be fragrant, to be sweet-smelling
호우 hou heavy rain, downpour
홍색 hongsaek red color, crimson
화산 hwasan volcano
화초 hwacho flowering plant, ornamental plant
환절기 hwanjeolgi change of seasons
황사 hwangsa yellow dust, Asian dust
황색 hwangsaek yellow color
훈훈하다 hunhunhada to be warm and cozy, to be heartwarming
휘날리다 hwinallida to flutter, to wave, to fly
흑색 heuksaek black color
흩날리다 heunnallida to scatter, to drift about
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Written by Alvin Lim Certified Korean Language Teacher (Level 2)