20+ Korean Summer Words - Explained in English

Want to know some good Korean summer words?

Well, good!

That’s what this guide is all about.

Want to learn how to write in Korean? Download your free Korean Hangul (Alphabet) worksheet here.

Korean Summer Words

1. Yeoreum – 여름

Meaning: Summer

Summer in Korea gets hot, humid and buzzing with festivals and beach trips. Other people go to the mountains or camping.

A good Korean summer phrase would be…

Yeoreumeul saranghae
여름을 사랑해
I love summer

2. Yeoreum Banghak – 여름 방학

Meaning: Summer vacation

Yeoreum is summerm as you now know.

Banghak means school vacation or break

So, together, you get summer break or summer vacation. But this break is for students only. Everyone else has work… as is the case with adult life.

3. Deoweo – 더워

Meaning: It’s hot (casual)

Deoweo is how you say “it’s hot” in Korean.

It comes from the adjective 덥다 (Deopda) which means “to be hot” (weather or air).

People will say “Deoweo!” when stepping out or complaining about the heat.

3. Seuphae – 습해

Meaning: It’s humid

Seuphae comes from 습하다, which means humid or damp.

Koreans use “Seuphae!” to complain about the sticky, heavy air, especially during the monsoon season. It’s casual and common in daily talk.

오늘 습해
Oneul seuphae
Meaning: It’s humid today.

4. Mudeoweo – 무더워

Meaning: To be hot and humid (adjective/descriptive verb)

Mudeoweo describes weather that’s both hot and stuffy – it’s stronger than just “deoweo” (hot) because it includes that sticky, heavy air feeling too.

This comes from the adjective 무덥다 (mudeopda), but in conversation you’ll hear the casual form 무더워 (mudeoweo) or polite form 무더워요 (mudeowoyo).

People say “오늘 무더워!” when the heat and humidity together feel unbearable.

오늘 무더워
oneul mudeoweo
Meaning: It’s hot and humid today.

5. Bingsu – 빙수

Meaning: Shaved ice dessert

Bingsu is shaved ice with toppings like… sweet red beans, fruits, condensed milk, and even chocolate.

Korean cafes offer variations of bingsu during the summer.

6. Haebyeon – 해변

Meaning: Beach

This is the Korean word for beach… and it’s a good Korean summer word to know.

Koreans flock to the beaches during the summer.

Don’t we all.

7. Sonagi – 소나기

Meaning: Sudden summer rain shower

Sonagi is a brief, heavy rain that happens out of nowhere in summer.I

It’s also a poetic word in Korean literature.

8. Seonseonhada – 선선하다

Meaning: To be cool (weather)

This is perhaps an unlikely Korean summer word given how hot it gets…

But you’ll love yourself some coolness in the summer, right?

Seonseonhada describes weather that’s cool and refreshing. You can use it for early mornings or evenings in late summer and early autumn.

Koreans say 오늘 선선하다 to mean “It’s cool today” in a comfortable way.

오늘 선선해 — Oneul seonseonhae (casual spoken)
오늘 선선해요 — Oneul seonseonhaeyo (polite spoken)

9. Yeoreum Chukje – 여름 축제

Meaning: Summer festival

Yeoreum Chukje means summer festival, and Korea is packed with them. From mud festivals to music fests by the sea, locals and tourists gather to dance, eat, and beat the heat together.

10. Naengmyeon – 냉면

Meaning: Cold noodles

Naengmyeon is a cold dish of buckwheat noodles… in chilled broth along with meat and cucumbers.

It’s also a popular Korean dish for the summers.

11. Subak – 수박

Meaning: Watermelon

Who doesn’t love some subak?

In Korean summer culture, eating cold watermelon is almost as essential as turning on the air conditioner! I

Subak’s commonly served at Korean BBQ or enjoyed at the beach.

수박을 먹자
- Subageul meokja
- Let’s eat watermelon
차가운 수박
- chagaun subaek
- cold watermelon

12. Subak Hwachae – 수박 화채

Meaning: Watermelon punch

Watermelon punch is an amazing Korean summer drink!

화채 (hwachae) refers to traditional Korean fruit punches or beverages.

Subak Hwachae has become popular in recent years, especially among younger Koreans, and you’ll see it all over social media during the summer.

13. Aiseukeulim – 아이스크림

Meaning: ice cream

This is definitely a good Korean summer word to know,

Luckily, the pronunciation’s not too hard.

Some good phrases to know are…

아이스크림 좋아해!
- aiseukeulim joahae!
- I love ice cream!
아이스크림 먹고 싶어요
- aiseukeulim meokgo sipeoyo
- I want to eat ice cream

14. Sandeulbaram – 산들바람

Meaning: Gentle breeze

This is a beautiful Korean summer word!

It’s a compound word consiting of…

산들 sandeul – gently, softly
바람 baram – wind

15. Jangma – 장마

Meaning: Monsoon season / rainy season

Jangma is the name for the rainy period, usually late June to mid-July.

Similar to how Japan has a rainy season called “tsuyu.”

16. Gonggang – 공강

Meaning: Free time between classes

Students love Gonggang in summer. It’s the break between lectures, when they grab bingsu, iced coffee, or chill under a tree on campus lawns. Summer Gonggang vibes feel extra lazy and nice.

Korean Summer Phrases

17. Haebyeon gaja! – 해변 가자!

Meaning: Let’s go to the beach!

A good Korean summer phrase… if you want to invite your friends to go eat some watermelon (Subak) on the beach (Haebyeon).

18. Neomu deowoyo – 너무 더워요

Meaning: It’s too hot
More polite

This just another, more polite way to complain about the heat… but politely.

19. Deoweo jinjja! – 더워 진짜!

Meaning: It’s so hot! (casual)

This is a very casual way to complain about the heat. Jinjja means really — so you’re basically saying, “Really hot!” Friends say this constantly in July and August.