How to Say What Someone Is Wearing in Korean: Colors and Clothing
Learn to describe clothing with colors in Korean using the verb 입다 and the particle 을/를. Build sentences like 'She wears a blue jacket' and ask what someone is wearing.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In Korean, describing what someone is wearing is different from describing their appearance. To say someone wears an item, you use the verb 입다 (ipda) meaning 'to wear' for clothing. The pattern is: person + subject particle + color + clothing item + object particle + 입다. For example, 'She wears a blue jacket' is 그녀는 파란 재킷을 입어요 (geunyeoneun paran jekiseul ibeoyo). This lesson teaches you the essential vocabulary for colors and clothing, and how to form simple sentences to describe outfits.
By the end, you can…
- name common colors in Korean.
- name basic clothing items in Korean.
- say what someone is wearing using the verb 입다.
- ask what someone is wearing.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
그녀는 파란 재킷을 입어요.
She wears a blue jacket.
geu-nyeo-neun pa-ran jae-kis-eul i-beo-yo
Use this pattern to describe what a female person is wearing. Replace 파란 (blue) and 재킷 (jacket) with other colors and clothing.
저는 빨간 티셔츠를 입어요.
I wear a red T-shirt.
jeo-neun ppal-gan ti-syeo-cheu-reul i-beo-yo
For 'I', use 저 (jeo) in polite speech. The object particle 를 (reul) attaches to 티셔츠 (T-shirt).
그는 검은 바지를 입어요.
He wears black pants.
geu-neun geo-meun ba-ji-reul i-beo-yo
For 'he', use 그 (geu). Note that 바지 (pants) is always plural in English but singular in Korean.
무엇을 입고 있어요?
What are you wearing?
mu-eo-seul ip-go i-sseo-yo
This is a polite way to ask what someone is wearing right now. The -고 있어요 form means 'is wearing' (present progressive).
그녀는 하얀 원피스를 입어요.
She wears a white dress.
geu-nyeo-neun ha-yan won-pi-seu-reul i-beo-yo
원피스 (wonpiseu) means 'dress'. Use 하얀 (hayan) for 'white'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic pattern is: [person] + 는/은 + [color] + [clothing] + 을/를 + 입다. The verb 입다 (ipda) means 'to wear' for clothing. For example, 'She wears a blue jacket' = 그녀는 파란 재킷을 입어요. Colors come before the clothing item, like adjectives in English. The object particle 을/를 marks the clothing item. Use 을 after a consonant and 를 after a vowel. For instance, 재킷 ends in a consonant (t), so use 을: 재킷을. 티셔츠 ends in a vowel (eu), so use 를: 티셔츠를. The verb stem 입- changes to 입어요 in the polite present tense.
When to use it
Use this pattern when you want to describe what someone is wearing. It is different from describing appearance (like tall, short, pretty). For example, to say 'She is pretty' you would say 그녀는 예뻐요 (geunyeoneun yeppeoyo), but to say 'She wears a pretty dress' you say 그녀는 예쁜 원피스를 입어요 (geunyeoneun yeppeun wonpiseureul ibeoyo). Also, use the progressive form -고 있어요 to emphasize that someone is wearing something right now: 그녀는 파란 재킷을 입고 있어요 (She is wearing a blue jacket). This is common when describing a photo or what you see.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
오늘 뭐 입었어요?
What did you wear today?o-neul mwo i-beo-sseo-yo저는 빨간 티셔츠와 검은 바지를 입었어요.
I wore a red T-shirt and black pants.jeo-neun ppal-gan ti-syeo-cheu-wa geo-meun ba-ji-reul i-beo-sseo-yo그 여자는 뭐를 입고 있어요?
What is that woman wearing?geu yeo-ja-neun mwo-reul ip-go i-sseo-yo그 여자는 하얀 원피스를 입고 있어요.
That woman is wearing a white dress.geu yeo-ja-neun ha-yan won-pi-seu-reul ip-go i-sseo-yoA little context goes a long way
In Korean, the verb 입다 is specifically for clothing worn on the torso and legs. For hats, use 쓰다 (sseuda); for glasses, use 쓰다 or 끼다 (kkida); for shoes, use 신다 (sinda). For example, 'wear a hat' is 모자를 쓰다 (mojareul sseuda). Also, when describing what someone wears, it's common to use the progressive form -고 있어요 to mean 'is wearing' at the moment. Politeness levels matter: use -어요 for polite informal, and -습니다 for formal. The subject particle 은/는 can be omitted in casual speech if the context is clear.
One thing to watch for
Using the wrong verb for clothing, like saying '모자를 입어요' for 'wear a hat'.
Try this instead: Use the appropriate verb for each item: 입다 for clothes, 쓰다 for hats, 신다 for shoes. For example, 'I wear a hat' is 모자를 써요 (mojareul sseoyo), not 모자를 입어요.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'She wears a black jacket' in Korean?
Show a sample answer
그녀는 검은 재킷을 입어요.
This follows the pattern: person + 는 + color + clothing + 을 + 입다. 검은 means 'black', 재킷 means 'jacket', and 입어요 is the polite present tense of 입다. You could also say 그녀는 검은 재킷을 입고 있어요 to emphasize she is wearing it now.
2What is the Korean word for 'pants'?
Show a sample answer
바지
바지 (baji) means 'pants' and is always singular in Korean, even though it refers to a pair. You can use it in sentences like 검은 바지를 입어요 (I wear black pants).
3Translate to Korean: 'What are you wearing?'
Show a sample answer
무엇을 입고 있어요?
This uses 무엇을 (what) + 입고 있어요 (are wearing). It's a polite way to ask. You could also say 뭐 입고 있어요? with the shortened 뭐 for 무엇을 in casual speech.
To describe clothing in Korean, use the pattern: person + 는 + color + clothing + 을/를 + 입다. Remember to use the correct verb for different items: 입다 for clothes, 쓰다 for hats, 신다 for shoes. Practice with common colors and clothing to build fluency.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Korean into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr