How to say “Kiss” in Korean
- 뽀뽀ppoppo
Kiss (a peck)
"Kiss" in Korean is 뽀뽀 (ppoppo) for a quick, sweet peck, or 키스 (kiseu) for a romantic kiss. To say "to kiss", add 하다: 뽀뽀하다 (ppoppohada) or 키스하다 (kiseuhada).
Ways to say it
| Korean | Level | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 뽀뽀 ppoppo | Any | A light peck. Used between couples, and with children and family. Cute and playful. |
| 키스 kiseu | Any | A romantic kiss on the lips, from English. More serious than 뽀뽀. |
| 뽀뽀해 줘 ppoppohae jwo | Casual | "Give me a kiss." Playful, between partners or to a small child. |
| 입맞춤 immatchum | Formal | A literary word for kiss. You will see it in novels, poems and news, rarely in conversation. |
Examples
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Asking a partner for a kiss
Talking about a drama scene
Telling a friend what happened
Tips
뽀뽀 comes from the sound of a little kiss, so it feels cute. Parents ask their kids for a 뽀뽀, and couples use it too. 키스 suggests a real romantic kiss.
Pronounce the ㅃ in 뽀뽀 as a tense p with no puff of air, closer to "bbo-bbo" than "po-po".
Public kissing is less common in Korea than in many Western countries, so a 뽀뽀 in public is usually quick.
More on 뽀뽀 in our Korean phrase guides.
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between ppoppo and kiseu?
뽀뽀 (ppoppo) is a quick peck, used with partners, children and family. 키스 (kiseu) is a romantic kiss.
How do you say kiss me in Korean?
Say 뽀뽀해 줘 (ppoppohae jwo) for a playful "Kiss me", or 키스해 줘 (kiseuhae jwo) for a romantic one.