hanbok means the traditional Korean dress, often characterized by vibrant colours and simple lines without pockets.
Why “hanbok” is a great word
The traditional Korean dress, often characterized by vibrant colors and simple lines without pockets. Borrowed from Korean 대한민국 (hanbok), from 한 (han, "Korean") + 복 (bok, "clothing"), literally "Korean clothing"; first recorded in English 1970–75. Unlike Cheoson-ot, which marks a political and linguistic division from north of a divided peninsula, or Hanfu, which belongs to a different sartorial lineage altogether, hanbok asserts a distinct cultural form. It is the crisp geometry of a jeogori jacket against a full chima skirt, the startling cerulean or deep crimson of silk against bare wood, and the soft rustle of fabric that accompanies a traditional bow. In its elegant simplicity lies a whole aesthetic and social order.
Etymology
Borrowed from Korean 한복(韓服) (hanbok, literally “Korean clothing”).
noun
- The traditional Korean dress, often characterized by vibrant colours and simple lines without pockets.e.g.“The Chinese embassy in Seoul defended the decision to include a participant wearing hanbok, describing her as a representative of the country’s dozens of ethnic groups.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- hanfu 84% match — traditional Han Chinese clothing vs hanbok →
- qipao 82% match — A traditional one-piece dress worn by Chinese women. vs hanbok →
- pansori 78% match — A traditional Korean style of narrative song, in which a single performer is accompanied by a drummer. vs hanbok →
- songket 78% match — A type of cloth made of silk or cotton interwoven with metallic threads which form intricate patterns and motifs. vs hanbok →
- pinafore 78% match — A sleeveless dress, often similar to an apron, generally worn over other clothes, and most often worn by young girls as an overdress. vs hanbok →
- vyshyvanka 78% match — Traditional Ukrainian and Belarusian clothing, featuring elements of Ukrainian and Belarusian ethnic embroidery. vs hanbok →
- sanjo 78% match — a genre of traditional Korean instrumental music vs hanbok →
- hyangga 78% match — A form of ancient Korean poetry written using hyangchal. vs hanbok →