How to Say "Turn off the light" in Korean | Korean Expression

Quick Answer: "Turn off the light" in Korean is "불을 꺼요." (buleul kkeoyo.). Level: A1.

Curious how Koreans express "Turn off the light"? The answer is "불을 꺼요.". This natural expression is great for daily conversation practice.

Category: 빛

What does "Turn off the light" mean in Korean?

The Korean sentence "불을 꺼요." translates to "Turn off the light." in English. "불을 꺼요." is a gentle, storybook-style way of saying "turn off the light". The "-요" ending gives it a polite, everyday tone — exactly how you would speak to a friend's parent or a shopkeeper.

Pronunciation guide: buleul kkeoyo.

Korean Sentence Structure Breakdown

Korean follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order, which is different from English (SVO). In "불을 꺼요.", the verb comes at the end of the sentence. Here is the word-by-word breakdown: • 불을 (buleul) • 꺼요 (kkeoyo)

Count the particles in this sentence. Each one (은, 를, 에, 에서, etc.) is a signpost telling you exactly how that word relates to the verb.

Why This Korean Expression Sounds Natural

English might express "Turn off the light" with emphasis or exclamation marks. Korean achieves the same emotional weight through verb endings and particles — quieter tools, but equally powerful.

Cultural Insight

한국 전통 건축에서 빛은 중요한 요소예요. 한옥의 창호지 문은 햇빛을 은은하게 걸러주어 방 안에 부드러운 빛을 만들어냅니다.

Examples

불을 꺼요. — buleul kkeoyo. — Turn off the light.

불을 꺼요? — buleul kkeoyo? — Turn off the light?

저녁에 불을 꺼요. — jeonyeoke buleul kkeoyo. — In the evening, turn off the light.

Quiz

How do you say "Turn off the light" in Korean?

The correct Korean translation is "불을 꺼요.". buleul kkeoyo.

Fill in the blank: 불을 ___

The correct ending is "꺼요". The polite -요 form is essential for everyday Korean conversation.