Dictionary — Entry No. 0592
추워
chuo · adjective
추워
chuo
[choo-WUH]
adjectivebeginner
Meaning
The casual, informal sentence-ending form of 춥다 (chupda), meaning ‘it’s cold’ in reference to weather or ambient temperature. Paired with 더워, these two words cover Korea’s famously dramatic seasonal swings. Like 더워, 추워 describes environmental cold — the air, the atmosphere — rather than the coldness of an object you can touch.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
EXO’s winter classic ‘First Snow’ (첫눈) is the unofficial soundtrack to every 추워 moment in Korea, played on repeat the instant the first snowflakes fall each December. ‘Winter Sonata’ (겨울연가) features bitterly cold snow-covered scenes at Nami Island that made the word 추워 synonymous with romantic longing for a generation of K-Drama fans. Winter K-pop seasons — December drops, holiday photobooks, year-end concerts — are when 추워 becomes one of the most-tagged words across fan communities.
Example Sentences
밖이 너무 추워.
Bakki neomu chuo.
It’s too cold outside. (the standard winter complaint; 밖 = outside)
추워서 코트 입었어.
Chuwoseo koteu ibeosseo.
I wore a coat because it’s cold. (추워서 = because it’s cold — the causal connector, parallel to 더워서)
손이 꽁꽁 얼 만큼 추워.
Soni kkongkkong eol mankeum chuo.
It’s so cold my hands are completely frozen. (꽁꽁 is an expressive onomatopoeia for being frozen stiff — vivid and very natural)
⚠️ Don’t use chuo when…
Don’t confuse 추워 (cold weather, ambient air) with 차가워 (chagawo, cold to the touch — like icy water or a cold hand). They are distinct and not interchangeable. For polite or formal speech, use 추워요 or 춥습니다.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Winter Sonata (겨울연가) — the iconic snowy Nami Island romance made 추워 synonymous with longing and bittersweet love, launching the Korean Wave across Asia
- K-Pop: EXO — First Snow (첫눈)
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.