Culture — Entry No. 0432
떡국
tteokguk · noun
떡국
tteokguk
[DDUCK-gook]
nounbeginner
Meaning
A traditional Korean soup of sliced oval rice cakes simmered in clear beef broth, eaten on Seollal (Korean Lunar New Year). Consuming a bowl is believed to grant one year of age and good fortune — making it one of the most ritually significant dishes in Korean food culture.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
In K-Drama ‘Signal,’ a New Year’s scene centered on tteokguk carries the series’ signature bittersweet longing for time and family. BTS members have shared Seollal greetings on Weverse mentioning tteokguk, turning the soup into a recurring cultural touchpoint between the group and global ARMY.
Example Sentences
설날에는 꼭 떡국을 먹어야 해요.
Seollare neun kkok tteokgugeul meogeoya haeyo.
You must eat tteokguk on Seollal. (꼭 = ‘without fail’ — stresses the obligatory, ritual nature of the dish)
떡국 한 그릇 먹으면 나이를 한 살 더 먹는대요.
Tteokguk han geuseut meogeuomyeon naireul han sal deo meokneundaeyo.
They say eating one bowl of tteokguk makes you one year older. (the folk belief often explained to non-Korean friends)
올해도 떡국 맛있게 드세요!
Olhaedo tteokguk masitge deuseyo!
Enjoy your tteokguk this year too! (a warm New Year’s greeting — interchangeable with 새해 복 많이 받으세요 in casual contexts)
⚠️ Don’t use tteokguk when…
The initial ‘tteok’ uses a tense double-stop consonant with no clean English equivalent — English speakers often soften it to a plain ‘d,’ which sounds noticeably off. Also, while tteokguk is deeply tied to New Year’s, Koreans enjoy it year-round; the age-gaining symbolism applies specifically to the Seollal bowl.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Signal — characters share tteokguk on New Year’s Day in a scene that crystallizes the drama’s themes of lost time and yearning for the past
- K-Pop: BTS — members have posted Seollal messages on Weverse referencing tteokguk, with fans worldwide joining in by cooking the soup and sharing photos
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.