How to Read Korean Soup Names: Guk, Tang, Jjigae and Jeongol

Four endings appear again and again on Korean menus: guk, tang, jjigae and jeongol. In the Korean Food Promotion Institute’s official English notation, guk is generally rendered as Soup, jjigae as Stew and jeongol as Hot Pot. Tang may appear as Soup or Stew, and it is also found in the names of dishes that are not soups.

These endings are useful clues, but they do not tell you everything about the broth, spice level, portion or serving style. When a name is unfamiliar, check the full menu description or photograph instead of relying on the final syllable alone.

What the endings tell you

Guk (국)
Official English notation renders it as Soup. It often appears after the main ingredient, as in miyeok-guk or kongnamul-guk.
Tang (탕)
It may be translated as Soup or Stew, but there are exceptions. Do not assume that every dish ending in tang contains broth.
Jjigae (찌개)
Official notation renders it as Stew. Common examples include doenjang-jjigae, kimchi-jjigae and sundubu-jjigae.
Jeongol (전골)
Official notation renders it as Hot Pot. Check the minimum order and serving size separately.

Guk, jjigae and jeongol have clearer English labels

In the official notation, dishes ending in guk are rendered as Soup, those ending in jjigae as Stew, and those ending in jeongol as Hot Pot.

Korean menu name	Official English example
된장국 doenjang-guk	Soybean Paste Soup
된장찌개 doenjang-jjigae	Soybean Paste Stew
김치찌개 kimchi-jjigae	Kimchi Stew
김치전골 kimchi-jeongol	Kimchi Hot Pot
순두부찌개 sundubu-jjigae	Soft Bean Curd Stew
순두부전골 sundubu-jeongol	Soft Bean Curd Hot Pot

The main ingredient may stay the same while the ending changes the English category. Doenjang-guk and doenjang-jjigae, for example, both contain soybean paste but appear as Soup and Stew.

The English category does not guarantee a particular thickness or portion. A jeongol may be available for one person at one restaurant and require a shared order at another. Check the serving size and whether rice is included before ordering.

Tang needs a second look

Tang is the least predictable of the four endings. The official notation renders some tang dishes as Soup and others as Stew. The ending also appears in goguma-mattang and dak-bokkeum-tang, neither of which is a soup.

Dish	Official English
동태탕 dongtae-tang	Pollack Soup
동태찌개 dongtae-jjigae	Pollack Stew
갈낙탕 galnak-tang	Short Rib and Octopus Soup
갈낙전골 galnak-jeongol	Short Rib and Octopus Hot Pot
고구마맛탕 goguma-mattang	Deep-fried and Sugar Glazed Sweet Potatoes
닭볶음탕 dak-bokkeum-tang	Spicy Braised Chicken

When you meet an unfamiliar tang, do not assume that it is a bowl of soup. Look for a menu photograph or English description. If neither is available, these questions will help:

Gungmul isseoyo? (국물 있어요?) — Does it have broth?
Maewoyo? (매워요?) — Is it spicy?
Bap poham-ieyo? (밥 포함이에요?) — Is rice included?
Myeot inbun-ieyo? (몇 인분이에요?) — How many people is this for?

These answers are usually more useful than trying to infer the whole dish from its final syllable.

Yonggeumok’s sign reads 서울식 추탕, or Seoul-style chutang. The official notation list uses the name chueotang.

Seefooddiet (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

The sign at Tosokchon Samgyetang combines the restaurant name with the dish name, which can make the boundary between the two unclear to a first-time visitor.

Jeon Han / Republic of Korea (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Mom-guk at Sinseoloreum. Although the name ends in guk, the softened mojaban seaweed gives it a thicker appearance than a clear soup.

공석배 (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0)

The sign and the search result may use different spellings

Older restaurant signs and menus may use spellings that differ from the official notation list. Common examples include seolnongtang and seolleongtang, chutang and chueotang, and agutang and agwitung.

The sign at Imun Seolnongtang uses 설농탕, while the official notation list uses 설렁탕. Yonggeumok writes 서울식 추탕 on its sign, while the official list carries 추어탕.

This does not mean that the restaurant sign is wrong. A long-established house name, an older spelling and a standardised menu term may simply be different. If a map or translation app cannot find the name in front of you:

Search the complete Korean name from the sign.
Try separating the restaurant name from the dish name.
Check an alternative spelling such as 설농탕 → 설렁탕, 추탕 → 추어탕 or 아구탕 → 아귀탕.
Compare the address and map position before deciding that two results are the same place.

A similar name alone is not enough to identify a restaurant or attach a photograph to it. Check the address and shopfront as well.

When ordering a soup or hot-pot dish, look beyond the ending and check the main ingredient, spice level and serving size.

For a soup to eat with rice, look for 국 and Soup together.
Even with a familiar jjigae, check the spice level and whether rice is included.
Jeongol is often served in a pot at the table, but the minimum order differs by restaurant.
Tang varies widely, so check the photograph or description first.
If the translated name is unclear, showing the original Korean menu name is often quicker than trying another translation.

Two dishes can also share the same official English name. Dongtae-tang and saengtae-tang are both rendered as Pollack Soup, while dongtae-jjigae and saengtae-jjigae both appear as Pollack Stew.

You do not need to decode every part of the name. Confirming whether the dish has broth, whether it is spicy, how many people it serves and whether rice is included will usually give you enough information to order.

Restaurants mentioned in this guide

A quick way to read the menu

Check whether the name ends in guk, tang, jjigae or jeongol.
Look at the ingredient named before the ending.
Use the photograph or description to check for broth and spice.
Ask the serving size for jeongol or another large-pot dish.
If a name is hard to search, try another spelling and compare the address.

The ending is a starting point, not a complete description of what will arrive.

Official English and restaurant English may differ

The Korean Food Promotion Institute’s notation is a useful reference, but restaurants do not always use the same English wording.

The labels Soup, Stew and Hot Pot also do not tell you the exact thickness, spice level, portion or ordering rules. When a translation is unclear, keep the Korean name visible and ask the restaurant for the information you need.

The restaurants in this guide are included as examples of names and signs. They are not ranked by taste or popularity.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between guk and tang?

Official English notation renders guk as Soup, while tang may appear as Soup or Stew. Tang is also used in the names of dishes such as goguma-mattang and dak-bokkeum-tang, which are not soups, so check the full menu name and description.

How are jjigae and jeongol translated?

The official notation renders jjigae as Stew and jeongol as Hot Pot. The ending does not tell you the serving size or whether rice is included, so check those details separately.

Does every dish ending in tang contain broth?

No. Goguma-mattang is deep-fried sweet potato coated in a sweet glaze, and dak-bokkeum-tang is spicy braised chicken. Check a photograph or description when the dish is unfamiliar.

Are seolnongtang and seolleongtang different dishes?

You may see both spellings on restaurant signs and menus. The official notation list uses 설렁탕, while long-established restaurants such as Imun Seolnongtang use 설농탕 in their name. Try both spellings when searching.

What should I ask if I cannot understand the menu name?

Ask Gungmul isseoyo? for broth, Maewoyo? for spice, Bap poham-ieyo? for rice and Myeot inbun-ieyo? for the serving size.