Seasons and seasonal terms

Spring is 봄 (bom), summer 여름 (yeoreum), autumn 가을 (gaeul) and winter 겨울 (gyeoul). Korea has fairly distinct seasons, so there are many season-related expressions. One example is 가을을 타다 (gaeureul tada), literally "to ride autumn," which means feeling wistful or lonely when fall arrives.

절기 (jeolgi) are the 24 solar terms that divide the year according to the sun's movement, known as 24절기 (isipsa jeolgi). A new term begins each time the sun's position on the ecliptic moves 15 degrees, so they come roughly every two weeks. They are printed small on Korean calendars and often mentioned in weather reports.

입춘 (ipchun) is the solar term marking the start of spring, usually around February 4. A traditional custom is to post phrases like 입춘대길 (ipchundaegil, 立春大吉), "great fortune as spring begins," on gates or pillars to wish for a lucky year. Since it is often still cold, people also talk about 입춘 추위, the ipchun chill.

It is 경칩 (gyeongchip), usually around March 5 or 6. The name refers to frogs and insects waking from winter hibernation and starting to stir. Because it is when the weather begins to soften, news reports often mention gyeongchip along with the first signs of spring, such as early blossoms.

They are 춘분 (chunbun), the spring equinox, and 추분 (chubun), the autumn equinox. Chunbun usually falls around March 20 or 21, and chubun around September 22 or 23. After chunbun the days keep getting longer, and after chubun the nights grow longer instead, as the season turns toward winter.

The longest day is 하지 (haji), the summer solstice, around June 21. The longest night is 동지 (dongji), the winter solstice, around December 22. The real heat of summer starts building around haji, while the cold deepens around dongji. The exact date can shift by a day from year to year.

On 동지 (dongji), the winter solstice, Koreans traditionally eat 팥죽 (patjuk), red bean porridge. The custom is said to come from the belief that the red color drives away bad spirits. The porridge holds chewy rice balls called 새알심 (saealsim), and folk tradition says eating it makes you a year older. Many shops sell patjuk around the solstice.

The hottest stretch of summer is called 삼복 (sambok), made up of three 복날 (boknal): chobok, jungbok and malbok. Chobok and jungbok are the third and fourth gyeong days on the traditional calendar after the summer solstice, and malbok is the first gyeong day after ipchu. People eat warm, nourishing dishes like samgyetang to beat the heat.

It is 꽃샘추위 (kkotsaemchuwi), literally "cold that is jealous of flowers." It describes a sudden chill in early spring, as if winter envies the blossoms. When the weather warms and then turns cold again in March or early April, forecasters say 꽃샘추위가 찾아왔다, "a spring cold snap has arrived," and coats come back out.

환절기 (hwanjeolgi) means the transition between seasons. Because temperatures swing widely between day and night, it is seen as a time when colds are common, so people often say 환절기 감기 조심하세요 (hwanjeolgi gamgi josimhaseyo), "Watch out for colds as the seasons change." It is a caring line in messages and on broadcasts.

단풍 (danpung) means autumn leaves turning red and yellow, and 단풍놀이 (danpungnori) is going to the mountains or parks to enjoy them. In fall, news reports even forecast when the colors will peak in each region. The spring version is 꽃놀이 (kkonnori), flower viewing, or 벚꽃놀이 (beotkkonnori) for cherry blossoms.

첫눈 (cheonnun) is the first snowfall of the winter. Koreans have many romantic notions about it, such as meeting someone you love or making a wish on that day, so dramas often stage confessions and reunions in the first snow. The promise 첫눈 오면 만나자 (cheonnun omyeon mannaja), "Let's meet when the first snow falls," is a classic line.

김장 (gimjang) is making a large batch of kimchi at once to last through winter. Families and neighbors gather to make it together and share it, and this tradition was inscribed in 2013 on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as "Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi." It usually takes place in late autumn or early winter.

입 (ip, 立) means "to stand" or "to begin," so these four terms mark the start of each season: 입춘 (ipchun) spring, 입하 (ipha) summer, 입추 (ipchu) autumn and 입동 (ipdong) winter. Since they follow the solar calendar rather than actual weather, you will often hear complaints like 입추인데도 덥다, "It's ipchu, but it's still hot."

Yes. 처서 (cheoseo), around August 23, is the solar term meaning "heat subsides." A traditional saying goes 처서가 지나면 모기 입이 비뚤어진다, "after cheoseo, mosquitoes' mouths get crooked," meaning the cooler air makes mosquitoes lose their bite. Real weather varies, though, and some years stay hot well past cheoseo.

삼한사온 (samhansaon) means "three cold days, four warm days," a repeating pattern long used to describe Korean winter weather. In reality, the cycle often does not hold, so recent news reports frequently say the pattern is unclear this year. It is still a common word for talking about how cold spells come and go in winter.

열대야 (yeoldaeya), "tropical night," is a night so warm it is hard to sleep. By the Korea Meteorological Administration's standard, it is a night when the lowest temperature from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. the next morning stays at 25 degrees Celsius or higher. In midsummer you will often hear 열대야가 이어지고 있다, "tropical nights continue."

천고마비 (cheongomabi, 天高馬肥) means "the sky is high and horses grow fat," describing clear skies and the abundance of autumn. Because fall weather is pleasant and food is plentiful, Koreans also call it the season of reading and the season of appetite. You will see these phrases often in autumn news and ads.

무더위 (mudeowi) is muggy, humid heat, while 불볕더위 (bulbyeotdeowi) is scorching heat from blazing sun. 찜통더위 (jjimtongdeowi), "steamer heat," is another common word. Extreme heat is called 폭염 (pogyeom) in the news, usually with advice to drink plenty of water and limit outdoor activity in the middle of the day.

Opening a message or letter with a seasonal greeting sounds warm. Try 따뜻한 봄날 잘 지내세요, "Have a lovely warm spring," 무더위에 건강 조심하세요, "Stay healthy in the heat," 선선한 가을 잘 보내세요, "Enjoy the cool autumn," or 추운 날씨에 감기 조심하세요, "Don't catch a cold in this weather." They work well in fan letters too.