How to say “thunderstorm” in Korean
3 phrases · Tourist, Learner, and Local levels · with pronunciation
천둥 쳐요.
🔊 Cheon-dung cheo-yo
Literally: “Thunder strikes.”
💡 Simple verb
천둥번개가 치고 있어서 무서워요.
🔊 Cheon-dung-beon-gae-ga chi-go i-sseo-seo mu-seo-wo-yo
Literally: “Thunder and lightning are striking, it's scary.”
💡 무섭다 = scary, honest reaction
번개가 번쩍번쩍, 천둥이 우르르 울리는데 심장 쫄깃하네!
🔊 Beon-gae-ga beon-jjeok-beon-jjeok, cheon-dung-i u-reu-reu ul-li-neun-de sim-jang jjol-git-ha-ne!
Literally: “Lightning flashing flash-flash, thunder rumbling boom-boom, my heart is clenched tight!”
💡 번쩍번쩍/우르르 = lightning/thunder onomatopoeia; 쫄깃하다 = tensely gripped, slang
About these Korean phrases
These Korean weather phrases cover three levels of fluency for expressing thunderstorm conditions. The Tourist phrase is what any beginner can use immediately. The Learner phrase sounds natural in everyday conversation. The Local phrase uses authentic idioms and expressions that native speakers actually use — the kind of phrase that makes locals smile when they hear a foreigner use it.
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