전자레인지(Microwave Oven) – Konglish Words #6

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With Explanation

When some new product is imported, it is usually called by its name in other languages. However, this is not always true with some words. 전자레인지 is the example. It means microwave oven in English.

It is hard to guess why microwave became 전자레인지 in Korean. I guess that it came from 가스레인지, gas range or gas stove. As 가스레인지 uses gas to heat up some food, 전자레인지 uses electricity to do so. Maybe, the creator of the word, 전자레인지, first thought about the word 가스레인지 and called it 전자레인지, because microwaves heat up foods, but uses electricity.

전자레인지 related phrases are 전자레인지를 돌리다(run microwave). 돌리다 means to turn something around. It is sometimes used to run some machines. As a matter of fact, the food inside microwave turns around, so it is easy to remember. 전자레인지에 넣다(put something into microwave).


남은 밥은 나중에 전자레인지에 데워 먹어야겠다.
I will eat the leftover rice after heating it up in the microwave.

전자레인지를 사고 나니까 없을 때는 어떻게 살았나 싶다.
After I bought the microwave, it makes me wonder how I lived without it.

전자레인지에 은박지를 넣으면 안 돼.
Do not put tin foil into microwaves.