What Does 삼겹살 (Samgyeopsal) Mean in Korean?
Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers
Published · Updated · How we write & review
After this page, you can order and eat 삼겹살 (samgyeopsal) at a Korean BBQ restaurant the way locals do.
10-second answer
What does Samgyeopsal mean?
삼겹살 (samgyeopsal) is grilled pork belly, one of Korea's most popular foods — literally "three-layer flesh," referring to the alternating layers of meat and fat. It's cooked at the table on a grill and eaten wrapped in lettuce with garlic, ssamjang (sauce), and rice — a social, hands-on meal built for sharing.
Quick check — did that land?
1. What does 삼겹살 literally mean?
Why is it called 삼겹살?
Quick Examples
오늘 삼겹살 먹으러 갈까?
oneul samgyeopsal meogeureo galkka?
Want to go get samgyeopsal today?
삼겹살에 소주 한잔!
samgyeopsal-e soju hanjan!
Samgyeopsal with a shot of soju!
One of Korea's most classic food-drink pairings — see 치맥 for its beer/chicken cousin.
A note on spelling. The official romanization of 삼겹살 is samgyeopsal, but you'll see the word written many ways: samgyupsal, samgyopsal, samgyeobsal or samgyubsal. They're all the same word.
See also: 반찬 (banchan) meaning
How the Meal Actually Works
- Raw pork belly slices grill directly on a tabletop grill, often turned by staff or the most senior/eager person at the table
- Cut into bite-sized pieces with scissors (a normal, expected kitchen tool at Korean BBQ)
- Wrapped in lettuce or perilla leaf (상추/깻잎) with garlic, sauce (쌈장), and sometimes rice — this wrap is called 쌈
- Shared communally, cooked and eaten gradually over a long, social meal — not a quick individual plate
The word Koreans use for the rich, nutty taste of grilled pork fat is 고소하다 — more in Korean taste words.
Thick Slabs on the Grill: 삼겹살 and 목살 Together
Not every restaurant serves samgyeopsal as thin slices. Some bring it out in thick slabs, and many places serve 삼겹살 (pork belly) and 목살 (moksal, pork neck) together — people often order both. At places like this, a staff member often does the grilling for you: they sear the thick pieces first, then — once the outside is cooked — cut them into bite-sized pieces with scissors and tongs and let them finish on the grill. Your job is just to wait and then wrap.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 삼겹살 | samgyeopsal | Pork belly — "three-layer flesh," for its stripes of fat and meat |
| 목살 | moksal | Pork neck/shoulder — leaner, the other favorite grilled cut |
| 구운 마늘 | guun maneul | Grilled garlic — put it in your wrap |
삼겹살 2인분이랑 목살 1인분 주세요.
samgyeopsal i-inbunirang moksal il-inbun juseyo.
Two portions of pork belly and one of pork neck, please.
Grilled meat is ordered by 인분 (servings) — see ordering food in Korean.
Why It's a Social Dish
Because everyone shares the same grill and takes turns wrapping and eating, samgyeopsal is a classic 회식 (company dinner) and friend-group meal — the shared cooking process itself is part of the social bonding, tying directly into the group-first, shared-plate dining culture covered on the etiquette page.
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Trying to eat it plain like Western bacon
The full experience is the wrap — lettuce, garlic, sauce, and often rice together, not the meat alone.
Mistake #2 — Flipping the meat constantly
Let each side cook properly before flipping — over-flipping is a classic tell of an inexperienced griller at the table.
Mini Quiz
2 short questions — about 1 minute
2. What is 쌈?
3. Why is samgyeopsal considered a social dish?
Related Knowledge
Learn Next
Samgyeopsal's constant companion — Korea's signature spirit and the etiquette around it.
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