In Korean, a Taekwondo belt is called a 띠 ti.
This is pronounced tee, like ‘tea’ (the drink), and not tai. The ‘t’ sound should also be pronounced tense.
띠 ti refers to a belt of any colour. To reference a specific colour of belt, add a colour adjective before it:
- 흰 띠 huin ti – white belt
- 파란 띠 paran ti – blue belt
- 검은 띠 gomun ti – black belt
What should you not say?
Do not call a Taekwondo belt an obi. This is a Japanese term that’s used in Karate to refer to the belt. In Taekwondo only Korean terms should be used.
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Want to learn more?
If you'd like to learn more about the Korean terminology used in Taekwondo, consider buying this book: Taekwondo Terminology. It contains an extensive dictionary of terms used in Taekwondo, as well as explanations on how to pronounce Korean words, and aspects of Korean grammar.
