How Do You Say Coca-Cola in Korean?
10-Second Answer
Coca-Cola is 코카콜라 (kokakolla) in Korean — one of the more minimally altered brand names on this list. Because its syllables (ko-ka-ko-la) already have a clean consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel pattern, it needs almost none of the vowel-insertion gymnastics that words like Starbucks require.
Sound by Sound
Every syllable in "Coca-Cola" already alternates consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel — exactly the shape Korean syllables like best. The only real adjustment is the "l" sound in the middle, which becomes ㄹ, doubled slightly in feel (콜라) but still close to the original.
Why This One Barely Changes
Compare this to Starbucks, which needed FOUR syllables from an English word with consonant clusters (str-, -cks). Coca-Cola already avoided clusters in the first place — proof that the Konglish "rules" aren't really about mangling English, they're about fitting words into Korean's syllable shape, and words that already fit need little to no adjustment.
Quick Examples
코카콜라 하나 주세요.
kokakolla hana juseyo.
One Coca-Cola, please.
콜라 있어요?
kolla isseoyo?
Do you have cola?
콜라 (kolla) alone is the general Korean word for "cola," used for any brand, not just Coca-Cola specifically.
콜라: A Generic Word, Like 버거
Just as 버거 became the general word for "burger" (not just Burger King's), 콜라 works the same way — it means "cola" generically. 사이다 (cider) is Korea's other major clear soda category, worth knowing as a contrast: it does NOT mean apple cider like in English, but a lemon-lime flavored soda closer to Sprite.
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Assuming every loanword gets heavily distorted
Coca-Cola is a good reminder that some words barely change — the amount of adjustment depends entirely on how well the original syllables already fit Korean's shape.
Mistake #2 — Confusing 사이다 with apple cider
Unrelated to English "cider" — 사이다 in Korea means a Sprite-like clear lemon-lime soda.
Mini Quiz
1. Why does "Coca-Cola" need so little adjustment when borrowed into Korean?
2. What does 콜라 mean generically?
3. What does 사이다 mean in Korean?
Related Knowledge
Learn Next
How Do You Say Pizza Hut in Korean?
Another food brand — see the batchim rule in action again with a short, punchy final word.
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Start today's study →Last updated: 2026-08-10 · Written and reviewed by a native Korean speaker.