과자 vs 간식

“snack”: 과자 or 간식?

Source-verified September 7, 2026. AI-assisted and checked against NIKL dictionary sources.

The quick answer

과자 is a food type. 간식 is a between-meal role.

과자

A baked or fried flour- or rice-based snack.

승규는 과자를 좋아해서 매일 간식으로 사 먹는다.

Seunggyu likes snack foods, so he buys and eats them as a snack every day.

간식

Light food eaten between meals.

나는 밥을 조금 먹는 대신 중간에 간식을 자주 먹는 편이다.

I tend to eat small meals and have snacks often in between.

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Sources and method

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Source examples are adapted from the National Institute of Korean Language's Korean-English Learners' Dictionary under its Attribution-ShareAlike terms.

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