Korean Computer and Internet Vocabulary: Words and Examples

Korean Computer and Internet Vocabulary at a Glance

This list has 35 words in five groups of seven. It starts with the machines on a desk, moves to the files and programs inside them, then to the internet and websites, the accounts and security steps that Korean sites require, and ends with email and the words for fixing problems. It belongs to Technology and Internet and sits beside Korean Smartphone Vocabulary and Korean Technology and AI Vocabulary.

Most of these are nouns, and many become verbs with 하다, such as 저장하다 (save), 설치하다 (install), 검색하다 (search) and 로그인하다 (log in). A few are verbs in the sentences, such as 켜다 (turn on) and 누르다 (press). The next section picks the words to learn first.

Which Computer Words Should You Learn First?

Learn 컴퓨터 (computer), 인터넷 (internet), 와이파이 (Wi-Fi), 비밀번호 (password) and 파일 (file) first. These five let you ask about a connection, give a password and send a document. After that, add the hardware words 노트북, 키보드 and 마우스, and the login words 아이디 and 로그인.

• Words to say. 컴퓨터, 노트북, 인터넷, 와이파이, 비밀번호, 파일, 이메일. You use these in requests and short sentences.
• Words to recognise. 로그인, 아이디, 회원가입, 다운로드, 업데이트, 클릭, 링크. They are screen labels, so you read them rather than say them.
• Words to understand when spoken. 본인 인증, 공동인증서, 보안, 오류, 재부팅. A helpdesk or a bank clerk uses these when they guide you.

Many Korean sites ask for identity steps before you can use them, so the account and security words are worth learning early. Banks, shops and government services often need a verified account. For the single-word pages, see computer in korean, internet in korean, wifi in korean and laptop in korean.

Word · 10

1. 1

   컴퓨터

   Play

   keompyuteo

   computer

2. 2

   노트북

   Play

   noteubuk

   laptop

3. 3

   모니터

   Play

   moniteo

   monitor; computer screen

4. 4

   키보드

   Play

   kibodeu

   keyboard

5. 5

   마우스

   Play

   mauseu

   computer mouse

6. 6

   프린터

   Play

   peurinteo

   printer

7. 7

   웹캠

   Play

   wepkaem

   webcam

8. 8

   파일

   Play

   pail

   file

9. 9

   폴더

   Play

   poldeo

   folder

10. 10

    와이파이

    Play

    waipai

    Wi-Fi

Computers and Parts

Every word in this group is a loanword from English, written the way Korean hears it. They name the machine and the parts you touch. Because you can guess most of them from the English, they are the easiest group to start with.

Example Sentences

The sentences use three frames. The first is tool + (으)로 + object + verb, as in 컴퓨터로 숙제를 해요 (I do my homework on the computer), where 로 marks the tool. The second is subject + 이/가 + state, as in 모니터가 너무 커요 (the monitor is too big). The third is object + 을/를 + verb, as in 마우스를 오른쪽으로 움직여요 (I move the mouse to the right). After a vowel the object particle is 를 and the subject particle is 가, as in 마우스를 (after the vowel ㅡ). After a consonant they are 을 and 이, as in 노트북이. Say each sentence aloud after its clip. A request ends with 주세요, as in 웹캠을 켜 주세요, which means please turn it on.

Software and Files

These seven words describe what happens inside the machine: programs, files, folders and the actions of saving and installing. They are the words in menus and on error screens, so learning them lets you use a Korean computer without guessing.

The verbs for working with files are worth learning with the nouns. You open a file (파일을 열다), save it (저장하다), delete it (삭제하다), copy it (복사하다) and send it (보내다). The nouns on this list go with those verbs. The verb 열다 (open) is an ㄹ verb, and its polite form is 열어요. The verb 누르다 (press) is a 르 irregular, and its polite form is 눌러요, as in 버튼을 눌러요. These forms are explained in the 르 irregular lessons, if you want to see why the ending changes.

Typing the right key matters when you write these words. Korean keyboards use the 2-beolsik layout, and the keyboard layout page shows where each letter sits.

How Do You Say Internet and Website in Korean?

These seven words are the ones you meet when you go online: the network, the sites on it, the connection, the search and the links. 인터넷 and 웹사이트 are not the same thing, and the next section explains the difference.

Several of these words become verbs by adding 하다: 검색하다 (to search), 다운로드하다 (to download) and 접속하다 (to connect, not on this list). In speech, the verb often drops the object: 인터넷에서 검색해요 (I search on the internet). The place particle after the site is 에서 when an action happens there, as in 학교 홈페이지에서 확인해요, and 에 when you go there.

The three words for a website overlap. 웹사이트 is the neutral word, 홈페이지 is the usual word for an organisation's own site, and 사이트 is the short colloquial word. All three are understood by everyone. For the grammar of the place particle, see the 에서 particle.

How Do You Say Login and Password in Korean?

Korean sites protect accounts with several steps. These seven words are the labels you meet on a sign-up page, a bank site or a government service. Learning them lets you complete a form without a translation tool.

The steps usually follow one order. You sign up (회원가입), choose an ID (아이디) and a password (비밀번호), verify who you are (본인 인증), and then log in (로그인) each time. A bank adds a certificate (공동인증서) or its own app for extra security (보안). Knowing this order lets you predict the next button.

The certificate system has changed over the years. The older name 공인인증서 is still heard in conversation, but the current name is 공동인증서, and many services now offer other ways to verify who you are, such as an app or a phone check. Follow the instructions on the bank or service itself, because the choices differ between sites and change over time.

Email and Troubleshooting

The last group covers email, the click that starts most actions, and the words used when something goes wrong. These are the words a helpdesk uses, so you need to recognise them even if you do not say them.

When something goes wrong, the first answer is usually 재부팅 (restart). A helpdesk script runs: 오류가 났어요 (there is an error), 재부팅해 보세요 (try restarting), 업데이트하세요 (update), 백업하세요 (back up). Each phrase uses a noun from this list plus 하다. The ending -아/어 보세요 means try doing it, so 재부팅해 보세요 is try restarting.

Words such as 에러 (error), 리부팅 (rebooting) and 세이브 (save) are also loanwords from English. They are used in casual speech, but the words on this list are the standard forms on screens and in writing.

What Is the Difference between 인터넷, 웹사이트 and 홈페이지?

These three words are easy to mix up. 인터넷 is the network itself, 웹사이트 is a site on it, and 홈페이지 is the website of an organisation or a person. The easiest test is to ask whether you can go to it.

You connect to the internet (인터넷에 연결하다) but go to a website (웹사이트에 들어가다). When the connection fails, say 인터넷이 안 돼요, not 웹사이트가 안 돼요, which would mean the one site is down. The phrase 와이파이가 안 잡혀요 uses the verb 잡히다 (be caught), and it means the signal is not caught.

How Do You Switch between Hangul and English When Typing?

A Korean keyboard has a key labelled 한/영 (han/yeong), which toggles between Hangul and English input. It sits next to the space bar. Press it once to type Hangul, and press it again to type English. On many laptops and phones the same switch is a language key or a globe icon.

The 2-beolsik layout puts consonants on the left half of the keyboard and vowels on the right half. If your letters turn into English by mistake, you probably forgot to press 한/영. Learn the layout on the keyboard layout page, and set up your device on the device setup page.

How Do You Pronounce These Words?

Loanwords keep a simple sound but add a vowel ㅡ (eu) between English consonants. Sino-Korean words, such as 비밀번호 and 회원가입, mostly sound as they are spelled, as the table shows. Standard pronunciation follows the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) rules, and the romanization follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, which records some sound changes and ignores others.

Loanword vowels are the biggest source of error. Korean adds ㅡ (eu) to separate English consonants, so keyboard becomes 키보드 (ki-bo-deu) with three syllables, not two. The vowel ㅡ is unrounded: spread your lips and say a short, flat "uh" with your tongue back. Do not round the lips as for "oo". A second trap is the final 트 in 웹사이트 (wepsaiteu): say the ㅌ with a short ㅡ after it, and do not drop it the way English drops a final "t".

Audio and Slow Playback

Every headword and every example sentence has its own audio. The five clips below replay the trickiest words slowly. Play one, repeat it aloud, then play it again and compare.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Computer Words?

These five mistakes come up often with computer and internet words.

1. Calling a paper notebook 노트북. 노트북 is a laptop. A paper notebook is 공책 or 노트.
2. Saying 인터넷 for one website. 인터넷 is the whole network. A single site is a 웹사이트 or 홈페이지.
3. Leaving out the vowel ㅡ in loanwords. 키보드 has three syllables, ki-bo-deu. If you say "keyboard" in English rhythm, a Korean listener may not recognise it.
4. Mixing up 아이디 and 비밀번호. The ID is your public name, and the password is the secret. Forms ask for 아이디 first and 비밀번호 second.
5. Using 에 for where you search. You may hear 인터넷에 검색해요 in casual speech, but the safe form is 에서, which marks where an action happens: 인터넷에서 검색해요.

A habit that avoids most of these: learn each word with its verb. 컴퓨터를 켜요, 파일을 저장해요, 인터넷에서 검색해요. The verb tells you the particle, and the particle tells you the word's job.

Practice: Flashcards and Worksheet

Study in three steps. First, run the flashcard deck in recognition mode until you know each of the 35 words. Second, switch to listening mode and answer from the audio alone. Third, take the quiz. The deck covers all 35 words with audio, and your progress stays in your browser. The vocabulary flashcard decks page lists the other decks.

A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. For practice, sit at your own computer and say the word for each thing you can see and click: 모니터, 키보드, 마우스, 파일, 폴더. Saying the word while you touch the thing fixes both the word and the object.

Where to Go Next

After this page, continue with Korean Smartphone Vocabulary for phone words, or Korean Technology and AI Vocabulary for AI, data and start-up words. To learn to type these words, see the keyboard layout page. To return to the full set, go to Technology and Internet.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Say Laptop in Korean?

Laptop is 노트북 (noteubuk). It is a loanword from "notebook computer". A paper notebook is 공책, so 노트북 never means a paper one. A desktop computer is 데스크톱. The single-word page on laptop in korean gives more examples.

How Do You Pronounce 키보드 (kibodeu)?

Say ki-bo-deu, with three short syllables. The ㅡ in the last syllable is unrounded: keep your lips flat and relaxed, and do not round them for "oo". There is no sound change, so the spelling matches the sound. Press the audio button on this page for the normal and slow versions.

How Many Computer and Internet Words Should I Learn First?

Five first: 컴퓨터, 인터넷, 와이파이, 비밀번호 and 파일. At five new words a day, the whole list of 35 takes seven days plus review. Add 노트북, 키보드, 마우스, 아이디 and 로그인 on days two and three.

Where Can I Practise Computer and Internet Words with Flashcards?

Use the vocabulary flashcard decks. The deck for this page holds all 35 words with Hangul, romanization and audio, and it offers recognition and listening modes. Your progress stays in your browser, so return daily and review the cards you missed.

Is the Romanization on This Page Official?

It follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, which South Korea adopted on 7 July 2000 and whose rules the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) publishes. It is a learning aid and does not show every sound change, so rely on the Hangul and the audio.

Is There a Printable Worksheet for Computer and Internet Words?

A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. For practice, copy the tables on this page by hand or use the flashcard deck, which carries the same 35 words.

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