Korean Technology and AI Vocabulary: Word List with Audio and Examples

Korean Technology and AI Vocabulary at a Glance

This list has 35 words in five groups of seven. It starts with the core AI terms, then the data and software they run on, then the robots and devices that use them, then the people and companies that build them, and ends with the words for rules, rights and risks. It belongs to Technology and Internet and follows Korean Computer and Internet Vocabulary.

Most are nouns, and many take 하다 or 되다 to become verbs, such as 자동화되다 (be automated), 투자하다 (invest) and 연구하다 (research). The words come from two sources. Sino-Korean words, such as 지능, 기술 and 정보, are built from short parts. Loanwords, such as 로봇, 센서 and 클라우드, are written the way Korean hears the English word. News reports use both kinds.

Which Technology and AI Words Should You Learn First?

Learn 인공지능 (artificial intelligence), 데이터 (data), 기술 (technology), 로봇 (robot) and 정보 (information) first. These five appear in almost every news report and class on technology, and the rest of the list builds on them. After them, add 알고리즘, 개발자 and 개인정보.

• Words to say. 인공지능, 데이터, 기술, 로봇, 정보, 개발자. You use them when you talk about work, study or the news.
• Words to recognise. 알고리즘, 소프트웨어, 클라우드, 센서, 스타트업, 투자. They appear in headlines and on company pages.
• Words to understand when spoken. 윤리, 규제, 저작권, 딥페이크, 편향. A debate, a lecture or a news anchor uses these.

The vocabulary on this page changes quickly, because new tools appear all the time. The core words stay the same, while the brand names and new terms change, so learn the core words first. For the single-word answer, see technology in korean.

Word · 12

1. 1

   인공지능

   Play

   ingongjineung

   artificial intelligence (AI)

2. 2

   알고리즘

   Play

   algorijeum

   algorithm

3. 3

   데이터

   Play

   deiteo

   data

4. 4

   클라우드

   Play

   keullaudeu

   cloud (computing)

5. 5

   로봇

   Play

   robot

   robot

6. 6

   센서

   Play

   senseo

   sensor

7. 7

   드론

   Play

   deuron

   drone

8. 8

   자율주행

   Play

   jayuljuhaeng

   self-driving; autonomous driving

9. 9

   가상현실

   Play

   gasanghyeonsil

   virtual reality

10. 10

    개발자

    Play

    gaebalja

    developer; software developer

11. 11

    스타트업

    Play

    seutateueop

    start-up

12. 12

    저작권

    Play

    jeojakgwon

    copyright

How Do You Say Artificial Intelligence in Korean?

These seven words are the core of any conversation about AI. The first three name the field, and the last four name how it works: the rules, the learning, the chatbot and the output. Several are built from the same Sino-Korean parts, so you can reuse what you learn.

Example Sentences

The sentences use three frames. The first is subject + 이/가 + object + 을/를 + verb, as in 컴퓨터가 데이터를 학습해요 (the computer learns from data). The second is subject + 은/는 + object + 을/를 + verb, as in 이 알고리즘은 사진을 분류해요, where 은 marks the topic. The third is target + 에 + verb, as in 챗봇에 질문했어요, where 에 marks the one you ask. After a vowel the subject particle is 가, and after a consonant it is 이: 컴퓨터가, 인공지능이. Say each sentence aloud after its clip.

The verb 도와주다 (help) is a compound verb. Its polite form is 도와줘요, as in 인공지능이 번역을 도와줘요. The long form is 도와주어요, but the short form 도와줘요 is what people say.

Data and Software

These seven words name the things that AI and other systems run on: the data, the software, the storage and the technology itself. They are loanwords or short Sino-Korean words, and they appear on every company page and in every news report on technology.

The difference between 데이터 and 정보 is worth knowing. 데이터 is the raw material, such as a list of numbers, and 정보 is what you learn from it. A shop's sales figures are 데이터, and the fact that more people buy on Friday is 정보. In everyday talk the line between them is loose, but technical writing keeps them apart, and a report may use both in the same sentence.

The word 기술 has two meanings. It can mean technology, as in 정보 기술 (information technology), or a skill, as in 요리 기술 (cooking skill). The sentence tells you which. The related word 기술자 means an engineer or a technician.

How Do You Say Robot and Drone in Korean?

Robots and devices are the machines that do jobs without a person's help. These seven words cover the machine, the idea of automation, the sensor that gives it information, and the new devices: drones, self-driving cars and virtual reality. Most are loanwords.

Several words here make longer terms by joining with a noun. 로봇 + 청소기 gives a robot vacuum, 스마트 + 시계 gives a smartwatch, and 자율주행 + 자동차 gives a self-driving car. Korean noun phrases are put together in this way, so one new word can open many phrases.

The sentence 가상현실 게임을 해 봤어요 uses the pattern -아/어 보다, which means try doing something or have done it. 해 봤어요 is the past of 해 보다 and means I have tried it. This is a useful pattern when you talk about new technology.

Developers and Start-Ups

These seven words name the people who build technology and the companies and money behind them. They are the words you hear in a job interview, in a business news report and at a technology event. The group mixes Sino-Korean words with loanwords.

The ending 자 names a person who does something: 개발자 (developer), 연구자 (researcher), 투자자 (investor), 창업자 (founder). Once you know the pattern, you can read many job titles. A related ending, 원, names a member, as in 연구원 (researcher at an institute) and 직원 (staff member).

The sentence 내년에 창업할 거예요 uses the future ending -ㄹ 거예요. The verb 창업하다 is a 하다 verb, so its future form is 창업할 거예요. The sound is [창어팔꺼예요], with the tense ㄲ attached. For the ending, see the future ending.

Ethics, Safety and Society

Technology also raises questions about rules, rights and risks. These seven words are the ones used in news reports and debates about AI: ethics, regulation, copyright, deepfakes, bias, jobs and new technology. They are formal words, so you will see them more often than you hear them.

Several of these words are common in newspaper phrases, and their meaning is stable even when the news changes. 규제 is regulation. 저작권 is copyright. 편향 is bias. When you read a headline, look for these nouns first, then read the verb. A headline about 인공지능 규제 is about regulating AI, and a headline about 저작권 is about who owns a work.

Because these topics are changing quickly, this page gives only the vocabulary and not the rules. For current rules and laws, read the official sources, not a vocabulary list.

How Do You Say AI in Korean?

There are two common ways to say AI in Korean, and both are correct. 인공지능 is the Korean word, built from 인공 (artificial) and 지능 (intelligence). 에이아이 is the English letters A and I read the Korean way. News headlines often print the letters AI in Latin script, and a news anchor reads them as 에이아이.

The word 아이 means a child, so 아이 alone does not mean AI. A Korean speaker will say 에이아이 with all four syllables. The letter pairs of IT (아이티) and VR (브이알) are read the same way, as spoken letters. For the single-word page, see technology in korean.

How Are Korean Technology Words Built from Sino-Korean Parts?

Many technology terms are built from short Sino-Korean parts. Once you know the parts, you can guess the meaning of a new term and remember the old ones. The parts are the same Hanja-based syllables used across the language.

Three small endings appear again and again: 자 (a person), 화 (becoming), and 권 (a right). So 개발자 is a developer, 자동화 is automation, and 저작권 is copyright. A new word with one of these endings is easy to understand. For the system behind this, see the Hanja word families.

How Do You Pronounce These Words?

Technology words mix loanwords and Sino-Korean words. Loanwords add a vowel ㅡ (eu) between English consonants. Sino-Korean words have a few sound changes at the joins between syllables. 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.

The sound ㅓ in 센서 (senseo), 엔지니어 (enjinieo) and 소프트웨어 (sopeuteuweeo) is not a rounded "o". It is an unrounded vowel, close to the "u" in "cup", made with the lips open and relaxed. The Romanization writes it eo, which is misleading to English readers, so rely on the clip. Also watch the vowel ㅡ in 소프트웨어: the syllables 프 and 트 each carry a short ㅡ, so the word has five syllables.

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 Technology Words?

These five mistakes come up often with technology and AI words.

1. Saying 아이 for AI. 아이 means a child. AI is 에이아이 or 인공지능.
2. Using 데이터 and 정보 as the same word. 데이터 is raw data and 정보 is information with meaning. The fixed term for personal data is 개인정보, not 개인 데이터.
3. Using 에서 for the company you invest in. 이 회사에서 투자했어요 sounds as if the company itself made the investment, because 에서 can mark an organisation as the subject. The target of investment takes 에: 이 회사에 투자했어요.
4. Using 로봇 for every machine. 로봇 is a robot that acts on its own. A general machine is 기계.
5. Dropping the vowel in loanwords. 알고리즘 has four syllables, al-go-ri-jeum. Without the vowels, a Korean listener may not recognise the word.

A habit that avoids most of these: learn each word with the verb it usually takes, such as 데이터를 저장하다, 회사에 투자하다 and 기술을 개발하다. 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, read one Korean technology headline a day and underline the words from this page. Saying the headline aloud while you point at each known word fixes the word and the pattern.

Where to Go Next

After this page, go back to Korean Computer and Internet Vocabulary for everyday computer words, or Korean Smartphone Vocabulary for phone words. The Sino-Korean parts in these words are explained in the Hanja word families. To return to the full set, go to Technology and Internet.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Say Artificial Intelligence in Korean?

Artificial intelligence is 인공지능 (ingongjineung). It is built from 인공 (artificial) and 지능 (intelligence). In speech, many people say 에이아이, the letters A and I read aloud. Headlines often print AI in Latin letters. Do not say 아이, which means a child.

How Do You Pronounce 알고리즘 (algorijeum)?

Say al-go-ri-jeum, with four syllables: al, go, ri, jeum. The first ㄹ closes the first syllable, and the ㄹ in 리 is a light tap. The last vowel ㅡ is unrounded: spread your lips and say "uh" with your tongue back, then close with ㅁ. Press the audio button for the normal and slow versions.

How Many Technology and AI Words Should I Learn First?

Five first: 인공지능, 데이터, 기술, 로봇 and 정보. At five new words a day, the whole list of 35 takes seven days plus review. Add 알고리즘, 개발자 and 개인정보 on day two, since they appear in most news about technology.

Where Can I Practise Technology and AI 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 Technology and AI 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.

Save This to Pinterest