Korean Gym and Fitness Vocabulary: Word List with Audio and Examples

What you'll learn

• Match all 35 gym and fitness words to their English meanings.
• Tell 헬스장 (gym) from 체육관 (sports hall), and 몸무게 from 체중.
• Say five of the words aloud with the help of the Revised Romanization and the audio.
• Write two original sentences with words such as 헬스장 and 운동.

Prerequisites: you can read Hangul, know the sports words in Sports and the body words in body parts. Estimated time: about 60 minutes, plus short reviews on the following days.

Korean Gym and Fitness Vocabulary at a Glance

Gym language in Korean is a mix. Equipment and exercises come from English: 러닝머신, 덤벨, 스쿼트, 스트레칭. Body, health and membership words are older Sino-Korean or native Korean words: 근육 (muscle), 체력 (stamina), 회원 (member), 등록 (registration). This is why a Korean gym sign can look familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

Two details are worth knowing early. 헬스장 is a commercial gym, while a 체육관 is a sports hall such as a school gym, so the two are not interchangeable. And 헬스 means weight training, not health: health is 건강. The page sits inside Sports. For the body part names, see body parts, and for single words see gym in korean and yoga in korean.

By origin, the list has 17 Sino-Korean words, 5 native Korean words, 12 loanwords, and 1 mixed word (헬스장: the loanword 헬스 plus the Sino-Korean 장).

Which Gym and Fitness Words Should You Learn First?

Start with five words: 헬스장, 운동, 근육, 수업 and 건강. They cover the place, the activity, the body, the class and the reason for training. Press the slow button, say each word, then listen to the sentence.

The scene below shows twelve of the 35 words. Each number matches a word in the lists that follow.

Word · 12

1. 1

   헬스장

   Play

   helseujang

   gym, fitness centre

2. 2

   러닝머신

   Play

   reoningmeosin

   treadmill

3. 3

   덤벨

   Play

   deombel

   dumbbell

4. 4

   바벨

   Play

   babel

   barbell

5. 5

   매트

   Play

   maeteu

   mat

6. 6

   거울

   Play

   geoul

   mirror

7. 7

   사물함

   Play

   samulham

   locker

8. 8

   스트레칭

   Play

   seuteureching

   stretching

9. 9

   체중계

   Play

   chejunggye

   scale

10. 10

    요가

    Play

    yoga

    yoga

11. 11

    강사

    Play

    gangsa

    instructor

12. 12

    건강

    Play

    geongang

    health

Twelve numbered objects match twelve words from the lists. Use the list under the picture if you cannot see the numbers.

Gym Equipment

Eight words for the gym and what is in it. The place word 헬스장 ends in 장 (place), as in 수영장 (pool).

• 헬스장: 헬스 plus 장 (place). It is a commercial gym. 다니다 means to go regularly, as to school or a gym.
• 러닝머신: The standard spelling is 러닝머신, and 런닝머신 is a common variant. Said reo-ning-meo-sin. 뛰다 means to run.
• 덤벨: The verb 들다 means to lift or hold, and it drops its ㄹ in some forms, but 들어요 keeps it.
• 바벨: 보다 means than. The adjective 무겁다 changes to 무거워요.
• 매트: Used for yoga and floor exercise. 위에서 means on top of.
• 거울: Gym walls often have a 거울 for checking your form. 앞에서 means in front of.
• 탈의실: 탈의 (taking off clothes) plus 실 (room). 갈아입다 means to change into other clothes.
• 사물함: 사물 (personal belongings) plus 함 (box). Some gyms use the loanword 락커 (rakkeo, locker). 넣다 means to put in.

Example Sentences

Press play and repeat each sentence aloud. The sentences use the verbs 다니다, 뛰다, 들다 and 마시다.

The particle 에서 marks the place where an action happens, as in 러닝머신에서. The particle 에 is used with 다니다 (헬스장에 다녀요), because it marks the place you go to.

Exercises

Eight words for what you do in the gym or at home. The English names are the usual ones in Korea. Working out at home is 홈트 (homteu), short for 홈 트레이닝 (home training), and a session with a personal trainer is PT (피티, piti).

• 운동: The general word. 운동하다 is the verb, and 운동 후에 means after exercise.
• 스쿼트: The loanword has three syllables: seu-kwo-teu. 다리 is the leg, and 런지 (reonji, lunge) is another common leg exercise.
• 푸시업: The counter 개 follows a native Korean number: 열 개 is ten items.
• 플랭크: Said peul-laeng-keu. The Sino-Korean number 일 goes with 분 (minute).
• 스트레칭: From English stretching. 전에 means before.
• 유산소: 유산소 운동 is aerobic exercise, such as running or swimming. 유 (have) plus 산소 (oxygen).
• 근력: 근력 운동 is strength training. Said [글력]: the ㄴ becomes ㄹ before the ㄹ, so Revised Romanization writes geullyeok.
• 줄넘기: 줄 (rope) plus 넘기 (jumping over). Said [줄럼끼]. Many people use it as a short cardio workout.

Body and Muscles

Seven words for the body when you train. Body parts themselves are in the body parts lesson.

• 근육: Said [그뉵]: the final ㄴ moves onto the empty ㅇ of the next syllable. The adjective 아프다 changes to 아파요.
• 체중: A formal word for body weight. 늘다 means to increase.
• 체력: 체 (body) plus 력 (power). The opposite of 체력이 약해요 is 체력이 좋아요 (my stamina is good).
• 어깨: The native word for shoulder. It is a common spot for stiffness after weights.
• 허리: Both the waist and the lower back. 펴다 means to straighten or stretch out.
• 복근: Said [복끈]: the ㄱ after a final ㄱ becomes tense.
• 체지방: 체 (body) plus 지방 (fat). 줄이다 means to reduce.

Classes (yoga, pilates)

Six words for classes and memberships.

• 요가: Said yo-ga. A single-word lesson is on yoga in korean.
• 필라테스: Said pil-la-te-seu. The ㄹㄹ in the middle is one long l sound.
• 수업: The word is also used in schools. 한 시간 means one hour.
• 강사: 강사 plus 님 is the polite way to address a teacher. 자세 means posture.
• 회원: 회원 plus 권 gives 회원권, a membership pass.
• 등록: Said [등녹]. The verb 등록하다 means to register or enrol.

Health Tracking

Six words for measuring progress and caring about health.

• 건강: Do not use 헬스 for health. 건강 is health, and 건강하다 means to be healthy.
• 다이어트: In Korean, 다이어트 often means trying to lose weight, not only the food you eat.
• 몸무게: The everyday word, built from 몸 (body) and 무게 (weight). 체중 is more formal.
• 체중계: 체중 plus 계 (meter). The word names the device.
• 칼로리: Said kal-lo-ri, with a long l. 높다 means high.
• 만보기: 만 (ten thousand) plus 보 (step) plus 기 (device). A common goal is ten thousand steps.

How Do You Pronounce These Words?

Most gym words are easy loanwords, but several Korean words follow sound rules. The table follows the standard pronunciation rules (표준 발음법) of the 국립국어원 (National Institute of Korean Language).

Revised Romanization follows the spoken sound when a consonant changes, as in 줄넘기 (julleomgi) and 등록 (deungnok), but it does not show tensing caused by a neighbouring sound: 복근 is written bokgeun even though it is said [복끈].

Audio and Slow Playback

Each headword and each example sentence has its own audio clip, and the 5 words in the first-words section also have a slow clip at 0.8 times the speed. Nothing plays until you press a button. Listen to 복근 and 줄넘기 one after the other and hear how the last syllable becomes tense in both.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Gym and Fitness Words?

• Using 헬스 for health. 헬스 is weight training; health is 건강.
• Saying 체육관 for a commercial gym. A 체육관 is a sports hall, and a gym you pay for is a 헬스장.
• Mixing 몸무게 and 체중 in formal writing. Both mean body weight, but 체중 is the more formal word.
• Reading 근육 as geun-yuk with no linking sound. It is said [그뉵].
• Saying 복근 with a plain second ㄱ. It is said [복끈].
• Spelling the treadmill as 런닝머신 in formal writing. The standard spelling is 러닝머신.

Practice: Flashcards and Worksheet

Drill all 35 words with the vocabulary flashcard decks: each card shows the Hangul on one side and the meaning on the other. 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. A simple plan is to say the Korean name of each exercise as you do it, for example 스쿼트 열 개.

Quick Quiz

Choose the best answer. The explanation after each question tells you why.

Write two sentences of your own, one about where you exercise and one about how long. For example, 저는 헬스장에 다녀요 or 삼십 분 동안 운동해요.

Where to Go Next

This gym list sits inside Sports. Continue with Korean taekwondo and martial arts vocabulary, or go back to sports positions and teams. For single words, see gym in korean.

FAQ

How Do You Say Gym in Korean?

Say 헬스장 (helseujang). It joins 헬스 (weight training) and 장 (place). A sports hall at a school is a 체육관. To say you go to the gym, use 헬스장에 가요 or 헬스장에 다녀요.

How Do You Pronounce 운동 (undong)?

Say un-dong, with a short u and the ng sound at the end of the second syllable. Revised Romanization writes it undong. The ㅇ at the end of 동 is the ng sound, as in the English word song.

How Many Gym and Fitness Words Should I Learn First?

Learn the five words in the first-words section: 헬스장, 운동, 근육, 수업 and 건강. Then add one group a day and review the older words before new ones.

Where Can I Practise Gym and Fitness Words with Flashcards?

Use the vocabulary flashcard decks. Start with the equipment and exercise names, then add the body words.

Is the Romanization on This Page Official?

It follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, the system South Korea has officially used since 2000, as a learning aid. It does not show tensing caused by a neighbouring sound, so 복근 is written bokgeun but said [복끈]. Always read the Hangul as well.

Is There a Printable Worksheet for Gym and Fitness 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 additional practice, write the Korean name next to each numbered object in the scene above.

Save This to Pinterest