Korean Classroom Vocabulary: 40 Words with Romanization and Audio

Korean Classroom Vocabulary at a Glance

The list has 40 words in five groups of eight. It runs from the furniture to the people, the rhythm of a school day, the exam and the language you learn. It belongs to School. Many of the nouns are Sino-Korean, built from short parts such as 교 (teach), 답 (answer) and 문 (ask), so learning the parts gives you more words for free.

For the single entry on the room itself, see classroom in Korean. Phrases that teachers say in Korean are on Korean classroom phrases, and this page covers the nouns.

Which Classroom Words Should You Learn First?

Learn 교실 (classroom), 선생님 (teacher), 학생 (student), 숙제 (homework) and 질문 (question) first. They let you say who is there, what you do, and that you have a question. 질문이 있어요 (I have a question) is the most useful sentence on this page for a new learner.

• Words to say. 선생님, 학생, 숙제, 질문, 대답.
• Words to recognise. 시간표, 출석, 점수, 답안지. You read them on forms and boards.
• Words for studying Korean. 단어, 문장, 뜻, 사전. They help you ask about the language in Korean.

The scene below shows ten objects of a classroom with numbers that match the list.

Word · 10

1. 1

   교실

   Play

   gyosil

   classroom

2. 2

   칠판

   Play

   chilpan

   blackboard

3. 3

   책상

   Play

   chaeksang

   desk

4. 4

   의자

   Play

   uija

   chair

5. 5

   교과서

   Play

   gyogwaseo

   textbook

6. 6

   공책

   Play

   gongchaek

   notebook

7. 7

   지우개

   Play

   jiugae

   eraser

8. 8

   시계

   Play

   sigye

   clock

9. 9

   선생님

   Play

   seonsaengnim

   teacher

10. 10

    학생

    Play

    haksaeng

    student

Classroom Objects

Start with what you can see and touch. Korean classrooms are named with the Sino-Korean prefix 교 (teach), as in 교실 (teaching room), 교과서 (teaching-subject book) and the later word 교수님 (professor). Most of the other objects are short Sino-Korean compounds too, such as 책상, a desk made from 책 (book) and 상 (table); 지우개 is a native word, from 지우다 (to erase).

Look at the verbs in these sentences. 펴다 (open out, spread) is the verb for textbooks and notebooks, and it makes 펴요. 앉다 (sit) is regular and makes 앉아요. The particle 에 after 의자 and 벽 marks a place where something is or happens. The pencils, pens and supplies that fill the desk have their own list on Korean Stationery Vocabulary.

Who Is Who in a Korean Class?

Korean school life has more named roles than most learners expect. Students talk about their 담임 선생님, the homeroom teacher who looks after one class, and the 반장, the class president. Seniors are 선배, and the classmate who shares your desk is your 짝. All eight words work at every school level.

선생님 is made of 선생 (teacher) and the suffix 님, which adds respect. Because the respect is already built in, you never add it again, and you also use 선생님 to address a teacher directly. The word 반 means a group of students, so 우리 반 is our class, while the lesson itself is 수업, in the next group. The verb 도와주다 (to help) is regular, and its polite form is 도와줘요.

Lesson Words

A school day is a rhythm of lessons, breaks and tasks, and each part has a noun. A 시간표 tells you the order. A 수업 is one lesson, with a break called 쉬는 시간 after it, and the teacher may call attendance or ask for a talk. These eight words describe that rhythm.

Two of these pairs repay attention. 수업 and 숙제 both start with 수 and 숙, and learners swap them: 수업 is the class, 숙제 is the homework. And 질문 and 대답 are partners in conversation, a question and its answer. The noun 문제, covered with the exam words, is not a question you ask. See the nuance in the mistakes section. The set phrases a teacher says out loud are on Korean classroom phrases.

Which Words Describe a Korean Exam?

Exam vocabulary shows how one noun can cover two meanings. 문제 is both a problem and a question on a test, and 정답 and 오답 are the right and wrong answers. A 점수 is a score, a 성적 a set of grades. The next stage, which includes results and university entry, is on Korean Exams and Grades Vocabulary.

Look at the verbs that go with exams. You 봐요 a test, you 맞혀요 an answer, you 고쳐요 a mistake and you 내요 a sheet. Each is a different verb for a different action, and the English words do not map one to one. The answer pair 정답 and 오답 shares the part 답, which means answer, with the 대답 you met above. For more on 정답 and how it is used, see correct answer in Korean.

Language-Learning Words

Once you take a Korean class yourself, you need the words for what you are learning. They are the nouns teachers use about language: word, sentence, grammar, pronunciation, translation and meaning. Learn them early, because they let you ask for help in Korean instead of English.

뜻 and 의미 both mean meaning. 뜻 is the native word and is common in speech, and 의미 is Sino-Korean and sits more easily in writing and in explanations. Asking 뜻이 뭐예요? (What does it mean?) is a safe classroom question. The verb 외우다 (memorise) makes 외워요, and 찾다 (look up) makes 찾아요 with the ㅊ kept intact.

How Do You Pronounce Korean Classroom Words?

Classroom words show the most common sound change in Korean, tensing. After a final ㄱ, ㅂ or ㄹ in these words, the next ㅅ or ㄱ is said as a tense sound; 문법 has a tense ㅂ after ㄴ; and a final ㄴ moves onto a following vowel, as in 번역 [버녁]. The National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) standard pronunciation rules describe each case. Revised Romanization leaves the tense sounds unmarked.

Audio and Slow Playback

Five clips replay the hardest words slowly: a desk, a student, a register, grammar and a pass. Listen for the tense sound in the middle of each word, repeat, and play the clip again.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Classroom Words?

Five confusions come up again and again.

1. Using 문제 for a question you ask. You ask a 질문. 문제 is a problem, or a question printed on an exam. So 질문이 있어요 is I have a question, and 문제가 있어요 is something is wrong.
2. Saying 시험을 해요. You take a test with 보다: 시험을 봐요. 숙제 and 발표 take 하다 instead, as in 숙제를 해요.
3. Adding 님 twice. 선생님 already has 님. Writing 선생님님 is a doubled suffix. Address your teacher as 선생님.
4. Using 반 for a lesson. 반 is a group of students, such as 우리 반. The lesson is 수업, and a 수업 can happen for many 반.
5. Treating 뜻 and 의미 as different meanings. Both mean meaning; they differ in register. Use 뜻 for the question 뜻이 뭐예요?, and keep 의미 for written explanations.

Keep these pairs together and the other 35 words stay in place: 질문 and 문제, 보다 and 하다, 반 and 수업.

Practice: Flashcards and Worksheet

Study in three steps. First, run the deck in recognition mode until the 40 words feel familiar. Second, switch to listening mode and play the clip before you flip each card. Third, take the five-question quiz. Progress stays in your browser, and 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 additional practice, label five things in your own classroom or study room with sticky notes in Korean.

Where to Go Next

After this page, continue with Korean Stationery Vocabulary or Korean Exams and Grades Vocabulary. For using the words in speech, see everyday conversation. To move up a level, return to School.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Say Classroom in Korean?

Classroom is 교실 (gyosil). The first part 교 means teach and 실 means room. A class as a group of students is 반 (ban), and a lesson is 수업 (sueop). The single-word page on classroom in Korean gives more detail.

How Do You Pronounce 칠판 (chilpan)?

Say chil-pan in two beats. The first syllable starts with an aspirated ch, with a puff of air, and ends in l. The second starts with an aspirated p and ends in n. It means blackboard. Press the audio button to hear it.

How Many Classroom Words Should I Learn First?

Five: 교실, 선생님, 학생, 숙제 and 질문. With them you can already say 질문이 있어요 (I have a question). At five new words a day the full 40 take eight days plus review. Add the language-learning group when you start a Korean course.

What Is the Difference between 질문 and 문제?

질문 is a question you ask someone, as in 질문이 있어요. 문제 is a problem, or a question printed on an exam, as in 문제가 어려워요. When you want the teacher to answer you, use 질문.

Where Can I Practise Classroom Words with Flashcards?

Use the vocabulary flashcard decks. The deck for this page holds all 40 words with Hangul, romanization and audio. Your progress stays in your browser. If you are in a Korean course, start with the language-learning group, since 단어, 뜻 and 발음 come up in every lesson.

Is There a Printable Worksheet for Classroom 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 deck. Another drill is to write three exam sentences with 봐요, 맞혀요 and 내요.

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