Key Facts
- Hangul: 배우; Revised Romanization: baeu
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 俳優 (俳 actor + 優 actor/excellent)
- Register: Neutral; gender-neutral in Korean (also 여배우 for actress).
Actor in Korean: What Does 배우 Mean?
배우 is a noun for a person who acts in films, TV or on stage. It is gender-neutral: a woman is also a 배우, though 여배우 exists when you want to say "actress" specifically. The tone is neutral, so it fits a news article and a casual chat equally.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Two syllables, bae-u. The first vowel is ae, close to the vowel in "bed", and the second is a plain u, so there is no consonant between them.
Example Sentences with 배우
저 사람은 배우예요.
jeo sarameun baeuyeyo.
That person is an actor.
Identifies a person by job. 예요 is the form of "is" used after a noun ending in a vowel, like 배우.
제 꿈은 배우예요.
je kkumeun baeuyeyo.
My dream is to be an actor.
A statement about ambition. 제 꿈은 means "my dream is", and the noun 배우 completes it.
배우가 영화에 나와요.
baeuga yeonghwae nawayo.
The actor appears in the movie.
Here 배우 is the subject, marked with 가, and 영화에 tells us where the actor appears.
Common Phrases and Collocations
영화배우 narrows it to a film actor, 여배우 marks an actress, and 연기하다 is the verb "to act" that describes what the person does.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 영화배우 | movie actor |
| 연기하다 | to act |
| 여배우 | actress |
The Mistake to Avoid
Mistake: reading 배우 as "to learn" because it looks like 배우다. Correct: 배우 is the noun "actor"; 배우다 is the verb "to learn". They are unrelated words that happen to share two syllables.
배우 Compared with 연기자 and 탤런트
Two nearby words widen the picture. 연기자 covers performers in general, and 탤런트 is a label for a TV actor that now sounds a little dated.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 배우 | actor | This page's word |
| 연기자 | performer | 연기자 is a performer or actor in general. |
| 탤런트 | TV actor (older) | 탤런트 is an older term for a TV actor. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
배우 is Sino-Korean, written 俳優 in hanja: 俳 (actor) plus 優 (actor, excellent). Both characters point at performing, which fits a job title.
Recognizing Someone in a Drama
Two friends are watching a drama. One recognizes a performer from a film, and the other asks about the name.
Mina
저 배우 알아요?
Jeo baeu arayo?
Do you know that actor?
Alex
네. 영화에서 봤어요.
Ne. Yeonghwaeseo bwasseoyo.
Yes. I saw them in a movie.
Mina
이름이 뭐예요?
Ireumi mwoyeyo?
What’s their name?
Alex
이름은 모르지만 좋아하는 배우예요.
Ireumeun moreujiman joahaneun baeuyeyo.
I don’t know the name, but they’re an actor I like.
저 배우 means “that actor”, with 저 pointing out someone on the screen. 좋아하는 배우 means an actor someone likes. Neither expression tells us the person’s gender, and the conversation does not need to add it.
Actor, Character and Role Are Different Words
배우 names the performer. A role is 역할, and the character in the story is a 등장인물. An actor can play a doctor without being a doctor in real life. When discussing a drama, choosing the right noun makes clear whether you mean the performer or the fictional person.
주연 배우 means a lead actor, and 조연 배우 means a supporting actor. 주연 and 조연 describe the part’s place in a production, not the performer’s overall fame or skill. A well-known actor can take a supporting role. The labels can apply to performers of any gender.
신인 배우 means a new or newcomer actor. 신인 concerns someone’s entry into the field or public attention; it does not simply mean “young”. 아역 배우 refers to a child actor. The two labels therefore answer different questions about a performer’s career and age.
These are ordinary job and casting combinations, rather than idioms. 배우 stays the central noun, with the word before it narrowing the kind of performer or role. This pattern helps you understand a headline even when you have not seen the production.
Where Will You See 배우?
Entertainment interviews and casting news use 배우 to identify someone’s occupation. A headline may then mention the film or drama they appear in. 영화배우 makes the film connection explicit, while 배우 by itself can include television and stage work as well.
On stage, 뮤지컬 배우 means a musical-theatre actor. 성우 is a voice actor, whose performance is heard in animation, dubbing or other voice work. 배우 is useful as a broad starting point, but those narrower job names tell you more about the type of performance.
In conversation, 좋아하는 배우 is useful for naming a performer you like. It expresses a preference without requiring you to claim they are the best actor. 유명한 배우 means a famous actor; popularity and your personal preference are separate descriptions.
배우 is neutral. 배우님 adds the respectful suffix 님, which you may hear in interviews or when someone addresses a performer politely. Calling someone an actor does not require adding 님 every time. In an ordinary sentence about the job, 배우 is enough.
Words for Talking about a Performance
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 역할 | role | The part the actor plays. |
| 등장인물 | character | A person within the story. |
| 감독 | director | Directs the production rather than necessarily acting in it. |
| 연기 | acting / performance | What viewers assess when discussing the actor’s work. |
The jobs vocabulary lesson places 배우 alongside other occupations. Learn the job separately from the character’s job in a drama: a performer playing a chef is still a 배우.
Quick Self-Test
- Can 배우 refer to a woman?
- Does 주연 배우 mean a lead actor or a director?
- Which names the fictional person: 배우 or 등장인물?
Show answers
- Yes. 배우 is gender-neutral.
- A lead actor. A director is 감독.
- 등장인물. 배우 names the performer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "actor" in Korean?
Say 배우 (baeu). It also covers actresses, since the word is gender-neutral.
How do you say "actress" in Korean?
Add 여 to make 여배우, though plain 배우 is also correct for a woman.
Is 배우 related to 배우다?
They look alike, but 배우 is a noun (actor) and 배우다 is a verb (to learn).
What is 연기자?
연기자 means a performer or actor in general, and it overlaps with 배우.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Jobs groups 배우 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 배우 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in the jobs list is the word for chef. See the page for chef.