Key Facts
- Hangul: 통장; Revised Romanization: tongjang
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: Neutral; often used loosely for a bank account itself.
Bankbook in Korean: What Does 통장 Mean?
통장 is the small book that records deposits and withdrawals, but Koreans also say it for the account it belongs to, even when no physical book is used. In that loose use it overlaps with 계좌. The register is neutral. Sentences like 통장을 만들고 싶어요 can therefore mean 'I want to open a bank account', and you should read the meaning from the context.
How Do You Pronounce 통장?
Two syllables: tong-jang. Both end in the ng sound, as in 'song', and the j is soft and unaspirated. Read each syllable fully and the word needs no change.
Example Sentences with 통장
통장을 만들고 싶어요.
tongjangeul mandeulgo sipeoyo.
I want to open a bank account (passbook).
통장을 만들고 싶어요 is a request at the bank. The translation 'open an account' is how people use it in speech, even though the word literally names the book.
통장에 돈이 있어요.
tongjange doni isseoyo.
There is money in the account.
통장에 돈이 있어요 puts 돈 (money) in the account with 에 and 이 있어요. Here 통장 means the account.
통장을 잃어버렸어요.
tongjangeul ireobeoryeosseoyo.
I lost my bankbook.
통장을 잃어버렸어요 is the literal sense: the speaker lost the passbook itself.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Four phrases show how 통장 moves between the book and the account.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 통장을 만들다 | to open an account |
| 통장 잔액 | account balance |
| 월급 통장 | salary account |
| 통장 정리 | updating the passbook |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ Translating 통장 only as 'bankbook'
Correct: ✓ 통장 can also mean 'bank account' in everyday speech.
Why: Everyday Korean uses 통장 for the account, even when no physical book is used. That use is normal and understood. When you need the exact word for the account, 계좌 is the one.
통장 Compared with 계좌 and 저축
Money words in Korean split into the account, the book that records it and the act of saving.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 통장 | bankbook, passbook | The passbook; often the account itself in speech. |
| 계좌 | account | The account itself, never the physical book. |
| 저축 | savings | The act of saving money, not an object. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
통장 is Sino-Korean: 通帳, from 通 (pass through) and 帳 (ledger). The characters point to a ledger that records transactions passing through an account, which is what a passbook does.
At the Bank: Updating a Passbook
A customer brings a passbook to the counter. The clerk asks for the physical book, so 통장 has its literal meaning throughout this exchange.
Customer
통장 정리 좀 해 주세요.
Tongjang jeongni jom hae juseyo.
Please update my passbook.
Clerk
네. 통장 주세요.
Ne. Tongjang juseyo.
Certainly. Please give me your passbook.
Customer
여기 있어요. 잔액도 확인하고 싶어요.
Yeogi isseoyo. Janaekdo hwaginhago sipeoyo.
Here it is. I would also like to check the balance.
Clerk
네. 잠시만 기다려 주세요.
Ne. Jamsiman gidaryeo juseyo.
Certainly. Please wait a moment.
정리 often means putting things in order. In 통장 정리, it means having transaction details printed in the passbook. 잔액도 adds “the balance too”, linking a second request to the first. 좀 softens the request; here it does not mean the clerk should update only a small part of the book.
What Do Common Passbook Phrases Really Mean?
통장을 만들다 literally means “make a passbook”, but the practical meaning is opening an account. The verb 만들다 describes getting the banking arrangement set up, rather than making a book by hand. By contrast, 통장을 잃어버리다 means losing the physical passbook. The verb often gives you the best clue to which meaning is intended.
월급 통장 names an account used to receive a salary. 월급 means monthly pay; the phrase tells you the account's purpose. 통장 잔액 is the money remaining in the account, rather than the total amount that has ever passed through it.
통장 사본 means a copy of the passbook. In paperwork, this commonly refers to the page showing the bank and account details. 사본 is “copy”, so a request containing this phrase concerns a document. Read the request carefully: a copy of account details and a list of transactions are different things.
Where Will You See 통장 outside a Bank?
통장 appears in conversations about pay, household money and savings. When someone says money is in their 통장, they mean it is held in their account. In a banking app or on a transfer form, 계좌 is the more precise word for the account itself.
Keep 계좌 번호, “account number”, together as a useful phrase when reading payment instructions. A speaker may use 통장 loosely, but a form needs the account identifier. This is a language distinction; the documents needed to open an account depend on the bank and the person’s situation.
Money Words to Learn with 통장
| Word | Meaning | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| 잔액 | balance | The amount left in an account. |
| 입금 | deposit / incoming payment | Money going into the account. |
| 출금 | withdrawal | Money coming out of the account. |
| 사본 | copy | A copied document rather than the original passbook. |
The money vocabulary lesson connects account words with cash and payments. 입금 and 출금 describe opposite directions, while 잔액 describes what remains after transactions. Keeping those jobs separate helps you read a passbook without translating every heading as “money”.
Quick Self-Test
- In 통장 정리, is someone tidying a room or updating a passbook?
- Which word precisely names the account itself: 통장 or 계좌?
- Does 통장 잔액 mean money remaining or all past deposits?
Show answers
- Updating a passbook: 정리 refers to printing the transaction record.
- 계좌 names the account itself.
- Money remaining in the account.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 통장 mean in Korean?
It means a bankbook or passbook, and in everyday speech often a bank account.
Is 통장 the same as 계좌?
They overlap in speech. 계좌 is the account, and 통장 is the passbook.
How do I say 'salary account'?
Say 월급 통장.
How do I say 'I lost my bankbook'?
Say 통장을 잃어버렸어요.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: daily life money vocabulary.
- Compare with 계좌 and 저축.
- Next word: deposit in Korean.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 통장 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.