Key Facts
- Korean: 보드게임, Revised Romanization bodeugeim
- Part of speech: noun; origin: loanword
- Register: Neutral loanword; 보드게임 카페 (board game cafes) are popular.
- Theme page: gaming vocabulary
Board Game in Korean: What 보드게임 Means and When to Use It
보드게임 names tabletop games, from chess to modern strategy games. Many use a board, while others center on cards or other pieces. It is neutral and usually written as one word. Like 게임, it pairs with 하다 when you play.
How to Pronounce 보드게임
The Revised Romanization is bodeugeim, and the word has four syllables: bo-deu-ge-im. English "board" ends in a d, so Korean adds the vowel ㅡ to make 드, and 게임 keeps its two vowel sounds, ge and im.
Examples with 보드게임
저는 보드게임을 좋아해요.
jeoneun bodeugeimeul joahaeyo.
I like board games.
The hobby sentence. 보드게임을 takes the object marker, and 좋아해요 expresses liking.
친구들과 보드게임을 해요.
chingudeulgwa bodeugeimeul haeyo.
I play board games with friends.
Playing with friends. 하다 is the verb for playing a game, and 과 attaches to 친구들 to mean 'with'.
보드게임 카페에 가고 싶어요.
bodeugeim kapee gago sipeoyo.
I want to go to a board game cafe.
A wish sentence: 가고 싶어요 expresses wanting to go. The destination is a board game cafe.
Collocations with 보드게임
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 보드게임을 하다 | play board games |
| 보드게임 카페 | board game cafe |
| 보드게임 규칙 | board game rules |
The verb 하다 pairs with 보드게임 to mean play. Compounds include 보드게임 카페 and 보드게임 규칙 (rules).
A Common Mistake with 보드게임
English "play a board game" tempts learners to use 놀다, which means playing around rather than playing a game.
Wrong: 보드게임을 놀다
Correct: 보드게임을 하다
Spelling: 보드게임 is normally written as one word, though 보드 게임 with a space is also seen.
보드게임 Compared with 게임
Compare 보드게임 with the general word 게임 and with 카드 게임, which names a different kind of game.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 보드게임 | board game | The word this page covers. |
| 게임 | game | game |
| 카드 게임 | card game | card game |
게임 is the umbrella word, and on its own it usually means a video game. 카드 게임 is built around cards. It can also fall within the broader tabletop category 보드게임, so these categories can overlap.
Quick Recall for 보드게임
- I like board games. (저는 보드게임을 좋아해요.)
- I play board games with friends. (친구들과 보드게임을 해요.)
- I want to go to a board game cafe. (보드게임 카페에 가고 싶어요.)
Because 보드게임 is a loanword, it behaves like any noun once borrowed: it takes the same object and location endings as native words, as the three examples show. The compounds in the table also tell you where board games live in Korean daily life: with friends, in a cafe, and around a set of rules (규칙).
Choosing a Game at a Board Game Cafe
A customer wants a game for two people. The staff member offers to explain how to play.
Customer
둘이 할 수 있는 보드게임 있어요?
Duri hal su inneun bodeugeim isseoyo?
Do you have a board game that two people can play?
Staff member
네. 이 게임은 어때요?
Ne. I geimeun eottaeyo?
Yes. How about this game?
Customer
규칙이 어려워요?
Gyuchigi eoryeowoyo?
Are the rules difficult?
Staff member
아니요. 제가 설명해 드릴게요.
Aniyo. Jega seolmyeonghae deurilgeyo.
No. I’ll explain them to you.
둘이 means “the two of us” or “two people together”. 할 수 있는 describes something you can play, so the first line asks about player count. The customer then asks about difficulty. These are separate questions: a game suitable for two people can still have complicated rules.
Phrases for Playing a Round
보드게임을 하다 means playing the game. 규칙을 설명하다 means explaining the rules, and 규칙을 지키다 means following them. 규칙 is the rule or set of rules, so you do not need a plural ending to ask about all the rules of a game. The dialogue’s 규칙이 어려워요? asks about the rules as a whole.
주사위를 던지다 literally means “throw the dice”; in a game, English usually says “roll the dice”. 카드를 뽑다 means drawing a card. The verb names taking a card from the available set, rather than drawing a picture on it. Both are practical collocations for following spoken instructions around a table.
한 판 means one game or round. 한 판 더 means “one more round”, often heard when people want to continue after finishing. The counter 판 measures a bout or session of play. It does not count the boxes on a shelf: a game product and a round played with it are different things.
Where Will You See 보드게임?
보드게임 카페 appears in shop names, map searches and plans for meeting friends. On a game box or product listing, 인원 means the number of people and 시간 means time. These labels help you check whether your group can play and whether the game fits the time you have.
The everyday category 보드게임 can also include tabletop games built mainly around cards or other pieces. A physical board is common, but it is not essential to every product sold under this heading. 카드 게임 tells you about the materials used; 보드게임 can describe the broader tabletop hobby. The categories can overlap.
보드게임 is neutral vocabulary. The dialogue uses polite endings because a customer is speaking to staff. With friends, the same noun works in casual conversation. Replacing the noun with 게임 after introducing the topic sounds natural: both speakers already know which kind of game they are discussing.
Words You Need at the Table
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 규칙 | rules | Ask about these before beginning. |
| 주사위 | die / dice | The object you roll. |
| 차례 | turn | Tells you whose action comes next. |
| 점수 | score | Used when counting points or comparing results. |
The gaming vocabulary lesson gives these words a wider hobby context. 차례 concerns turn order, while 점수 concerns the result; knowing one does not tell you the other.
Quick Self-Test
- Which verb completes 보드게임을 ___: 하다 or 놀다?
- What does 한 판 더 ask for?
- Can a card-based tabletop game also be called a 보드게임?
Show answers
- 하다: 보드게임을 하다.
- One more round or game.
- Yes. The everyday tabletop category can include card-based games.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It 보드게임 or 보드 게임?
One word, 보드게임, is the usual spelling, but the spaced form also appears.
What Is a Board Game Cafe Called?
It is 보드게임 카페, as in 보드게임 카페에 가고 싶어요.
Which Verb Means to Play a Board Game?
Use 하다, as in 보드게임을 하다, not 놀다.
How Is 게임 Different from 보드게임?
게임 is the general word for game, and 보드게임 is one type of it.
Related Words and Next Steps
- Browse the full set of gaming vocabulary for neighbours of 보드게임.
- Return to the Korean words A to Z index.
- Related page: game in Korean.
- Add 보드게임 to your vocabulary flashcard decks.