Key Facts
- Hangul: 사장; Revised Romanization: sajang
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: Neutral. Address the person as 사장님 (honorific); 사장 alone names the position.
Boss in Korean (sajang): What Does 사장 Mean?
사장 is the position itself: the person at the top of a company or a shop. Its register is neutral: it names the position in descriptions, in news and when you describe yourself as an owner. When you speak to the person, or mention your own boss in conversation, 사장님 is the normal form, as the first two examples show.
How Do You Pronounce 사장?
Two syllables: sa-jang. The first is a light 'sa', and the second ends in the ng sound, as in 'song'. Nothing changes in speech, so the word is read as spelled.
Example Sentences with 사장
사장님은 지금 회의 중이에요.
Sajangnimeun jigeum hoeui jungieyo.
The boss is in a meeting now.
사장님은 지금 회의 중이에요 shows the honorific form 사장님 as the topic of a description. 이에요 is the plain polite 'is'.
우리 사장님은 친절하세요.
Uri sajangnimeun chinjeolhaseyo.
Our boss is kind.
우리 사장님은 친절하세요 praises the boss with 우리 ('our') and the honorific 친절하세요 ('is kind').
저는 작은 가게의 사장이에요.
Jeoneun jageun gageui sajangieyo.
I am the owner of a small shop.
저는 작은 가게의 사장이에요 uses the plain 사장 to describe yourself: 작은 가게의 means 'of a small shop'.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Three phrases show how 사장 pairs with the kind of business and with its honorific form.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 사장님 | boss / owner (honorific) |
| 회사 사장 | company president |
| 가게 사장 | shop owner |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ Calling the boss 사장 directly
Correct: ✓ Address the person as 사장님.
Why: 사장 alone is the position, and it fits when you describe yourself as an owner. When you speak to a boss or a shop owner, 님 is needed.
사장 Compared with 상사 and 부장
Work ranks overlap in English 'boss', but Korean separates the owner, any superior and a department head.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 사장 | boss, president, owner | The position at the top of a company or shop. |
| 상사 | superior | Anyone above you at work, from a team leader to the president. |
| 부장 | department head | A department manager rank, below 사장. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
사장 is Sino-Korean: 社長, from 社 (company) and 長 (head).
Cultural Note
Shop owners and restaurant owners are commonly addressed as 사장님 by customers.
Meeting a New Shop Owner
Two people meet at a neighborhood event. One asks about the other's work, and the answer uses 사장 to describe the speaker’s own position.
Jisu
무슨 일 하세요?
Museun il haseyo?
What do you do for work?
Minho
작은 카페를 운영해요.
Jageun kapereul unyeonghaeyo.
I run a small cafe.
Jisu
그럼 사장이세요?
Geureom sajangiseyo?
Then are you the owner?
Minho
네. 제가 사장이에요.
Ne. Jega sajangieyo.
Yes. I am the owner.
Jisu uses 사장이세요 to ask respectfully about Minho's position. Minho answers 사장이에요, naming his own role without an honorific. 운영해요 means “run” or “operate”, so the first answer describes his work before the second identifies his position. The exchange shows why 사장 is useful even when 사장님 is the right form for calling to someone.
How Do You Describe a Position with 사장?
가게 사장 and 회사 사장 put the business before the position: shop owner and company president. In the existing self-introduction, 작은 가게의 사장, the particle 의 explicitly connects “a small shop” with “owner”. Both patterns identify the business the person runs. Neither requires the business to be large.
사장이 되다 means “become a company president or owner”. The verb 되다 makes this a change of role, rather than a statement that someone already holds it. 사장으로 일하다 means “work as a company president or owner”. Here 으로 marks the role in which someone works. These phrases are literal descriptions of employment or running a business.
Do not add 님 when introducing yourself as the owner. The polite sentence ending in 사장이에요 is enough for a normal introduction. If you later call to another owner, 사장님 is the respectful title. Politeness toward your listener and respect attached to someone's title are related choices, but they are expressed in different parts of the sentence.
Where Will You See the Plain Word 사장?
News reports and company profiles use 사장 to identify a person’s position. A name followed by 사장 labels that person as president. In conversation, a surname followed by 사장님 can address or respectfully refer to the same person. Seeing the plain title in a headline does not make it the best choice for greeting them.
The English “boss” may mean anyone who supervises you. 사장 is more specific. A team leader may assign your work while the company president is someone you never meet. In that case both can be your 상사, a superior, but their titles are different. Choose the Korean word based on the person’s role rather than translating “boss” automatically.
A company president is not necessarily the person who owns the business. At a small cafe, 사장 often means the owner who runs it. At a larger company, it can identify the president's position without saying who owns the shares. The same Korean noun covers these settings; the surrounding business description supplies the difference.
Words for Describing Work Relationships
| Word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 회사 | company | The organization a company president leads. |
| 가게 | shop | A small business whose operator may be called 사장. |
| 동료 | colleague | Someone you work with, not necessarily a superior. |
| 팀장 | team leader | A different role that can still be your immediate boss. |
Use the office and business vocabulary lesson to connect positions with workplace activities. When addressing the people themselves, compare 사장님. That page focuses on respectful address, while 사장 lets you read job descriptions and state an owner's role in a self-introduction.
Quick Self-Test
- Which form fits your own introduction: 사장이에요 or 사장님이에요?
- Is every 상사 necessarily the 사장?
- Does 회사 사장 always mean the person owns the company?
Show answers
- 사장이에요. You normally do not attach 님 to your own title.
- No. 상사 can refer to a supervisor at another rank.
- No. It can identify the company president without describing ownership.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say 'owner' in Korean?
Say 사장, as in 저는 작은 가게의 사장이에요.
When do I use 사장 and when 사장님?
사장 names the position when you talk about it, and 사장님 is how you address the person.
Is 사장 only for a company president?
No. It also covers the owner of a shop, as in 가게 사장.
What is a department head called?
부장, a department manager rank.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: school work office vocabulary.
- Honorific form: 사장님.
- Next word: business trip in Korean.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 사장 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.