Key Facts
- Word: 캠핑 (kaemping)
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: loanword
- Register: Neutral loanword from English; commonly 캠핑을 가다.
- Meaning: camping
Camping in Korean: Meaning and Register
캠핑 is a loanword from English and is neutral. The usual way to use it is 캠핑을 가다, go camping.
A formal Sino-Korean word with the same meaning exists: 야영. 캠핑 is the everyday word, and 야영 is the one that sounds written and formal.
Related nouns build on the word: 캠핑장 is a campsite and 캠핑카 is a camper van.
Pronunciation
캠핑 has two syllables, kaem-ping, read as written. Both ㅋ and ㅍ are aspirated, with a strong puff of air, and the first vowel ㅐ is close to the e in "bed".
Example Sentences
주말에 캠핑을 가요.
Jumare kaempingeul gayo.
I go camping on the weekend.
주말에 means on the weekend, and 가요 is go. The sentence uses 캠핑을 as the object of 가요.
저는 캠핑을 좋아해요.
Jeoneun kaempingeul joahaeyo.
I like camping.
좋아해요 means like. The sentence tells a listener your taste in a simple statement.
가족과 같이 캠핑해요.
Gajokgwa gachi kaempinghaeyo.
I go camping with my family.
캠핑해요 turns the noun into a verb by adding the verb for "do", and 가족과 같이 means together with family.
Collocations
- 캠핑을 가다: go camping
- 캠핑장: campsite
- 캠핑카: camper van
캠핑을 가다 is the basic phrase. 캠핑장 is a campsite, and 캠핑카 is a camper van. Both new words simply add a word after 캠핑.
Common Mistake
Learners treat 캠핑 as a place and give it the destination particle 에.
- Wrong: 캠핑에 가요.
- Correct: 캠핑을 가요 or 캠핑하러 가요 (I go to camp). In casual speech the particle is often dropped: 캠핑 가요.
If you want to name the place, use 캠핑장 (campsite): 캠핑장에 가요.
캠핑 vs 야영
| Word | Meaning | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|---|
| 캠핑 | camping | This page's word; the everyday term. |
| 야영 | camping | Formal Sino-Korean word, used for things like scout or school camps. |
| 텐트 | tent | The equipment, not the activity. |
야영 is the formal, Sino-Korean word for camping. 텐트 is a tent, the equipment rather than the activity. If you are talking about the weekend trip, use 캠핑.
Before a Weekend Camping Trip
Two friends are checking what they need before a weekend away. They have already agreed to go together and now discuss the campsite and equipment.
Jisu
이번 주말에 캠핑 갈까요?
Ibeon jumare kaemping galkkayo?
Shall we go camping this weekend?
Mina
좋아요. 캠핑장 예약했어요?
Joayo. Kaempingjang yeyakhaesseoyo?
Sounds good. Have you booked the campsite?
Jisu
네, 예약했어요. 텐트 있어요?
Ne, yeyakhaesseoyo. Tenteu isseoyo?
Yes, I have. Do you have a tent?
Mina
네, 제가 가져갈게요.
Ne, jega gajyeogalgeyo.
Yes, I will bring it.
이번 주말 means “this weekend”. The first line uses the conversational 캠핑 가다 without 을, while the next line switches to 캠핑장, the place that needs booking. The final speaker leaves out 텐트 because the question has just named it. 제가 identifies who will take responsibility for bringing it.
Where Will You See 캠핑?
캠핑 appears in weekend plans, outdoor-equipment shops and travel videos. A heading such as 캠핑 용품 means camping supplies: it points to things you take on the trip. 캠핑장 예약 means campsite booking, so it concerns arranging the place to stay. Learn the final noun as well as 캠핑 to tell a shopping page from a booking page.
야영 also appears on outdoor signs. 야영 금지 means “no camping”, and 야영장 means a camping ground. Although 야영 sounds more formal than 캠핑 in everyday plans, the word can carry practical information on a sign. Recognizing both terms helps you connect friendly conversation with written notices about the same activity.
캠핑 itself is neutral. A polite invitation uses an ending such as 갈까요, “shall we go?” Saying 캠핑 rather than 야영 does not make a sentence rude or overly casual. The choice describes how people normally name the leisure activity, while the sentence ending sets the tone of the invitation.
Campsites, Equipment and Things to Do
캠핑을 가다 focuses on going away to camp. 캠핑하다 focuses on doing the activity, and 캠핑하러 가다 explicitly means going in order to camp. These expressions can describe the same weekend. 캠핑장에 가다 names the destination, which might also be somewhere you visit to meet friends or look around.
텐트를 치다 means to pitch a tent. The verb 치다 has many other uses, but with 텐트 this is the combination to recognize. 텐트를 접다 means to fold the tent away. These phrases describe setting up and packing up, rather than travelling to the campsite.
캠핑카 names a camper van or motorhome. 캠핑장 names a place, so a booking for a 캠핑장 does not by itself mean that a vehicle or tent is included. 글램핑 means glamping, a style of camping associated with more equipped accommodation. The label alone still leaves details such as bedding and cooking equipment to the listing.
Related Words for Packing
| Korean | Meaning | Why it belongs on the list |
|---|---|---|
| 텐트 | tent | The shelter; not a word for the whole trip. |
| 침낭 | sleeping bag | Bedding to pack when the accommodation does not provide it. |
| 랜턴 | lantern | A portable light for the campsite. |
| 장작 | firewood | Wood for a fire; separate from cooking equipment. |
The hobbies vocabulary lesson places camping beside other leisure activities. For packing, separate the activity 캠핑, the destination 캠핑장 and the equipment 텐트. Those three words let you explain what you plan to do, where you will do it and what you need to bring.
Quick Self-Test
- Which names the place: 캠핑 or 캠핑장?
- Does 캠핑 가요 without 을 work in conversation?
- What does 야영 금지 on an outdoor sign mean?
Show answers
- 캠핑장 names the campsite.
- Yes. The particle is often left out in casual conversation.
- No camping. 야영 is another word for camping, and 금지 means prohibition.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say camping in Korean?
It is 캠핑, romanized kaemping. It comes from English "camping".
How do I say go camping?
Say 캠핑을 가요, or use 캠핑하러 가요.
What is the difference between 캠핑 and 야영?
야영 is the formal Sino-Korean word. 캠핑 is the everyday loanword.
What is a 캠핑장?
It is a campsite: 캠핑 plus 장 (place).
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: hobbies vocabulary puts 캠핑 next to its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z lists every word page.
- Practice: vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next word: Fishing in Korean