Key Facts
- 회사 (hoesa) means company or workplace.
- Part of speech: noun; origin: Sino-Korean, 會社.
- Register: neutral, in spoken and written Korean.
- Level: A1.
Company in Korean: What Does 회사 Mean?
회사 means a company, and by extension the place where you work. The hanja 會社 joins 會, meeting, with 社, society. 직장 is a more general word for the workplace and the job, while 사무실 is the office room itself. Compounds such as 회사원 (office worker) and 회사 동료 (coworker) are built directly on it.
How Do You Pronounce 회사?
The Revised Romanization is hoesa. The first syllable 회 is one beat. Revised Romanization writes its vowel ㅚ as oe, but in everyday speech most people say it like hwe, so 회사 sounds close to hwe-sa.
How Do You Use 회사 in a Sentence?
저는 회사에 다녀요.
I work at a company.
Jeoneun hoesae danyeoyo. 다녀요 is the verb for attending a place regularly, so this line says where you work. The location marker 에 follows 회사.
회사는 지하철역 근처에 있어요.
The company is near the subway station.
Hoesaneun jihacheollyeok geuncheoe isseoyo. 회사는 is the topic, 지하철역 근처에 means near the subway station, and 있어요 gives the location. Note the sound change in 지하철역, pronounced [jihacheol-lyeok].
내일 회사에 가요.
I'm going to work tomorrow.
Naeil hoesae gayo. 내일 means tomorrow, and 가요 is go. Koreans say they "go to the company" where English says "go to work". Note 에 again before the verb of movement.
Which Word Combinations Are Common with 회사?
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 회사에 다니다 | to work at a company |
| 회사 동료 | coworker |
| 회사원 | office worker |
회사에 다니다 is the set phrase for working at a company. 회사원 adds 원 (member) for an office worker, and 회사 동료 is a coworker.
What Is the Common Mistake with 회사?
English "company" also means being with other people, as in "I enjoy your company". 회사 never has that meaning.
- Wrong: using 회사 for companionship or for guests.
- Correct: 회사 only for a business or the place you work.
A grammar note: the standard way to say "I go to the company" is 회사에 가요. In casual speech you will also hear 회사를 가요; that is casual, not wrong, but 에 is the safer choice when you write.
How Does 회사 Differ from Similar Words?
Two nearby workplace words each have a narrower job.
| Word | Meaning | How to tell it from 회사 |
|---|---|---|
| 직장 | workplace | Emphasizes the job place; 회사 emphasizes the company. |
| 사무실 | office | The office room, not the whole organization. |
Meeting a New Neighbor Who Works Nearby
Two neighbors meet in their apartment building. One asks about the other person’s employer, then finds out where the workplace is.
Jisu
어느 회사에 다니세요?
Eoneu hoesae daniseyo?
Which company do you work for?
Alex
작은 회사에 다녀요.
Jageun hoesae danyeoyo.
I work for a small company.
Jisu
회사가 이 근처에 있어요?
Hoesaga i geuncheoe isseoyo?
Is your company near here?
Alex
네. 걸어서 십 분 걸려요.
Ne. Georeoseo sip bun geollyeoyo.
Yes. It takes ten minutes on foot.
어느 회사 asks “which company”, so a company name would be a direct answer. Alex gives a broader answer, 작은 회사, “a small company”, without naming the employer. The next question shifts from the organization to the location of the workplace. Context makes both uses of 회사 easy to follow.
다니세요 respectfully asks about the other person’s regular attendance at work. Alex answers about themself with 다녀요. The noun 회사 does not change; the verb ending carries the respect. This makes the exchange useful when meeting an adult you do not know well.
Set Phrases about Working for a Company
우리 회사 literally means “our company”, but a speaker may use it where English would say “my company”, meaning their employer. It does not imply that the speaker owns the business. Korean often uses 우리 for groups a person belongs to, so the phrase can express membership rather than ownership.
회사 생활 means working life at a company. 생활 is life or daily living, so the phrase covers the experience of working there: relationships, routines and adjustment to the job. It is broader than the physical 사무실, which names an office room.
회사에 다니다 describes employment as an ongoing situation. 회사에 가다 describes going to the workplace on a particular occasion. A person can work for a company while staying home that day, so those two phrases answer different questions: where someone works and where they are going.
Where Will You Encounter 회사?
회사 소개 means “company introduction”. You may see it as a website section giving information about a business. 회사명 means “company name”, a useful label on a form. Neither asks for the address of the office; the requested information is about the organization.
In a drama or a message between coworkers, 회사 can stand for the workplace when someone explains where they are. In job talk, 회사원 gives a broad occupation, “company employee” or “office worker”, without stating the person’s department, title or profession. It is useful in a basic self-introduction but leaves those details open.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 직원 | employee / staff member | A person employed by the organization. |
| 동료 | colleague | Someone you work alongside; 회사 동료 specifies a coworker. |
| 출근 | going to work / starting the workday | Names the arrival or start of work. |
| 퇴근 | leaving work / finishing the workday | Names the end of the workday. |
| 부서 | department | A unit within a company, rather than the whole business. |
The office and business vocabulary lesson connects these words to workplace routines. When describing your own situation, choose 회사 for the employer, 사무실 for the office space and a role word for the job you do. That gives a listener more detail than translating every English “work” as 회사.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 우리 회사 mean the speaker owns the company?
- Which describes regular employment: 회사에 다니다 or 회사에 가다?
- What information belongs under 회사명 on a form?
Show answers
- No. It commonly means the company the speaker works for.
- 회사에 다니다.
- The company’s name.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say I Work at a Company?
Say 저는 회사에 다녀요. The verb 다니다 means to go somewhere regularly, such as work or school.
How Do I Say I Go to the Company Tomorrow?
Say 내일 회사에 가요, which is how Koreans say "I'm going to work tomorrow".
What Is a Coworker Called?
The collocation 회사 동료 means coworker.
Does 회사 Mean the Building or the Organization?
Mainly the organization, and by extension your workplace. The office room itself is 사무실.
Where to Go Next
The office and business vocabulary list covers more workplace words. Compare 사무실, then read about job talk at interview in Korean. See Korean words A to Z for the index.