Key Facts
- Hangul: 책상; Revised Romanization: chaeksang; spoken [책쌍]
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean (冊床 (冊 book + 床 table))
- Register: Neutral everyday word for a desk or study table.
Desk in Korean: What Does 책상 Mean?
책상 means desk or study table: the table you sit at to read, write or work, at school, at home or in an office. The register is neutral and everyday.
How Do You Pronounce 책상?
Spelled chaeksang, spoken [책쌍]. The ㅅ after the final ㄱ becomes tense, a double s.
Example Sentences with 책상
책상 위에 책이 있어요.
chaeksang wie chaegi isseoyo.
There is a book on the desk.
Position. 위에 means on top, and 책이 is the book.
저는 책상에서 공부해요.
jeoneun chaeksangeseo gongbuhaeyo.
I study at my desk.
Habit of study. 책상에서 gives the place of action, and 공부해요 is study.
새 책상을 샀어요.
sae chaeksangeul sasseoyo.
I bought a new desk.
Purchase. 새 means new, and 샀어요 is bought.
How the Examples Fit Together
The three examples place the desk in a learner's daily scene: an object on it, a person working at it, and a purchase of a new one. The preposition-like word 위 is the key to the first, and 에서 is the key to the second because it marks where an action happens. The collocations add the furniture side, with the drawer and the tidying verb, so one entry gives you vocabulary for describing a whole study corner.
Collocations
Phrases include 책상에 앉다 for to sit at a desk, 책상 서랍 for desk drawer, 책상 위 for on the desk, and 책상을 정리하다 for to tidy the desk.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 책상에 앉다 | to sit at a desk |
| 책상 서랍 | desk drawer |
| 책상 위 | on the desk |
| 책상을 정리하다 | to tidy the desk |
The Mistake to Avoid
Mistake: calling any table 책상, including the one you eat at. Correct: 책상 is a desk or study table; a dining table is 식탁, and a general table is 탁자.
책상 Compared with Similar Words
책상 sits between two other table words.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 책상 | desk | This page's word |
| 탁자 | table | A general table, not a study desk. |
| 식탁 | dining table | The table where you eat. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
The hanja are 冊床: 冊 book and 床 table, so 책상 is literally a "book table".
Looking for a Book before Class
Two roommates are getting ready to leave for class. One cannot find a book, so they narrow the search from the desk to its drawer.
Mina
제 책이 어디 있어요?
Je chaegi eodi isseoyo?
Where is my book?
Jisu
책상 위에 없어요?
Chaeksang wie eopseoyo?
Isn’t it on the desk?
Mina
없어요. 책상 서랍에 있어요?
Eopseoyo. Chaeksang seorabe isseoyo?
It isn’t. Is it in the desk drawer?
Jisu
네, 여기 있어요.
Ne, yeogi isseoyo.
Yes, it’s here.
책상 위에 locates something on the surface, while 책상 서랍에 locates it in a drawer. The speakers keep the desk as their reference point and change the more precise location. 없어요 says something is absent; 있어요 says it is present. The question ending lets Jisu suggest a place to look.
What Do the Desk Phrases Actually Describe?
책상에 앉다 means “to sit at a desk”. In ordinary use, the person sits on a chair beside the desk, ready to study or work. English “at” captures the intended position. A literal translation using “sit on a desk” would put the person in a different place.
책상 위 means “the top of the desk” or “on the desk”, depending on the sentence. 위 identifies the upper surface. 책상 위에 책이 있어요 places the book there. 책상에서 공부해요 instead identifies the desk as the place where someone studies, without putting that person on its surface.
책상 서랍 means “desk drawer”. The first noun tells you which piece of furniture the drawer belongs to. Add 에 when locating an item there, as in the dialogue. You can therefore describe the same book more precisely by moving from the broad desk area to a particular storage space.
책상을 정리하다 means “to tidy the desk”. 정리하다 concerns putting things in order, such as arranging books or putting pens away. 책상을 닦다 means “to wipe the desk”, which focuses on cleaning its surface. Someone can organize a desk without wiping it, or wipe it after moving the clutter aside.
Choosing 책상 When Describing Furniture
책상 names furniture used for reading, writing, studying or office work. The function matters more than whether it has drawers. A simple work surface can still be a 책상, and a desk does not become a 식탁 just because someone eats a quick snack there.
식탁 is the dining table as a piece of furniture. 탁자 is a more general table. When describing a room, choose the noun that matches the furniture’s normal purpose. This makes “I bought a new desk” clearer than naming every flat surface with the same word.
Where Will You Hear or See 책상?
책상 appears in classroom instructions, conversations about homework, office moves and furniture listings. A teacher may talk about putting things on the desk, while a furniture description may mention its drawers. Both uses name the same everyday object; neither needs a special formal alternative.
The sound of 책상 keeps a tense ㅆ after ㄱ, even though the spelling has ㅅ. The pronunciation [책쌍] highlights that sound. In ordinary writing, keep 책상: the sound change does not add a second ㅅ to the spelling.
Words for Describing a Study Corner
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 의자 | chair | The seat beside the desk. |
| 서랍 | drawer | Storage that may be built into the desk. |
| 책장 | bookcase | Furniture for shelving books, rather than a work surface. |
| 스탠드 | desk lamp | In a desk setup, this often refers to a lamp. |
The furniture lesson teaches these room objects together. Distinguishing 책상 from 책장 is especially useful: both start with 책, “book”, but one supports your work and the other stores books on shelves.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 책상에 앉다 normally put a person on top of the desk?
- Which phrase specifically means wiping the desk?
- Which word names a bookcase: 책상 or 책장?
Show answers
- No. It means sitting at the desk, normally on a chair.
- 책상을 닦다.
- 책장. 책상 means desk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a dining table?
식탁.
What is a general table?
탁자.
What are the hanja?
冊床.
How do I say tidy the desk?
책상을 정리하다.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: the furniture words page groups 책상 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- The furniture list continues with mirror.