Key Facts
- Hangul: 운전기사 (unjeongisa)
- Meaning: driver (professional), taxi/bus driver
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Syllables: four (un-jeon-gi-sa)
- Register: Polite-neutral occupational word; 운전사 is also used and 기사님 is the polite address.
- Level: A2
Driver in Korean: What Does 운전기사 Mean?
운전기사 is a Sino-Korean noun for a professional driver, such as someone who drives a taxi or a bus. It is polite and neutral, and it names a job, not an action. A shorter option, 운전사, is also used for the same worker. When you speak to the driver directly, add 님 and say 기사님, which is the respectful form of address.
How Do You Pronounce 운전기사?
Four syllables: un-jeon-gi-sa. Keep the stress even. The ㅈ in 전 is a soft j, and the vowel in 전 is the open eo, not "on". RR writes it unjeongisa, and with the polite 님 added it becomes unjeongisanim.
How Do You Use 운전기사 in a Sentence?
운전기사는 버스를 몰아요.
The driver drives the bus.
unjeongisaneun beoseureul morayo. 는 marks the driver as the topic, 버스를 is the thing driven, and 몰아요 is the polite verb meaning drives. The sentence describes the job in one line.
운전기사님, 감사합니다.
Thank you, driver.
unjeongisanim, gamsahamnida. 님 is added after 운전기사 to show respect, and the comma shows this is a direct address. 감사합니다 is the formal thank-you, so the line fits a taxi ride or the end of a bus trip.
아버지는 택시 운전기사예요.
My father is a taxi driver.
abeojineun taeksi unjeongisayeyo. 택시 comes before 운전기사 to say what kind of driver. The word 운전기사 ends in a vowel, so the to-be form is 예요, and RR joins it as unjeongisayeyo.
Common Word Combinations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 택시 운전기사 | taxi driver |
| 버스 운전기사 | bus driver |
| 기사님 | driver (polite address) |
Put the vehicle first and 운전기사 last: 택시 운전기사 for taxi, 버스 운전기사 for bus. 기사님 is not a job title but a way of calling out to a driver, so you can use it as a vocative.
Common Mistake
Wrong: Using 운전기사 for anyone who happens to be driving.
Correct: 운전자 for the person driving, and 운전기사 only for a professional driver.
운전기사 names an occupation. A father driving the family home is a 운전자, not a 운전기사.
How Does 운전기사 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | Meaning | How to tell it from 운전기사 |
|---|---|---|
| 운전사 | driver | Another everyday word for a professional driver. Both are fine. |
| 운전자 | person driving | Anyone at the wheel, whether or not it is their job. |
Asking a Taxi Driver Where to Stop
A passenger is approaching a station by taxi. The passenger uses 기사님 to get the driver’s attention respectfully.
Passenger
기사님, 역 앞에 세워 주세요.
Gisanim, yeok ape sewo juseyo.
Driver, please stop in front of the station.
Driver
저기 입구 앞이요?
Jeogi ipgu apiyo?
In front of that entrance over there?
Passenger
네, 맞아요. 감사합니다.
Ne, majayo. Gamsahamnida.
Yes, that’s right. Thank you.
Driver
네, 알겠습니다.
Ne, algesseumnida.
Certainly, understood.
기사님 addresses the person; 역 앞에 gives the stopping place. 세워 주세요 asks the driver to stop the vehicle. The driver repeats the location to confirm it. In a taxi, that brief exchange is more useful than saying the full occupational noun every time you speak.
Addressing a Driver and Talking about Their Job
운전기사 names a job, while 기사님 is a respectful way to address the person doing it. You can also use 기사님 when speaking about a driver respectfully, rather than only when calling for their attention. The taxi setting makes clear which person the title refers to.
The 님 in 기사님 honors the person. The 요 ending in a request makes the sentence polite to the listener. A passenger’s 기사님, followed by a request ending in 주세요, therefore combines a respectful title with a polite request. Neither part needs the driver’s personal name.
운전자 has a different job: it identifies whoever is driving. A road-safety notice may address 운전자 because it applies to private motorists as well as professional drivers. If a friend gives you a lift, the action is 운전하다, “to drive”; that does not automatically make 운전기사 their occupation.
Where Will You See 운전기사?
운전기사 appears in job descriptions, introductions and reports about transport workers. The vehicle can come first: 택시 운전기사 or 버스 운전기사. You may also hear the shorter 택시 기사님 or 버스 기사님 when someone respectfully refers to the driver they met.
A job advertisement may use 기사 모집, meaning that drivers or other relevant skilled workers are being recruited. 기사 has several uses beyond driving, so read the vehicle or industry word beside it. A transport context makes a driver interpretation natural; the syllables alone are not enough in every setting.
In a drama, a character might call 기사님 before giving a destination. A subtitle may simply say “Driver” or omit the title in English. That does not make 님 meaningless: the Korean line still marks respect toward the person addressed. Listen for the title before the place name or request.
Useful Transport Words around the Driver
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 승객 | passenger | The person being transported, rather than the driver. |
| 목적지 | destination | The place the passenger wants to reach. |
| 요금 | fare / charge | The amount charged for the ride. |
| 정류장 | stop | Common in bus travel. |
| 운전하다 | to drive | Names the action rather than the occupation. |
The jobs vocabulary lesson groups 운전기사 with other occupations. When describing a family member’s work, keep the vehicle and job together as in the existing taxi-driver example. When arranging a ride, focus instead on who is driving, who is riding and where the destination is.
A bus passenger may hear 정류장 in an announcement without hearing 운전기사 at all. The driver’s role is already understood. Korean often leaves an obvious person or object unspoken, so a natural transport conversation does not have to repeat the full job title in every line.
Quick Self-Test
- How can you respectfully get a taxi driver’s attention?
- Which word includes a friend driving their own car: 운전자 or 운전기사?
- Does 님 only work when speaking directly to the driver?
Show answers
- Say 기사님.
- 운전자. 운전기사 identifies a professional driver.
- No. 기사님 can also respectfully refer to a driver when speaking about them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Call a Taxi Driver 운전기사?
You can name the job that way, but to get their attention say 기사님.
Is 운전사 Also Correct?
Yes. 운전사 is another everyday word for a professional driver.
How Do I Say My Father Is a Taxi Driver?
Say 아버지는 택시 운전기사예요. 예요 follows the vowel at the end of 운전기사.
What Is the Difference between 운전기사 and 운전자?
운전기사 is a professional driver. 운전자 is any person driving.
Where to Go Next
This word sits in the people jobs vocabulary list. After the driver, learn the word for a farmer, another job title. To practise, try the vocabulary flashcard decks or return to Korean words A to Z.