Key Facts
- Hangul: 초등학교; Revised Romanization: chodeunghakgyo; pronounced [cho-deung-hak-kkyo]
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 初等學校 (初 first + 等 grade + 學 learn + 校 school)
- Register: Neutral. The first part, 초등 (elementary), also forms words such as 초등학생.
- Culture: In Korea elementary school lasts six years.
Elementary School in Korean: What Does 초등학교 Mean?
초등학교 means elementary school. The register is neutral. The first part, 초등 (elementary), also appears in 초등학생 (elementary school student). In Korea, elementary school lasts six years.
How Do You Pronounce 초등학교?
Four syllables, pronounced [초등학꾜]. In 학교, the final ㄱ of 학 is held without a release, and the following ㄱ becomes the tense sound ㄲ. The spelling keeps 학교.
Example Sentences with 초등학교
저는 초등학교에 다녀요.
Jeoneun chodeunghakgyoe danyeoyo.
I attend elementary school.
A statement of enrolment. 다녀요 is the verb for attending, so the sentence says you go there regularly.
제 동생은 초등학교 선생님이에요.
Je dongsaengeun chodeunghakgyo seonsaengnimieyo.
My younger sibling is an elementary school teacher.
A family fact. 초등학교 선생님 is an elementary school teacher, and 이에요 ends the sentence.
초등학교는 육 년이에요.
Chodeunghakgyoneun yuk nyeonieyo.
Elementary school lasts six years.
A length note. 육 년 means six years. In speech the two words run together as [융 녀니에요]: the k of 육 becomes ng before the n of 년.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Three phrases are worth learning. 초등학교에 입학하다 is to enter elementary school, 초등학생 is an elementary school student and 초등학교 선생님 is an elementary school teacher.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 초등학교에 입학하다 | to enter elementary school |
| 초등학생 | elementary school student |
| 초등학교 선생님 | elementary school teacher |
The Mistake to Avoid
Older books and older speakers sometimes use 국민학교, so learners think both names are current.
- Wrong: 국민학교 for a school today.
- Correct: 초등학교. 국민학교 was the official name until 1996.
초등학교 Compared with Related Words
Two entries show the sequence. 유치원 comes before elementary school and 중학교 comes after it.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 초등학교 | elementary school | This page's word |
| 중학교 | middle school | 중학교 comes after 초등학교. |
| 유치원 | kindergarten | 유치원 comes before 초등학교. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
초등학교 is Sino-Korean, written 初等學校 in hanja: 初 means first, 等 means grade, 學 means learn and 校 means school. Together they mean a school for the first stage of education.
Talking about a Child at a Family Gathering
Jisu
아이가 초등학교에 다녀요?
Aiga chodeunghakgyoe danyeoyo?
Does your child attend elementary school?
Mina
네. 올해 입학했어요.
Ne. Olhae ipakaesseoyo.
Yes. They started this year.
Jisu
그럼 일 학년이에요?
Geureom il hangnyeonieyo?
Then are they in first grade?
Mina
네. 학교를 좋아해요.
Ne. Hakgyoreul joahaeyo.
Yes. They like school.
The speakers are discussing a child's schooling, so 다녀요 asks about regular attendance. It does not ask whether the child is on the way to school right now. 입학했어요 means “entered school” or “started school”; 올해 places that event in the current year.
일 학년 means first grade. Korean uses Sino-Korean numbers for school grades, so the number is 일 here. The reply does not need to repeat 아이 or 초등학교 once the two adults know who and which school stage they are discussing. Polite 요 endings fit a conversation between adults who are getting acquainted.
How Do You Talk about Attending and Finishing School?
초등학교에 다니다 means attending elementary school over a period of time. 초등학교에 가다 means going to elementary school; with a time expression, it can describe an individual trip there. The first phrase answers a question about enrolment, while the second can answer a question about where someone is going.
초등학교에 입학하다 describes entering elementary school. 초등학교를 졸업하다 describes graduating from it. Notice the particles in these set phrases: 에 marks the school entered, and 를 marks the school graduated from. The English prepositions do not map directly onto the Korean particles.
초등학교 때 means “when I was in elementary school” or “during elementary school”. Adults use this phrase to introduce childhood memories. It names a period in someone's life, so the speaker does not have to be a current pupil. In a drama conversation about old friends, this time phrase can explain when the characters first met.
Where Will You See 초등학교?
초등학교 appears at the end of school names on gates, maps and bus-stop information. The name before it identifies the particular school. If you are following directions, read the complete name: several places in one area can all be elementary schools.
School notices use 초등학생 when they mean the children rather than the institution. A ticket notice marked 초등학생 concerns elementary school pupils, while a map label ending in 초등학교 names a school. The shared 초등 helps you recognize the educational stage, but the final part tells you whether the word refers to a person or a place.
The noun 초등학교 itself is neutral. 선생님 is the respectful everyday term for a teacher, so 초등학교 선생님 is suitable when introducing someone's occupation. There is no need to replace the school name with a special honorific noun.
Useful Words for a Child's School Year
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 학년 | school grade / year | Follows a number to identify the pupil's grade. |
| 반 | class | Identifies a class group within a grade. |
| 입학 | school entry | Appears in notices about starting school. |
| 졸업 | graduation | Marks completion of the school stage. |
| 초등학생 | elementary school pupil | Names the learner, rather than the building. |
The school vocabulary lesson teaches the wider classroom set. A child's school, grade and class answer three different questions: which institution, which year and which group.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 초등학생 name a school or a pupil?
- Which phrase describes regular attendance: 초등학교에 다니다 or 초등학교를 졸업하다?
- In 초등학교 때, is the speaker necessarily still a pupil?
Show answers
- A pupil. 초등학교 names the school.
- 초등학교에 다니다. The other phrase means graduating from elementary school.
- No. It can introduce an adult’s memory of elementary school.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "elementary school" in Korean?
Say 초등학교 (chodeunghakgyo).
How long is elementary school?
Six years, from first grade to sixth grade. After that, students move on to 중학교 (middle school).
Is 국민학교 still used?
It was the old name until 1996. Use 초등학교.
What comes after 초등학교?
중학교 follows it.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: School places 초등학교 with the other words of its topic.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Flashcards: put 초등학교 into the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next entry: The school list continues with the eraser, so see eraser.
- Compare: 중학교 is covered on its own page.