Key Facts
- Hangul: 농부; Revised Romanization: nongbu
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 農夫 (農 farming + 夫 man)
- Register: Neutral; the standard word for a farmer.
Farmer in Korean: What Does 농부 Mean?
농부 means farmer, the person who grows crops or raises animals. It is the neutral, standard word, and it names the person rather than the work (농사) or the industry (농업).
How Do You Pronounce 농부?
Two syllables: nong-bu. The first ends in ng, and the b in bu is soft.
Example Sentences with 농부
농부는 밭에서 일해요.
Nongbuneun bateseo ilhaeyo.
The farmer works in the field.
에서 marks where the action happens, and 밭 is the field. 일해요 means works.
제 할아버지는 농부예요.
Je harabeojineun nongbuyeyo.
My grandfather is a farmer.
The topic marker 는 marks 할아버지 as the topic, and 예요 completes the sentence as an identity.
농부가 쌀을 키워요.
Nongbuga ssareul kiwoyo.
The farmer grows rice.
쌀 is rice, and 키워요 is the verb for growing or raising.
Common Phrases with 농부
These three show career, family and work patterns.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 농부가 되다 | to become a farmer |
| 농부의 아들 | a farmer's son |
| 농부가 일하다 | for a farmer to work |
The Mistake to Avoid
Mistake: using 농부 for the work, as if it meant "farming". Correct: 농부 is the person; the work of farming is 농사.
농부 Compared with Similar Words
Two neighbours cover group and industry. 농민 is a more formal or political word for farmers as a group, and 농업 is agriculture.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 농부 | farmer | This page's word |
| 농민 | farmer (peasantry) | 농민 is a more formal or political word for farmers as a group. |
| 농업 | agriculture | 농업 is farming as an industry. |
Where Does 농부 Come From?
농부 is Sino-Korean, written 農夫 in hanja: 農 (farming) plus 夫 (man).
Talking to a Grower at a Market
A shopper asks a stallholder about the vegetables on sale. The reply explains that the seller is also the person who grows them.
Shopper
이 채소는 직접 키우세요?
I chaesoneun jikjeop kiuseyo?
Do you grow these vegetables yourself?
Seller
네, 저는 농부예요.
Ne, jeoneun nongbuyeyo.
Yes, I am a farmer.
Shopper
어디에서 농사를 지으세요?
Eodieseo nongsareul jieuseyo?
Where do you farm?
Seller
근처 마을에서요.
Geuncheo maeureseoyo.
In a nearby village.
직접 asks whether the seller does the growing personally. 농사를 짓다 is the ordinary phrase for farming. The shopper uses 세요 to speak respectfully about the seller’s work; the seller uses 농부예요 to identify their own occupation. The final reply gives only the place because the question has already supplied the activity.
Which Phrases Describe a Farmer’s Work?
농부가 되다 means to become a farmer. The particle 가 marks the occupation someone becomes. In the existing phrase 농부가 일하다, 농부 is the person doing the work. Compare 농부 with 농사: one names the worker and the other names the activity. Adding an action verb does not turn 농부 into the Korean word for “farming”.
농사를 짓다 means to farm. 짓다 has several uses, including building, but this combination concerns agricultural work. Learn 농사 and 짓다 together rather than translating the verb as “build” every time. 농사일 means farm work and is useful when talking about the tasks that fill a farmer’s day.
벼농사 is rice farming and 밭농사 is farming crops in fields. These compounds name kinds of farming, rather than different titles for the worker. A farmer may describe the crop or the work without repeating 농부 in every sentence. Once the occupation is clear, the crop name often gives the listener more useful information.
Where Will You Hear or See 농부?
In a children’s story, 농부 can introduce a character’s occupation. In a television interview at a farm, it identifies the person doing the farming. In an everyday self-introduction, 농부예요 says “I am a farmer”. A shopkeeper selling produce is not automatically a 농부, because selling and growing are separate roles.
News about agricultural policy often uses 농민 or 농업인. 농민 highlights farmers as people or as a social group; 농업인 is an occupational term common in administrative and industry contexts. These words can refer to an individual too. Their use is not limited to a crowd, even when the news story concerns farmers collectively.
농업 names agriculture as a field or industry. A headline about 농업 can concern production, technology or policy rather than one farmer’s daily work. 농촌 means a farming or rural community. A person can live in 농촌 without working as a farmer, just as a seller can work at a produce market without growing the vegetables.
Rice, Fields and Harvests
벼 is the rice plant, 쌀 is the grain after milling, and 밥 is cooked rice or a meal. English uses “rice” for several stages, but Korean gives you different words. In a description of a field, 벼 is the precise word for the growing plant. At a grocery stall, 쌀 names the uncooked grain being sold.
논 is a paddy field used for rice, while 밭 is a field used for other crops. Both can belong to a farmer, but they are different landscape words. If a photograph shows vegetables growing in rows, 밭 is a more useful description than the broad English label “farm”.
Related Words for a Farm Visit
| Korean | Meaning | One useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 농장 | farm | The place or enterprise, rather than its worker. |
| 농사 | farming | The work, commonly paired with 짓다. |
| 농작물 | crops | Plants grown as agricultural products. |
| 수확 | harvest; harvesting | Gathering the crop when it is ready. |
| 채소 | vegetables | A product category a grower may sell. |
The jobs vocabulary lesson compares 농부 with other occupations. When describing a farm visit, combine the person, the place and the product: 농부 identifies the worker, 농장 the farm, and 채소 the vegetables.
Quick Self-Test
- Which word names the person: 농부 or 농사?
- Which word refers to a growing rice plant: 벼, 쌀 or 밥?
- Does everyone living in 농촌 necessarily work as a farmer?
Show answers
- 농부. 농사 is the work of farming.
- 벼. 쌀 is milled uncooked rice; 밥 is cooked rice or a meal.
- No. 농촌 describes a rural farming community, not each resident’s occupation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "farmer" in Korean?
Say 농부 (nongbu).
What is the work of farming called?
농사.
What is the difference between 농부 and 농민?
농민 is a more formal or political word for farmers as a group.
How do you say "farmer's son"?
농부의 아들.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: people jobs vocabulary groups 농부 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 농부 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Another job word is on the page for firefighter. See the page for firefighter.