Key Facts
- Hangul: 낚시; Revised Romanization: naksi; pronounced [nak-ssi]
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: Neutral; 낚시하다 means to fish.
Fishing in Korean: What Does 낚시 Mean?
낚시 means the activity of fishing, whether as a hobby at a lake or from a boat at sea. The register is neutral. Add 하다 and you get the verb 낚시하다, "to fish".
How Do You Pronounce 낚시?
The standard pronunciation is [nak-ssi]. After the final ㄱ sound, the ㅅ of 시 becomes tense, a sharper ss. Revised Romanization does not show this tensing, so naksi looks softer than it sounds.
Example Sentences with 낚시
아버지는 낚시를 좋아하세요.
abeojineun naksireul joahaseyo.
My father likes fishing.
This sentence uses the honorific 좋아하세요 for a respected family member, here the speaker's father.
주말에 바다에서 낚시해요.
jumare badaeseo naksihaeyo.
I fish at the sea on weekends.
The verb form 낚시해요 shows the noun plus 하다 in action. 주말 means weekend and 바다 means sea.
낚시로 물고기를 잡아요.
naksiro mulgogireul jabayo.
I catch fish by angling.
The particle 로 means "by means of", so 낚시로 says how the fish are caught. 물고기 is a live fish in the water; once it is food on the table or at the market, Korean calls it 생선.
Common Phrases and Collocations
낚시를 하다 means to fish or go fishing; 낚시하다 is the same verb without the particle. Nouns built on it include 낚시터 (a fishing spot) and 낚싯대 (a fishing rod).
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 낚시를 하다 | fish, go fishing |
| 낚시터 | fishing spot |
| 낚싯대 | fishing rod |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners read the spelling letter by letter and say a soft s.
Wrong: [nak-si], with a plain s
Correct: [nak-ssi], with a tense ss after the ㄱ
The same tensing carries into 낚시터 and 낚싯대, so practise the headword first and the compounds will follow.
낚시 Compared with Similar Words
물고기 is the quarry, not the pastime: 낚시 is what you do and 물고기 is what you catch. 생선 is fish as food, so the same fish is 물고기 on the line and 생선 at the market. 낚시꾼 is the angler, the person who fishes.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 낚시 | fishing | This page's word |
| 물고기 | fish | fish (the live animal) |
| 생선 | fish | fish as food |
| 낚시꾼 | angler | the person, not the activity |
Where Does the Word Come From?
낚시 is a native Korean word, so it has no hanja.
Planning a Weekend Fishing Trip
Two coworkers discuss going fishing. One is interested but has no equipment, so the other offers a spare rod.
Jisu
주말에 같이 낚시하러 갈까요?
Jumare gachi naksihareo galkkayo?
Shall we go fishing together this weekend?
Alex
좋아요. 그런데 낚싯대가 없어요.
Joayo. Geureonde naksitdaega eopseoyo.
Sounds good. But I do not have a fishing rod.
Jisu
제가 빌려줄게요.
Jega billyeojulgeyo.
I will lend you one.
Alex
그럼 몇 시에 만날까요?
Geureom myeot sie mannalkkayo?
Then what time shall we meet?
낚시하러 가다 means to go somewhere in order to fish. The 하러 part names the purpose of the trip, and 갈까요 makes the invitation. 낚싯대가 없어요 says the equipment is missing, not that Alex dislikes fishing. The last question then settles the meeting time.
Fishing Plans and Hobby Talk
낚시를 좋아하다 means to like fishing. It names a preference, so it does not promise a trip on any particular day. 낚시하러 가다 adds movement toward the activity. That difference is useful when a coworker asks about your hobbies and then suggests an actual outing.
낚시를 하다 and 낚시하다 both describe fishing. In the version with 를, the activity noun is explicitly marked as the object of 하다. In the one-word verb, 하다 attaches directly to 낚시. The existing examples show both patterns without changing the activity's meaning.
바다낚시 means sea fishing, and 민물낚시 means freshwater fishing. These compounds tell you the water environment. 배낚시 means fishing from a boat, so it describes the platform rather than simply repeating “sea”. The words help you follow trip plans even before anyone names a particular fishing spot.
Does 낚시 Mean That You Caught Something?
낚시 describes the activity, not a successful catch. Someone can spend the afternoon fishing without catching a fish. 물고기를 잡다, “catch fish”, names the result instead. This is why the example 낚시로 물고기를 잡아요 includes both the method and what is caught.
낚시꾼 names the angler. The ending 꾼 makes the word about a person associated with the activity; it does not name the fish. 낚시터 names the place. Keeping person, place and pastime separate helps you interpret signs and hobby conversations built around the same 낚시 beginning.
What Will You See near a Fishing Spot?
낚시터 appears in names and signs for fishing locations. 낚시 금지 means “no fishing”: 금지 marks a prohibition. It is a sign to recognize, not another kind of fishing. The presence of water or other anglers does not change the words on the sign.
낚시용품 means fishing supplies. 용품 labels items used for an activity, so a shop using this word sells equipment rather than fish for dinner. A fish stall selling food uses 생선; an equipment shop may display rods, line and bait.
Equipment Words to Learn Next
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 낚싯대 | fishing rod | The equipment Alex needs in the dialogue. |
| 낚싯줄 | fishing line | The line attached to the rod. |
| 낚싯바늘 | fishhook | The small hook at the end of the line. |
| 미끼 | bait | What is used to attract a fish. |
Notice the extra ㅅ in 낚싯대, 낚싯줄 and 낚싯바늘. The activity itself is written 낚시, while these equipment compounds have their own spellings. Copy the whole equipment word rather than joining the two visible nouns yourself.
The hobbies vocabulary lesson teaches other activities to discuss alongside 낚시. For what you hope to catch, the 물고기 page explains the animal word.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 낚시 guarantee a successful catch?
- What does 낚시 금지 mean on a sign?
- Which names the person: 낚시터 or 낚시꾼?
Show answers
- No. It names fishing as an activity; 잡다 names catching.
- No fishing.
- 낚시꾼 is the angler. 낚시터 is the place.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "fishing" in Korean?
Say 낚시 (naksi), pronounced [nak-ssi].
How do you say "go fishing"?
Use 낚시를 하다 or 낚시하다, as in 주말에 바다에서 낚시해요.
What is a fishing rod?
It is 낚싯대.
What is the verb "to fish"?
It is 낚시하다, the noun 낚시 plus 하다.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Hobby words. 낚시 sits there beside other pastimes.
- Index: look up more words near "fishing" in Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: the word for fishing fits into the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in this list, see the page for game.