Key Facts
- Hangul: 출근; Revised Romanization: chulgeun
- Syllables: 2
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Hanja: 出勤 (出 go out + 勤 work)
- Register: Neutral; workplace word. Often used as 출근하다.
Going to Work in Korean: What Does 출근 Mean?
The two senses are going to work and commuting to work. Both describe the start of the working day, not the job itself, so 출근 is about the trip and the act of showing up. It is a neutral workplace word. In practice it is most often heard as the verb 출근하다, built by adding 하다 to the noun. Colleagues, news reports and office notices all use it without sounding stiff.
How Do You Pronounce 출근?
Say it in two syllables, chul-geun. The first syllable begins with an aspirated ch, a consonant released with a puff of air, and closes on an l. The second begins with a soft g and closes on n. Because 출근하다 is built from 출근 plus 하다, you will most often hear it run straight into the verb ending, as in chulgeunhaeyo in the first example below.
Example Sentences with 출근
저는 아침 여덟 시에 출근해요.
Jeoneun achim yeodeol sie chulgeunhaeyo.
I go to work at eight in the morning.
The clock time comes first, then the verb. 출근해요 is the noun plus 하다 in its polite present form, so the whole sentence reads as a plain statement of routine.
출근 시간이 한 시간 걸려요.
Chulgeun sigani han sigan geollyeoyo.
The commute takes an hour.
Here 출근 does not act as a verb. It sits in front of 시간 to make a compound meaning commute time, and 걸려요 says how long that trip takes.
오늘은 출근하지 않아요.
Oneureun chulgeunhaji anayo.
I am not going to work today.
The negative ending in 출근하지 않아요 turns the routine around. The sentence works for a day off, a holiday or working from home. It says there is no trip to work; it does not by itself say that no work will be done.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Each collocation takes 출근 and adds a verb ending, a time word or a road word, which shows how flexible the noun is.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 출근하다 | to go to work |
| 출근 시간 | commute time |
| 출근길 | commute to work |
The Mistake to Avoid
Possible: 직장에 가다 means going to the workplace and can naturally describe going to work.
Specific workplace verb: 출근하다, as in 저는 아침 여덟 시에 출근해요.
Why learn both? 출근하다 directly names reporting for work. 직장에 가다 describes going to the workplace. The choice depends on the sentence; 직장에 가다 is not a grammatical mistake.
출근 Compared with Similar Words
Three neighbouring words cover the rest of a working life. 퇴근 is the exact opposite, while the other two describe joining a company and arriving late.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 출근 | going to work; commuting to work | The word on this page. |
| 퇴근 | leaving work | The opposite. 출근 starts the day and 퇴근 ends it. |
| 입사 | joining a company | Starting at a company for the first time, not the daily trip. |
| 지각 | being late | A late arrival, which can happen on any 출근. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
출근 is Sino-Korean. The hanja 出勤 combine 出, to go out, and 勤, work, so the word is literally going out to work.
Comparing Commutes with a Coworker
Two coworkers are chatting before their first meeting of the day.
Jisu
보통 몇 시에 출근해요?
Botong myeot sie chulgeunhaeyo?
What time do you usually come to work?
Alex
아홉 시에 출근해요.
Ahop sie chulgeunhaeyo.
I come to work at nine.
Jisu
집에서 회사까지 얼마나 걸려요?
Jibeseo hoesakkaji eolmana geollyeoyo?
How long does it take from home to the office?
Alex
지하철로 삼십 분 걸려요.
Jihacheollo samsip bun geollyeoyo.
It takes thirty minutes by subway.
The first question asks for a clock time. The third asks for duration. This distinction matters because 출근 시간 can refer to the time you report for work or, in a sentence about how long the journey takes, your commuting time. Listen for 몇 시, “what time”, versus 얼마나 걸려요, “how long does it take”.
Where Will You Encounter 출근?
출근길 appears in traffic reports and weather forecasts because it means the journey to work. Its literal parts suggest a “work-going road”, but the word can refer to the commute by train, bus, or on foot. It does not identify a particular road.
출퇴근 combines going to work and leaving work, so it covers travel in both directions. You may encounter it in descriptions of transport or commuting routines. 출근하다 names reporting for work; 일하다 means actually working. Someone can arrive at the office before starting a task, so these verbs describe different parts of the day.
Words for a Workday
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 퇴근 | leaving work | The journey or departure at the other end of the working day. |
| 회사 | company / office | A common workplace destination. |
| 직장 | workplace / employment | Broader than a company office. |
| 재택근무 | working from home | Work carried out at home, without the usual trip to the workplace. |
The time expressions lesson helps you give a schedule, while leaving work completes the daily pair. 출근 itself does not specify whether the employee works mornings, evenings, or overnight.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 출근길 require travelling by car?
- Which question asks for commute duration: 몇 시에 or 얼마나 걸려요?
- Does 출근하다 mean the same thing as 일하다?
Show answers
- No. It can describe the journey to work by any means.
- 얼마나 걸려요 asks how long it takes.
- No. 출근하다 means reporting for work; 일하다 means working.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "going to work" in Korean?
Going to work in Korean is 출근 (chulgeun). As a verb it becomes 출근하다, and in a polite sentence you say 출근해요.
How do you say "I go to work at eight" in Korean?
Say 저는 아침 여덟 시에 출근해요. The time goes before the verb, and 아침 gives the morning.
What is the opposite of 출근?
The opposite is 퇴근, which means leaving work. Together the two words frame a working day.
Can 출근 be used without 하다?
Yes. In 출근 시간 it means commute time, and 출근길 means the commute to work.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Korean time expressions vocabulary groups 출근 with related words.
- Index: look up more words near "going to work" in Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 출근 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next word in the list: leaving work.