Key Facts
- Hangul: 등산; Revised Romanization: deungsan
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: Neutral; the verb 등산하다 means to go hiking or climb a mountain.
- Hanja: 登山 (登 climb + 山 mountain)
Hiking in Korean: What Does 등산 Mean?
등산 covers both hiking and mountain climbing. Most Korean hiking happens on mountain trails, so one word does both jobs. It is neutral in register, and the verb is 등산하다.
How Is It Used?
The activity word works as a noun and as a verb stem. With 을 and 가다 it means go hiking, and with 하다 it becomes the verb 등산하다, as the third example shows in the past tense. Compounds such as 등산화 and 등산복 show how the word attaches to gear: 등산 plus 화 (shoes) or 복 (clothes) names hiking equipment.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Two syllables, deung-san. The first ends in ng and the second ends in n.
Example Sentences with 등산
주말에 등산을 가요.
jumare deungsaneul gayo.
I go hiking on weekends.
가요 means go, and 주말에 sets the time as the weekend.
우리 가족은 등산을 좋아해요.
uri gajogeun deungsaneul joahaeyo.
My family likes hiking.
좋아해요 shows family taste, with 우리 가족 as the subject.
친구와 북한산에서 등산했어요.
chinguwa bukhansaneseo deungsanhaesseoyo.
I hiked on Bukhansan with a friend.
북한산 (Bukhansan) is a mountain on the northern edge of Seoul, and 등산했어요 is 등산하다 in the past tense.
Collocations
Besides going hiking, the useful compounds name the boots and clothing that go with it.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 등산을 가다 | go hiking |
| 등산화 | hiking boots |
| 등산복 | hiking clothes |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners confuse 등산 with 산책 because both involve walking outdoors.
Wrong: 산책 for a trip up a mountain
Correct: 등산 for a mountain hike; keep 산책 for a leisurely walk, such as a stroll in a park after dinner
등산 Compared with Similar Words
산 is a mountain and 산책 is a walk or stroll. 등산 contains 산, the mountain (山). Careful: the 산 in 산책 is a different hanja, 散 (scatter), so 산책 has nothing to do with mountains.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 등산 | hiking | This page's word |
| 산책 | a walk | a walk / stroll |
| 산 | mountain | mountain |
Where Does the Word Come From?
등산 is Sino-Korean, written 登山 (登 climb + 山 mountain).
Cultural Note
Hiking is hugely popular in Korea, with many people wearing full hiking gear.
Making a Weekend Hiking Plan
Two coworkers discuss a mountain outing. The plan includes the activity, a meeting time, and what to bring.
Jisu
토요일에 같이 등산 갈까요?
Toyoire gachi deungsan galkkayo?
Shall we go hiking together on Saturday?
Alex
좋아요. 몇 시에 만날까요?
Joayo. Myeot sie mannalkkayo?
Sounds good. What time shall we meet?
Jisu
아침 아홉 시에 만나요. 등산화도 가져오세요.
Achim ahop sie mannayo. Deungsanhwado gajyeooseyo.
Let’s meet at nine in the morning. Bring hiking boots too.
Alex
네, 물도 가져갈게요.
Ne, muldo gajyeogalgeyo.
Okay, I’ll bring water too.
등산 갈까요 leaves out 을 from 등산을 가다, which is natural in conversation. The question proposes an outing. The second speaker accepts with 좋아요 before asking about the time. 등산화도 adds hiking boots to the preparations, and 물도 adds water; 도 means “too” or “also”.
Activity or Destination: 등산을 가다 and 산에 가다
등산을 가다 names the activity you are going out to do. 산에 가다 means to go to a mountain and names the destination. A person going to a mountain might hike, visit a cafe near the base, or meet someone there, so the destination phrase alone gives less detail about the plan.
등산하다 focuses on doing the activity. With a named mountain, 에서 marks where it happens, as in the Bukhansan example above. The distinction is practical: 에 points to a destination with 가다, while 에서 marks the setting for hiking with 등산하다.
등산을 좋아하다 describes liking hiking in general. 등산을 가다 describes going on an outing. If someone asks about hobbies, the first phrase answers their interest; if someone asks about weekend plans, the second can describe what they will do.
Trail and Equipment Combinations
등산로 means hiking trail. Look for it on maps and direction boards. 등산로 입구 means the entrance to a hiking trail, a more precise meeting place than simply “the mountain”. 입구 means entrance and helps you identify where the route begins.
등산화 names hiking footwear, and 등산복 names hiking clothes. These are compact nouns, written as single words. In an outdoor shop, seeing 등산 at the start of several labels tells you that the products are intended for hiking, even if you have not learned the final part yet.
등산객 means hikers: the people doing the activity. 등산 동호회 means a hiking club, a group formed around that interest. The first identifies people on a trail; the second identifies a group you might join or arrange an outing with.
Where Will You Meet 등산 outside a Lesson?
Weekend conversations, club notices, outdoor shops, and mountain maps all use 등산. A club notice may combine it with a date, meeting time, and location. The dialogue's question about when to meet is useful because an invitation to hike still leaves those arrangements open.
On a trail map, 정상 means summit and 하산 means descending a mountain. These words describe different parts of an outing. A sign pointing toward the summit gives a direction; it does not tell you how difficult the whole route will be.
등산 is neutral vocabulary, so the word works in both a casual plan and a written announcement. The invitation 갈까요 asks for the other person's agreement. The polite request 가져오세요 asks them to bring something to the meeting place.
Related Outdoor Words
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 배낭 | backpack | Names the bag you carry on your back. |
| 정상 | summit | The top of a mountain. |
| 하산 | descent from a mountain | The downward part of the outing. |
| 산책 | walk / stroll | Better for a relaxed neighborhood or park walk. |
The hobbies vocabulary lesson places 등산 beside other leisure activities. For a gentle walk after dinner, 산책 is usually the better activity word. For an outing along a mountain trail, 등산 tells your listener what kind of trip you mean.
Quick Self-Test
- Which word means hiking boots?
- Which particle marks Bukhansan as the location in 북한산에서 등산했어요?
- Would 산책 or 등산 better describe a relaxed neighborhood stroll?
Show answers
- 등산화.
- 에서 marks where the activity happened.
- 산책.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say hiking in Korean?
Say 등산 (deungsan).
How do I say go hiking?
Say 등산을 가다.
Is 등산 a walk?
No. A leisurely walk is 산책.
What are hiking boots called?
They are 등산화.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Hobbies vocabulary groups 등산 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.