Key Facts
- Hangul: 집; Revised Romanization: jip
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native
- Register: Neutral everyday word; it covers both the building and the idea of home.
House in Korean: What Does 집 Mean?
집 is a neutral everyday native word. English splits "house" from "home", but Korean does not, so 집 is the building in one sentence and the feeling of home in the next. As a native word, 집 has no hanja.
How Do You Pronounce It?
One syllable, jip. It ends in a p that is not released: your lips close and the sound stops.
Example Sentences with 집
우리 집은 서울에 있어요.
Uri jibeun seoure isseoyo.
My house is in Seoul.
Here 우리 집 means "our house", and the topic marker 은 sets it up as the topic; 서울에 says where it is. The same word is used for a family home.
저는 집에서 쉬어요.
Jeoneun jibeseo swieoyo.
I rest at home.
집에서 is the place where resting happens, so the English translation is "at home" rather than "at the house".
지금 집에 가요.
Jigeum jibe gayo.
I am going home now.
가요 means go, and 집에 gives the destination, so the whole sentence is "I am going home". 지금 means "now".
Collocations
Four phrases show how 집 pairs with verbs of going, being and searching. The last one is a party you hold after moving.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 집에 가다 | to go home |
| 집에 있다 | to be at home |
| 집을 구하다 | to look for a house |
| 집들이 | housewarming party |
The Mistake to Avoid
Mistake: 집에서 가요 for "I am going home". Correct: 집에 가요. The particle 에 marks a destination; 집에서 가요 would mean leaving from home. The particle 에서 marks where an action happens, as in 집에서 쉬어요 from the second example above.
집 Compared with Similar Words
집 sits between a written word for family and a specific building type.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 집 | house | the building or place where you live |
| 가정 | home (family) | Written word for 'home' as a family unit; 집 is the building or place. |
| 아파트 | apartment | A specific kind of 집. |
Making Plans to Visit a Friend's Home
Mina checks whether Jisu is home before asking to visit. The friends use polite endings. The noun 집 stays the same throughout the exchange.
Mina
지금 집에 있어요?
Jigeum jibe isseoyo?
Are you at home now?
Jisu
네. 집에서 쉬고 있어요.
Ne. Jibeseo swigo isseoyo.
Yes. I’m resting at home.
Mina
집에 가도 돼요?
Jibe gado dwaeyo?
May I come over?
Jisu
네. 오세요. 같이 저녁 먹어요.
Ne. Oseyo. Gachi jeonyeok meogeoyo.
Yes. Come over. Let’s have dinner together.
집에 있어요 locates a person at home. 집에서 쉬고 있어요 locates the activity of resting there. Both can translate with English “at home”, but Korean chooses the particle according to the rest of the sentence.
In the third line, 집에 가도 돼요 literally asks permission to go to the house. In this conversation, Jisu's home is already understood, so English naturally says “May I come over?” Jisu replies with 오세요, “come”, from the host's viewpoint.
Why Do People Say 우리 집 for Their Own Home?
우리 집 literally means “our house” or “our home”. Korean speakers often use 우리 for a home shared with family, even when English would say “my house”. The existing Seoul example can therefore translate naturally with “my”.
우리 집 does not tell you who legally owns the property. It identifies the speaker's home or household. Someone living in a rented apartment can still call it 우리 집.
제 집 means “my house” with the humble possessive 제. It can be useful when ownership or a contrast between homes matters. 우리 집 is a familiar household expression; 제 집 makes the individual possessive more explicit.
Set Phrases That Extend the Meaning of 집
집을 구하다 means “to look for” or “to find a place to live”. 구하다 concerns obtaining a suitable place, so the phrase can cover searching for a rental as well as buying. It does not by itself say that a purchase has happened.
집을 비우다 literally means “to empty the house”, but in everyday use it often means to be away from home and leave it unoccupied. In a conversation about a trip, it usually concerns the occupants' absence rather than removing the furniture.
집들이 names a housewarming visit or gathering after someone moves. You may hear 집들이에 초대하다, “to invite someone to a housewarming”. The event celebrates the new home; the word does not name the moving process itself.
맛집 means a place known for good food. Here 집 refers to an eating establishment. A restaurant recommendation containing 맛집 is not an invitation to a private house. The final element also appears in 빵집, “bakery”.
Where Will You Hear or See 집?
In messages after work, 집에 가요 usually means going home. The sentence does not need a separate Korean word corresponding to English “my”, because the speaker's destination is understood.
On housing listings, 집 can refer broadly to a place to live. 아파트 specifies an apartment, and 단독주택 specifies a detached house. An apartment is still someone's 집, so the everyday noun does not imply a detached building.
When politely asking about an older person's home, you may hear 댁, a respectful counterpart to 집. It refers to that person's home. Speakers generally use ordinary 집 for their own home, even while addressing the listener politely.
Words for Spaces inside and around a Home
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 방 | room | One space inside the home, rather than the whole home. |
| 거실 | living room | The shared room for sitting and spending time together. |
| 부엌 | kitchen | The space for preparing food. |
| 현관 | entrance area | The entry space when you come indoors. |
| 이사 | moving house | The move itself, unlike the 집들이 gathering afterward. |
The home vocabulary lesson teaches more names for living spaces. Start with 집 for the whole place, then name the room when the location matters.
Quick Self-Test
- Can someone living in an apartment call it 집?
- In 집을 비우다, must the furniture be removed?
- Which word is respectful when referring to another person's home: 집 or 댁?
Show answers
- Yes. 집 covers a person's home, including an apartment.
- No. The phrase often means being away and leaving the home unoccupied.
- 댁 is the respectful counterpart.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "house" in Korean?
Say 집 (jip).
Does 집 also mean "home"?
Yes. 집 covers both the building and the idea of home.
How do you say "I am going home"?
지금 집에 가요.
What is a housewarming party called?
집들이.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Home vocabulary puts 집 beside the other words for living spaces.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- 아파트 is the most common specific kind of 집. See the page for apartment.
- For a room inside the 집, see the page for room.