Key Facts
- Hangul: 면접; Revised Romanization: myeonjeop
- Syllables: 2
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Hanja: 面接 (面 face + 接 meet)
- Register: Neutral, everyday word used in both spoken and written Korean. Used mostly for job or admissions interviews.
Interview in Korean: What Does 면접 Mean?
The sense is an interview for a job. It is also used for school admissions. The register is neutral and everyday, and the word works in speech and in writing. It is a formal evaluation where you answer questions, so it is not the word for a chat with a reporter. Add 관 and you get 면접관, the interviewer.
How Do You Pronounce 면접?
Two syllables, myeon-jeop. The first starts with m plus a yeo glide and ends on n. The second starts with j and ends on a p that stays closed. With 이 following, as in 면접이, the p moves across and the word is said myeon-jeo-bi.
Example Sentences with 면접
내일 면접이 있어요.
Naeil myeonjeobi isseoyo.
I have an interview tomorrow.
A plan for tomorrow. 있어요 says there is an interview, and 내일 gives the day.
면접을 잘 봤어요.
Myeonjeobeul jal bwasseoyo.
I did well in the interview.
The verb 봤어요 comes from 보다, to see, and 면접을 보다 is the set phrase for having an interview. 잘 means well.
면접 때 너무 긴장했어요.
Myeonjeop ttae neomu ginjanghaesseoyo.
I was really nervous during the interview.
A feeling report. 긴장했어요 means I was nervous, and 때 marks the time at which it happened.
Common Phrases and Collocations
The collocations show the verb for taking an interview, an interview test and the interviewer.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 면접을 보다 | to have an interview |
| 면접 시험 | interview exam |
| 면접관 | interviewer |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 인터뷰 for a job interview.
Correct: ✓ 면접, as in 내일 면접이 있어요.
Why: 인터뷰 is a media interview or a question and answer session. For jobs and admissions use 면접.
면접 Compared with Similar Words
Two words near 면접 show the media sense and a different kind of meeting.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 면접 | interview (job) | The word on this page. |
| 인터뷰 | interview (media) | A media interview or Q&A. |
| 회의 | meeting | A meeting. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
면접 is Sino-Korean. The hanja 面接 combine 面, face, and 接, meet, so it is a face to face meeting.
Arriving for a Job Interview
An applicant checks in with a receptionist. The applicant names the purpose of the visit, and the receptionist directs them to the waiting area.
Applicant
안녕하세요. 면접 보러 왔어요.
Annyeonghaseyo. Myeonjeop boreo wasseoyo.
Hello. I’m here for an interview.
Receptionist
성함이 어떻게 되세요?
Seonghami eotteoke doeseyo?
May I have your name?
Applicant
김지수입니다.
Gim Jisuimnida.
I’m Kim Jisu.
Receptionist
네, 여기서 잠시 기다려 주세요.
Ne, yeogiseo jamsi gidaryeo juseyo.
Thank you. Please wait here for a moment.
면접 보러 왔어요 gives the purpose of coming: to attend an interview. The object marker 을 is omitted in this spoken line. 성함 is a respectful word for someone’s name, so the receptionist’s question sounds appropriate at a formal appointment.
What Do the Interview Phrases Tell You?
면접을 보다 means attending an interview as the person being evaluated. 보다 literally means “see”, but the complete expression is a set phrase. It is also used with exams. Learning 면접을 보다 together helps you avoid translating the English verb “have” word by word.
면접을 준비하다 means “to prepare for an interview”. 면접 준비 is the noun phrase “interview preparation”, useful as a heading on a study video or checklist. 면접 질문 means “interview questions”, and 면접 답변 means “interview answers”. In each pair, the first noun narrows the topic of the second.
면접에 합격하다 means “to pass the interview”, and 면접에서 떨어지다 means “to fail the interview”. 떨어지다 can literally mean “fall”, but here it means failing a selection stage. Passing one interview does not necessarily mean the whole hiring process is finished; the expression names that interview result.
Reading an Interview Notice
면접 일정 means the interview schedule. 면접 장소 gives the location, and 면접 시간 gives the time. These labels are useful in an email or text message because they let you find the practical details before reading every sentence. 장소 is a place, while 시간 is a time.
대면 면접 means an interview held in person. 화상 면접 means a video interview, with the participants connected by video. The word 면접 still applies when people meet through a screen. Its modern use concerns the interview as an evaluation, rather than requiring everyone to be in one physical room.
최종 면접 means “final interview”. 최종 identifies the last stage of the interviews, while 면접관 still means the person asking and evaluating. Keep 면접관 separate from 지원자, the applicant: both people attend, but they occupy opposite sides of the selection process.
Register inside and outside the Interview
Friends can discuss a 면접 using everyday polite forms such as the existing examples. During the interview itself, applicants often use formal endings such as -습니다 and -입니다. The applicant’s 김지수입니다 in the dialogue is a compact formal introduction. The noun 면접 stays the same across these speech styles.
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 지원자 | applicant | The person applying for the position. |
| 이력서 | résumé | A document describing work and education. |
| 자기소개 | self-introduction | Often requested near the start of an interview. |
| 채용 | recruitment / hiring | The wider process that may include interviews. |
The office vocabulary lesson connects these terms with workplace language. Reading 채용 beside 면접 helps you recognize that the notice concerns hiring rather than a media interview.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 면접 보러 왔어요 mean the visitor is there to watch television?
- What does 화상 면접 mean?
- Who is the 지원자: the applicant or the interviewer?
Show answers
- No. The visitor has come to attend an interview.
- A video interview.
- The applicant; the interviewer is 면접관.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "interview" in Korean?
A job interview in Korean is 면접 (myeonjeop).
How do you say "I have an interview tomorrow"?
Say 내일 면접이 있어요.
Is 인터뷰 also correct?
인터뷰 is a media interview. For jobs, use 면접.
What is an interviewer called?
An interviewer is a 면접관.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Korean office vocabulary groups 면접 with related words.
- Index: look up more words near "interview" in Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 면접 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next word in the list: meeting.