Key Facts
- Hangul: 직업; Revised Romanization: jigeop
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: Neutral; used in forms, interviews and polite conversation about what someone does for a living.
Job in Korean: What Does 직업 Mean?
직업 stands for two English senses, job and occupation. It is neutral and fits forms, interviews and polite conversation about earning a living. It names the kind of work a person does, such as being a doctor, rather than the daily tasks inside that work.
How Do You Pronounce 직업?
Romanized jigeop, with a linking sound. The spelling ends the first syllable in ㄱ, but a following vowel pulls that consonant across, so the word is heard as [지겁].
Example Sentences with 직업
직업이 뭐예요?
jigeobi mwoyeyo?
What is your job?
This is the standard way to ask about someone's occupation. 뭐예요 means "what is it", so the sentence literally asks what your job is.
제 직업은 의사예요.
je jigeobeun uisayeyo.
I am a doctor by profession.
A one-line self-introduction. 의사 is doctor, and any other occupation noun can replace it to answer the question above.
저는 새로운 직업을 찾고 있어요.
jeoneun saeroun jigeobeul chatgo isseoyo.
I am looking for a new job.
새로운 means new, and 찾고 있어요 describes a search in progress. The fixed phrase 직업을 구하다 in the table below carries nearly the same idea.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Four set phrases cover most real uses, from hunting for work to having none.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 직업을 구하다 | to look for a job |
| 직업을 바꾸다 | to change jobs |
| 직업 선택 | career choice |
| 직업이 없다 | to have no job |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: separating the word as “jik-eop”. Correct: [지겁], because the ㄱ moves over to the vowel of the next syllable. A second trap: 직업 names the type of occupation, so it cannot stand in for a workplace. For the place where you work, use 직장.
직업 Compared with Similar Words
Both neighbours sit close to 직업 in English, yet each covers different ground. 일 is the broader and more spoken "work", while 직업 is the formal occupation you state. 직장 is where you work, not what kind of work you do.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 일 | work / job (task) | 일 is the broader, more spoken 'work'; 직업 is the formal 'occupation' you state. |
| 직장 | workplace | 직장 is where you work, not what kind of work you do. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
직업 is Sino-Korean, written 職業 in hanja. The first character means duty or post and the second means work or business, so the word reads as "a post of work".
Meeting Someone at a Language Exchange
Two participants have just introduced themselves. One asks about the other’s occupation and then gives their own.
Mina
무슨 일 하세요?
Museun il haseyo?
What do you do for work?
Alex
저는 간호사예요.
Jeoneun ganhosayeyo.
I’m a nurse.
Mina
저는 회사원이에요.
Jeoneun hoesawonieyo.
I’m an office worker.
Alex
어느 회사에 다니세요?
Eoneu hoesae daniseyo?
Which company do you work for?
무슨 일 하세요 is a conversational way to ask about work. The answer gives an occupation directly, without repeating 제 직업은. The last question moves to the employer. A person’s occupation and the company they work for answer different questions, even when English uses “job” for both.
Where Will You See 직업?
직업 often labels a field on a form or a survey. The expected answer is usually an occupation or work category, such as 의사, doctor, or 회사원, office worker. A company name belongs in a field asking for the employer or workplace. Read the field label before copying the name of your company.
In school career discussions, 직업 선택 means choosing an occupation or career path. The phrase concerns the kind of work a person might do. Selecting between two offers for similar work is a narrower decision, even though English may also call that “choosing a job”.
직업이 뭐예요 is grammatical and polite, but it can sound direct when meeting someone for the first time. 무슨 일 하세요 is a common conversational alternative. The respectful ending 세요 addresses the other person politely. In a social conversation, leave room for a brief answer rather than expecting details about someone’s employer or income.
Career Changes, Job Searches and Part-Time Work
직업을 바꾸다 can describe changing occupations: for example, leaving nursing to become a teacher. 직장을 옮기다 describes moving to another workplace or employer. A nurse moving between hospitals may change 직장 while keeping the same 직업. This distinction helps you explain what actually changed.
직업을 구하다 concerns finding work or an occupation. 일자리를 구하다 is also useful when looking for an available position. 일자리 means a job opportunity or position, so it is especially helpful in a conversation about vacancies. The existing example with 새로운 직업 can suggest a new kind of work, depending on context.
아르바이트 means part-time work and is often shortened to 알바 in everyday speech. A student describing a café shift may use this word rather than presenting it as a lifelong occupation. 취업 means gaining employment; it names the transition into a job, while 직업 names the occupation itself.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 회사원 | office worker; company employee | A broad occupation answer without a specific job title. |
| 간호사 | nurse | A profession you can use directly before 예요. |
| 일자리 | job; position | Useful for talking about available work. |
| 취업 | gaining employment | Describes getting into employment. |
| 아르바이트 | part-time work | Common for temporary or student work. |
The jobs vocabulary lesson supplies more occupation names. Choose the specific profession when you know it; 회사원 is useful when a broad category is enough.
Quick Self-Test
- A nurse changes hospitals but remains a nurse. What changes: 직업 or 직장?
- On a form labelled 직업, would you normally write your profession or the company name?
- What is a conversational alternative to 직업이 뭐예요?
Show answers
- 직장 changes; the occupation stays the same.
- Your profession or work category.
- 무슨 일 하세요?
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say job in Korean?
Say 직업 (jigeop). It also means occupation.
How do you ask what someone does?
Ask 직업이 뭐예요?, which means "What is your job?".
Is 직업 the same as 일?
No. 일 is the broader, more spoken "work", while 직업 is the occupation you state formally.
How is 직업 pronounced?
As [지겁]. The ㄱ links into the next syllable; avoid separating it as “jik-eop”.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: People jobs vocabulary groups 직업 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Compare with the broader spoken word for work.
- Next in the list: the word for police.