Key Facts
- Hangul: 퇴근; Revised Romanization: toegeun
- Part of speech: noun
- Syllables: 2 (toe-geun)
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 退勤 (退 leave + 勤 work)
- Register: Neutral; workplace word. Often used as a verb: 퇴근하다.
Leaving Work in Korean: What Does 퇴근 Mean?
퇴근 is the act of leaving work at the end of the day. It is a neutral workplace word, and it also works as a verb when you add 하다: 퇴근하다. Its natural partner is 출근, going to work, so the pair describes the daily cycle. The word only covers leaving for the day; it does not mean quitting a job.
How Do You Pronounce 퇴근?
퇴근 has two syllables, toe and geun. The vowel in 퇴 is written oe; most speakers say it like we, so the syllable sounds close to twe. The second syllable 근 ends in ㄴ, so the word finishes on a clear n. Revised Romanization writes toegeun.
Example Sentences with 퇴근
보통 여섯 시에 퇴근해요.
Botong yeoseot sie toegeunhaeyo.
I usually leave work at six.
보통 여섯 시에 퇴근해요 turns the noun into a verb: 퇴근해요 means "I leave work". 보통 is "usually" and 여섯 시에 is "at six o'clock".
퇴근 후에 운동해요.
Toegeun hue undonghaeyo.
I exercise after work.
In 퇴근 후에, 후에 means "after", so the phrase reads "after leaving work". 운동해요 is "exercise", showing what happens next.
퇴근 시간에는 길이 막혀요.
Toegeun siganeneun giri makyeoyo.
The roads are jammed during rush hour.
퇴근 시간에는 is "at quitting time", and 길이 막혀요 is "the road is blocked". Here 길이 is the subject form of the road, a different word from the length noun with the same spelling.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 퇴근하다 | to leave work |
| 퇴근 시간 | quitting time |
| 퇴근길 | commute home |
퇴근하다 is the verb form, 퇴근 시간 is quitting time, and 퇴근길 is the way home itself, the commute. 퇴근길 shows how 퇴근 can be extended with the syllable 길 to talk about the journey rather than the moment.
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 퇴직 for finishing the day, as in "I do 퇴직 at six every day."
Correct: ✓ 퇴근 for leaving work for the day; 퇴직 only when you permanently leave the job.
Why: 퇴직 means quitting or retiring from the job altogether, so using it for a normal evening says you are leaving the company.
퇴근 Compared with Related Words
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 퇴근 | leaving work, going home | The word on this page. |
| 출근 | going to work | The opposite: arriving at work. |
| 퇴직 | retirement / quitting | Leaving a job permanently. |
| 귀가 | coming home | A formal way to say returning home. |
퇴근 is about the workplace exit and 귀가 is about arriving home, so a formal notice could use both for one evening.
Where Does the Word Come From?
퇴근 is Sino-Korean, written 退勤 in hanja: 退 means leave and 勤 means work. Its pair 출근 uses the same 勤 for work, which makes the two easy to learn together.
At the Office: Making Plans after Work
Two colleagues are discussing dinner. They use the verb form of 퇴근 to ask about a routine, make a plan and talk about today.
Sora
오늘 몇 시에 퇴근해요?
Oneul myeot sie toegeunhaeyo?
What time are you leaving work today?
Daniel
여섯 시에 퇴근해요.
Yeoseot sie toegeunhaeyo.
I’m leaving at six.
Sora
퇴근 후에 같이 저녁 먹을까요?
Toegeun hue gachi jeonyeok meogeulkkayo?
Shall we have dinner together after work?
Daniel
좋아요. 퇴근하면 연락할게요.
Joayo. Toegeunhamyeon yeollakalgeyo.
Sounds good. I’ll contact you when I finish work.
퇴근하면 means “when I leave work” in this plan. The ending makes finishing work the condition for the next action, contacting the colleague. 퇴근 후에 instead uses the noun with “after”. Both organize the evening around finishing work, but they build the sentence differently.
Does 퇴근 Mean Going Straight Home?
퇴근 marks finishing work and leaving for the day. Someone can go to dinner, exercise or meet friends afterward and still say they have finished work. The existing translation “going home from work” captures a common situation, but home does not have to be the next stop.
The same word works for a night shift that ends in the morning. The important part is the end of the person’s work period, rather than a particular hour on the clock. 여섯 시 is only the example time on this page, not part of the meaning of 퇴근.
Where Will You Hear or See It?
In everyday messages, a question about 퇴근 often helps someone decide when to call or meet you. In traffic reports, 퇴근 시간 points to the period when people leave work. Your own 퇴근 시간 can simply mean your finishing time, even if it falls outside the busiest traffic period.
정시 퇴근 means leaving work on time, at the scheduled finishing time. 칼퇴 is an informal shortened expression for leaving promptly when work ends. It is common in casual office talk and messages. For a neutral schedule or a formal request, the full 퇴근 wording is more suitable.
퇴근길 names the journey after work. 퇴근 후 names the wider time after finishing, which could include an activity later in the evening. If someone contacts you during 퇴근길, they may still be travelling rather than already settled at home.
Words for the Working Day
| Korean | Meaning | How it relates to 퇴근 |
|---|---|---|
| 출근 | going to work | The start-of-work partner of 퇴근. |
| 야근 | working late | Often explains why someone finishes later. |
| 휴가 | leave or vacation | Time away from work, rather than the daily finish. |
| 퇴사 | leaving a company | A lasting employment change, beyond finishing a shift. |
퇴사 can appear in a colleague’s farewell message; 퇴근 can appear in their ordinary daily plans. 야근 gives a reason a dinner plan might need to change. The time expressions lesson teaches the timing words used around these plans.
Quick Self-Test
- Can someone 퇴근 and then go to a restaurant?
- What does 정시 퇴근 mean?
- Which refers to working late: 야근 or 휴가?
Show answers
- Yes. 퇴근 marks finishing work; going directly home is not required.
- Leaving work at the scheduled finishing time.
- 야근.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "leaving work" in Korean?
Leaving work in Korean is 퇴근 (toegeun), a noun for leaving the workplace at the end of the day.
Can I use 퇴근 as a verb?
Yes. Add 하다 to get 퇴근하다, as in 퇴근해요.
What is the opposite of 퇴근?
The opposite is 출근, going to work.
Is 퇴근 the same as 퇴직?
No. 퇴직 means quitting or retiring from a job; 퇴근 is just the end of the day.
What is 퇴근길?
It is the commute home, the road after work.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Korean time expressions vocabulary places 퇴근 with other time words.
- Index: Korean words A to Z lists every single-word entry.
- Compare: going to work is the opposite word to learn with it.
- Practice: vocabulary flashcard decks lets you add 퇴근 to a spaced-repetition set.