Key Facts
- 짐 (jim) means luggage.
- Part of speech: noun; origin: native.
- Register: Neutral, everyday word used in both spoken and written Korean. 짐 is the general word; 수하물 is the formal airport word for baggage.
- Level: A1.
Luggage in Korean: What Does 짐 Mean?
짐 covers luggage and baggage, and more broadly any load you carry. It is neutral and everyday, in speech and writing. At airports you will also see the formal word 수하물 (baggage) on signs and forms, but people still say 짐 when they talk.
How Do You Pronounce 짐?
One syllable, jim. The ㅈ is a plain unaspirated sound and the ending ㅁ closes the lips. With a vowel after it, the ㅁ carries over to the next syllable, so 짐이 sounds like ji-mi.
How Do You Use 짐 in a Sentence?
짐이 많아요.
I have a lot of luggage.
Jimi manayo. 많아요 means a lot, and 이 marks 짐 as the subject. It is a handy line at hotel check-in or when you get into a taxi.
짐을 호텔에 맡겼어요.
I left my luggage at the hotel.
Jimeul hotere matgyeosseoyo. 맡겼어요 is the past of leave in someone's care, and 호텔에 gives the place. 을 follows 짐.
제 짐이 아직 안 왔어요.
My luggage hasn't arrived yet.
Je jimi ajik an wasseoyo. 제 is my, the humble form of the pronoun, and 아직 안 means not yet. The line reports a missing bag at baggage claim.
Common Word Combinations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 짐을 싸다 | to pack luggage |
| 짐을 맡기다 | to leave luggage |
| 짐을 들다 | to carry luggage |
Pack, leave and carry follow the trip: before, at the hotel and on the move. All three take 을 after 짐.
Common Mistake
Learners use 가방 (bag) for all their luggage.
- Wrong: using 가방 to mean everything you travel with.
- Correct: 짐 for your luggage as a whole, as in 짐이 많아요 (I have a lot of luggage). 가방 is one bag or suitcase.
How Does 짐 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | Meaning | How to tell it from 짐 |
|---|---|---|
| 수하물 | baggage (formal) | Formal airport wording for checked and carry-on bags. |
| 가방 | bag | The container, not its contents. |
At the Hotel before Check-In
A guest arrives before the room is ready and asks to leave a suitcase at reception. The exchange focuses on storage, rather than asking someone to carry the bag.
Guest
짐을 맡길 수 있어요?
Jimeul matgil su isseoyo?
Can I leave my luggage here?
Receptionist
네, 여기에 두세요.
Ne, yeogie duseyo.
Yes, put it here.
Guest
오후에 찾으러 올게요.
Ohue chajeureo olgeyo.
I’ll come back to collect it this afternoon.
Receptionist
네, 알겠습니다.
Ne, algetseumnida.
Certainly.
맡길 수 있어요 asks whether leaving something in someone’s care is possible. 찾으러 올게요 says the guest will return to collect it. Here 찾다 means retrieve, rather than search for a missing item. The guest does not need to repeat 호텔 because both speakers already know the place.
Packing, Unpacking and Carrying a Burden
짐을 싸다 means to pack your things for a trip or move. The opposite is 짐을 풀다, to unpack. Literally, 풀다 can mean to undo or loosen something; with 짐, the usual meaning is taking your belongings out after arriving. These phrases describe your things as a load, so they also work when you have several bags or boxes.
짐을 들다 focuses on holding or carrying the load. 짐을 맡기다 focuses on leaving it in someone else's care. At a station, you may carry the same luggage to a counter and then leave it there. Choose the verb for the action you need, rather than learning a single English equivalent for every phrase.
짐이 되다 means to become a burden. The image is a load someone has to carry, but the burden can be emotional or financial. In a family drama, a character who worries about being a 짐 may be talking about depending on someone, with no travel bags in the scene. That figurative meaning grows directly from the physical sense of a load.
Where Will You See Luggage Words?
At a hotel, 짐 is enough for an ordinary question about storing your belongings. At an airport, signs and announcements use 수하물 for baggage. 위탁 수하물 means checked baggage, while 기내 수하물 means cabin baggage. The extra word tells you which kind of baggage a rule or counter concerns; 수하물 alone does not mean only checked bags.
보관 means storage, so 짐 보관 points to luggage storage. 보관함 is a storage locker. These labels describe a service or a place, while 맡기다 describes what you do when you leave your things in someone's care. A storage sign alone does not tell you the price or how long you may leave a bag.
In everyday conversation, 짐이 많아요 can cover a suitcase, backpack and shopping bags together. You do not need a plural ending to make 짐 refer to several belongings. If you need to count separate containers, name the container, such as 가방, instead of assuming each item in the load is one 짐.
Useful Words around Your Luggage
| Korean | Meaning | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| 가방 | bag | Identify the container you are carrying. |
| 캐리어 | wheeled suitcase | Specify a rolling travel case in everyday talk. |
| 배낭 | backpack | Distinguish a pack worn on your back from a suitcase. |
| 보관함 | storage locker | Look for somewhere to put belongings temporarily. |
The travel vocabulary lesson puts these words alongside the places and documents needed on a trip. Use 짐 for the overall load, then a more specific noun when describing a lost item or choosing where to store it.
Quick Self-Test
- Which phrase means to unpack: 짐을 싸다 or 짐을 풀다?
- Does 수하물 always mean checked baggage?
- In a family conversation, must 짐이 되다 refer to a suitcase?
Show answers
- 짐을 풀다 means to unpack.
- No. 위탁 수하물 specifies checked baggage; 기내 수하물 specifies cabin baggage.
- No. It can mean to become a burden on someone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does 짐 Mean?
Luggage or baggage, and more generally any load you carry. It is the everyday word travellers use.
Is 짐 the Same as 가방?
No. 가방 is a single bag or suitcase, while 짐 is all the luggage you are carrying.
What Is the Airport Word?
수하물 is the formal word on airport signs and forms. In conversation, 짐 is still normal.
How Do I Say I Packed?
Use 짐을 싸다, which means to pack your luggage.
Where to Go Next
See travel vocabulary for the trip words, then bag.