Key Facts
- Hangul: 군대; Revised Romanization: gundae
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 軍隊 (軍 army + 隊 unit)
- Register: Neutral; in daily talk 군대 often means 'military service'.
Military Service in Korean: What Does 군대 Mean?
군대 is the military. In daily talk it often means military service, as in 군대에 가다, to join the military. The register is neutral. A person asking about your service might say 군대 생활, military life, and the end of service is described with 군대에서 제대하다.
Most able-bodied South Korean men must complete mandatory military service, so the topic is common in daily conversation. For the formal duty you will see 병역, and for entering the military 입대.
How Do You Pronounce It?
군대 has two syllables, gun-dae. The first ends in n, and the second is ㄷ plus ㅐ. The ㅐ vowel is like the "a" in "care" in many accents.
The ㄱ at the start is between g and k. The ㄷ is plain, not aspirated, so it sounds closer to d than to t.
Listen to the headword here.
Example Sentences with 군대
남동생이 군대에 갔어요.
Namdongsaengi gundaee gasseoyo.
My younger brother went into the military.
에 marks the destination, and 갔어요 is the past tense of go. 남동생 is a younger brother, so the sentence tells you his service has started.
한국 남자는 군대에 가야 해요.
Hanguk namjaneun gundaee gaya haeyo.
Korean men must go to the military.
가야 해요 means must go. 한국 남자는 sets the topic as Korean men, and the sentence states the general rule.
군대에서 제대한 지 일 년 됐어요.
Gundaeeseo jedaehan ji il nyeon dwaesseoyo.
It has been a year since I was discharged from the military.
제대한 지 ... 됐어요 is the pattern for time since discharge. 일 년 means one year.
Common Phrases and Collocations
These collocations describe going in, living there and coming out.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 군대에 가다 | to join the military |
| 군대 생활 | military life |
| 군대에서 제대하다 | to be discharged |
The Mistake to Avoid
- Wrong: Using 군대 for a person, as if it meant "soldier".
- Correct: 군대 is the institution. A soldier is 군인.
For joining up, say 군대에 가다: the particle 에 marks the military as the place you go.
군대 Compared with 병역 and 군인
Three related words describe the duty, the person and the entry.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 군대 | military | The institution, or military service in daily talk. |
| 병역 | military service | Formal term for the service duty. |
| 군인 | soldier | A person in the military. |
| 입대 | enlistment | Entering the military. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
군대 is Sino-Korean, written 軍隊 in hanja: 軍 (army) plus 隊 (unit). The same 軍 appears in 군인.
A Coworker Talks about His Brother
Two coworkers discuss why one of them is planning a family visit. The conversation concerns joining the military, rather than a particular military base.
Jisu
동생이 지금 군대에 있어요?
Dongsaengi jigeum gundaee isseoyo?
Is your younger sibling in the military now?
Minho
아니요. 다음 달에 군대에 가요.
Aniyo. Daeum dare gundaee gayo.
No. He is joining the military next month.
Jisu
그럼 가기 전에 같이 밥 먹어요.
Geureom gagi jeone gachi bap meogeoyo.
Then let’s have a meal together before he goes.
군대에 있어요 asks whether the sibling is currently serving. 군대에 가요 with 다음 달에 places the entry next month. The present form can describe a scheduled future event; the time expression makes the meaning clear.
Phrases for the Stages of Military Life
군대에 가다 literally means “go to the military”, but everyday conversation usually means joining up or beginning service. 군대 생활 is the period and experience of military life: training, routines and living with other service members. It is not the name of a branch or a rank.
군대에 있다 means being in the military. The place ending 에 works with 있다 to describe where someone is. In 군대에서 만나다, “meet in the military”, 에서 marks the setting where the meeting happened. These endings help you tell a person's service status from an event during service.
군대 이야기 means stories or talk about military life. In a drama, someone starting a 군대 이야기 may be recalling training or fellow service members. The phrase does not necessarily introduce a discussion of policy or warfare.
Where Will You See Formal Military Vocabulary?
Entertainment reports and biographical profiles often use 입대 for entering service and 제대 for discharge. Conversation may express the same life events with a longer phrase such as 군대에 가다. Learn the short nouns so a headline and a spoken sentence can point to the same event.
병역 and 군 복무 belong to more formal discussions of service. 군대 names the military itself and often stands for the experience of serving. When reading a form, keep its exact wording: an institution, a duty and a person's status are different kinds of information.
| Korean | Meaning | What it identifies |
|---|---|---|
| 입대 | enlistment; entry into the military | The beginning of service. |
| 제대 | discharge | Leaving military service. |
| 군 복무 | military service | The activity or period of serving. |
| 휴가 | leave; vacation | Time off, including leave during service. |
| 군인 | soldier; service member | A person rather than an institution. |
The military service vocabulary lesson teaches the wider set. 휴가 alone does not tell you whether someone has finished serving. A person on leave can still be in the military, so look for 제대 when discharge is the point.
군대 is neutral vocabulary, but questions about someone's service history can be personal. In a conversation like the dialogue, a family member has already introduced the subject. Following that context is more natural than treating the word as an invitation to question every new acquaintance.
Quick Self-Test
- Which word names the person: 군대 or 군인?
- Does 군대에 가요 always describe travelling to a base today?
- Does 휴가 mean someone has been discharged?
Show answers
- 군인 is the person; 군대 is the military.
- No. It commonly means joining the military; a time expression can place it in the future.
- No. It means leave or vacation. 제대 means discharge.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say military service in Korean?
Say 군대 (gundae) in daily talk, or 병역 for the formal duty.
How do you say "to join the military"?
Say 군대에 가다.
What does 제대 mean?
It means discharge from the military, as in 군대에서 제대하다.
What is a soldier called?
A soldier is 군인.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: military service vocabulary. 군대 sits on the military service vocabulary list.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 군대 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Compare: 군인. Compare it with 군인, the soldier.