Key Facts
- Hangul: 야근; Revised Romanization: yageun
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 夜勤 (夜 night + 勤 work)
- Register: Neutral, everyday word used in both spoken and written Korean. Verb: 야근(을) 하다. Often used in casual speech about staying late at work.
Overtime in Korean: What Does 야근 Mean?
야근 means working late after regular hours. It is a neutral, everyday word, often used in casual speech about staying late at work. The verb is 야근하다, or 야근을 하다 with the object particle. Pay for it is 야근 수당, and a busy period is 야근이 많다.
Long working hours are a well-known topic in Korean work culture, so you will hear the word often in conversation among colleagues.
How Do You Pronounce It?
야근 has two syllables, ya-geun. The first is ㅑ, a y-glide into "ah". The second starts with ㄱ, which is soft between vowels, and the vowel ㅡ is a flat "eu" made with the lips spread, not rounded.
The word ends in n, so close the tongue behind the teeth at the finish. The romanization is yageun.
Listen to the headword here.
Example Sentences with 야근
오늘 야근해요.
Oneul yageunhaeyo.
I work late today.
오늘 is today, and the verb is the contracted form 야근해요. It is a short way to say you are staying late.
야근 때문에 피곤해요.
Yageun ttaemune pigonhaeyo.
I'm tired because of working late.
때문에 means "because of", so the sentence gives the cause of being tired. 피곤해요 means tired.
어제도 야근을 했어요.
Eojedo yageuneul haesseoyo.
I worked late yesterday too.
야근을 했어요 is the past tense, with 을 marking 야근 as the object. 어제도 means "also yesterday".
Common Phrases and Collocations
These phrases show the noun, the verb and the pay.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 야근하다 | to work overtime |
| 야근 수당 | overtime pay |
| 야근이 많다 | to have a lot of overtime |
The Mistake to Avoid
- Wrong: Thinking 야근 only means a night shift.
- Correct: It usually means staying late after regular hours. A regular night shift is 야간 근무.
Hearing 야근 from a colleague tells you they are still at their desk, not that they work nights as a rule.
야근 Compared with 잔업 and 초과근무
Two formal words overlap with 야근 in English translation.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 야근 | overtime, working late | The everyday word. |
| 잔업 | overtime work | A formal or factory term for leftover work. |
| 초과근무 | overtime | The formal term for overtime hours. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
야근 is Sino-Korean, written 夜勤 in hanja: 夜 (night) plus 勤 (work). That is why it began with the idea of night work.
After Work: Changing Dinner Plans
Two coworkers had hoped to eat together. One needs to stay late, so they make a plan for another day.
Sora
오늘 같이 저녁 먹을까요?
Oneul gachi jeonyeok meogeulkkayo?
Shall we have dinner together today?
Doyun
미안해요. 오늘 야근해야 해요.
Mianhaeyo. Oneul yageunhaeya haeyo.
Sorry. I have to work late today.
Sora
몇 시에 끝나요?
Myeot sie kkeunnayo?
What time do you finish?
Doyun
아홉 시요. 내일 같이 먹어요.
Ahop siyo. Naeil gachi meogeoyo.
At nine. Let’s eat together tomorrow.
야근해야 해요 means “have to work late.” The ending adds obligation, which explains why Doyun is changing the plan. 몇 시 asks for a clock time. The answer 아홉 시요 is a short polite reply, with the rest of the sentence understood.
Where Will You Hear 야근?
In a message to a friend, 야근 can explain a late reply, a cancelled dinner or a delayed trip home. In an office drama, it may appear while a character is still working after colleagues have left. The word supplies the work situation; it does not specify the task, the exact finishing time or how the worker feels about it.
야근 is ordinary workplace vocabulary, so it can appear with both casual and polite endings. A coworker saying 오늘 야근해요 gives a plain update. 야근 때문에 피곤해요 adds the consequence, tiredness, rather than changing the meaning of 야근 itself.
What Do the Set Phrases Tell You?
야근이 많다 literally says there is “much” late work. It usually describes repeated late evenings over a period, such as a busy week. The existing example 어제도 야근을 했어요 narrows that idea to another particular day. 도 means “too,” so the speaker is connecting yesterday to other occasions.
야근 수당 refers to pay associated with late work. 수당 means an allowance or extra payment, rather than the whole monthly salary. The phrase names the payment topic, but the noun 야근 alone does not say whether a particular evening is paid. Ask separately if pay is the information you need.
야근하다 and 야근을 하다 express the same basic action. The compact verb joins 하다 directly to 야근. The longer phrase treats 야근 as a noun with the object marker 을 and writes 하다 separately. You can see the shorter pattern in 오늘 야근해요 and the longer one in 어제도 야근을 했어요.
Does Every Kind of Overtime Count as 야근?
English “overtime” can describe extra work at different times of day. 야근 highlights evening or night work, often after the usual workday. 초과근무 is broader language for work beyond regular hours. If someone stays extra time in the morning, the English label alone does not make 야근 the clearest Korean choice.
야간 근무 names night work as a working schedule. It fits a person rostered to work at night, rather than only someone whose daytime tasks have run late. The distinction helps when describing a hospital worker's schedule or arranging when a friend will be free.
Words around the End of the Workday
| Korean | Meaning | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 퇴근 | leaving work | The end of the workday, rather than the late work itself. |
| 출근 | going to work | The arrival side of the workday. |
| 야간 근무 | night work, night shift | Names working at night as a schedule. |
| 수당 | allowance, extra pay | Combines with 야근 when discussing payment. |
The office vocabulary lesson groups these workday terms. Knowing 퇴근 alongside 야근 lets you separate the time someone leaves from the extra work that delays it.
Quick Self-Test
- What meaning does 야근해야 해요 add to 야근해요?
- Does 야근 by itself tell you whether someone receives extra pay?
- Which phrase best names a regularly scheduled night shift?
Show answers
- It adds “have to”: an obligation to work late.
- No. The word names the work, rather than the pay arrangement.
- 야간 근무.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say overtime in Korean?
Say 야근 (yageun).
How do you say "to work overtime"?
Say 야근하다.
What is overtime pay?
야근 수당.
Is 야근 the same as a night shift?
No. 야근 usually means staying late after regular hours, while a regular night shift is 야간 근무.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: office vocabulary. 야근 sits on the office vocabulary list.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 야근 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next: the word for promotion. The next work word is promotion.