Key Facts
- Hangul: 공원; Revised Romanization: gongwon
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 公園 (公 public + 園 garden)
- Register: Neutral, everyday word used in both spoken and written Korean.
Park in Korean: What Does 공원 Mean?
공원 means park. The register is neutral and everyday in spoken and written Korean. It names an ordinary park, not a theme park, which has its own compound, 놀이공원.
How Do You Pronounce 공원?
Two syllables, gong-won. The first ends in ng, and the second starts with a w glide. Before a vowel the ㄴ carries over: 공원에 sounds like gong-wo-ne.
Example Sentences with 공원
공원에 가요.
Gongwone gayo.
I go to the park.
A direction sentence. 에 marks the destination with 가요.
저는 매일 공원에서 운동해요.
Jeoneun maeil gongwoneseo undonghaeyo.
I exercise at the park every day.
A routine sentence: 매일 gives every day, and 에서 marks where the action happens.
우리 집 근처에 큰 공원이 있어요.
Uri jip geuncheoe keun gongwoni isseoyo.
There is a big park near my house.
An existence sentence. 근처에 means nearby, and 있어요 says it exists.
Common Phrases and Collocations
공원을 산책하다 means to take a walk in the park, 놀이공원 is an amusement park and 국립공원 is a national park. With 산책하다 the park takes 을, because it is the route you walk along.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 공원을 산책하다 | to take a walk in the park |
| 놀이공원 | amusement park |
| 국립공원 | national park |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners pick the wrong particle for a destination.
Wrong: 공원을 가요.
Correct: 공원에 가요. With a movement verb such as 가요, the destination takes 에. You will hear 을 in casual speech, but 에 is the standard choice. For an activity in the park, switch to 에서, as in 공원에서 운동해요.
공원 Compared with 놀이공원 and 정원
Two neighbours differ by purpose: one has rides and the other is a decorative garden.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 공원 | park | This page's word |
| 놀이공원 | amusement park | 놀이공원 has rides; 공원 alone means a plain park. |
| 정원 | garden | 정원 is a garden, often private or decorative. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
The word is Sino-Korean, 公園: 公 (public) and 園 (garden). So it literally means public garden.
Finding the Park Entrance
A visitor has reached the right street but cannot see the way into the park. A passerby points out the entrance beside a cafe.
Visitor
공원 입구가 어디예요?
Gongwon ipguga eodiyeyo?
Where is the park entrance?
Passerby
저 카페 옆에 있어요.
Jeo kape yeope isseoyo.
It is next to that cafe.
Visitor
공원 안에 화장실도 있어요?
Gongwon ane hwajangsildo isseoyo?
Is there a restroom inside the park too?
Passerby
네, 입구 근처에 있어요.
Ne, ipgu geuncheoe isseoyo.
Yes, it is near the entrance.
입구 means entrance, and 안 means inside. 공원 안에 narrows the location to the inside of the park. The 도 in 화장실도 adds “too”: the visitor is asking about another facility after finding the entrance. Neither speaker needs a word for “you” in this exchange.
Where Will You See 공원 on Signs and Maps?
공원 often comes at the end of a place name. A name such as 한강공원 identifies a park associated with the Han River. On a map, keep the whole name when choosing a meeting place: just saying “the park” may leave several possible destinations. A park name can then take the same particles as 공원 alone.
At the entrance, 공원 안내도 means a park information map. Look for your destination within the grounds, such as a restroom or walking path. 공원 입구 means the entrance, while 공원 주차장 means the park's parking area. They can be different meeting points, so an invitation to meet at one does not automatically identify the other.
공원 is the noun for the place. The English verb “park”, meaning to leave a car in a parking space, is 주차하다. Seeing 공원 on a road sign therefore tells you about a park, rather than instructing you to park your car there.
How Do You Describe a Visit to the Park?
공원 산책 means a walk in the park. It is a compact phrase you might see in a photo caption or a list of weekend plans. The full expression 공원에서 산책하다 describes taking a walk there; 공원을 산책하다 presents the park as the area you walk through. Both describe an ordinary walk rather than a particular hiking route.
근린공원 is a neighborhood park, a useful word on local maps. 어린이공원 names a park intended for children. The extra word identifies the type of park; it does not change the basic meaning of 공원. These labels help you distinguish a nearby play space from a larger destination before arranging a visit.
Useful Words inside a Park
| Korean | Meaning | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| 입구 | entrance | Choose a clear place to meet. |
| 산책로 | walking path | Find the route intended for a walk. |
| 벤치 | bench | Identify somewhere to sit. |
| 화장실 | restroom | Ask about a facility within the grounds. |
The city places lesson connects parks with the other places you ask about while exploring a neighborhood.
Quick Self-Test
- Which particle completes 공원___ 운동해요 when you exercise there?
- Does 공원 mean “park a car”?
- What does 공원 입구 identify?
Show answers
- 에서: 공원에서 운동해요.
- No. The verb for parking a car is 주차하다.
- The park entrance, a more precise meeting point than the whole park.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say park in Korean?
Say 공원 (gongwon), the everyday word for a public park. It is neutral, so it fits speech, signs and maps, as in 우리 집 근처에 큰 공원이 있어요 (There is a big park near my house).
How do I say amusement park?
Say 놀이공원. It adds 놀이 (play) to 공원, and it means a park with rides. 공원 on its own is always a plain park.
How do I say national park?
Say 국립공원. 국립 means national, the same element as in national museum, and the compound is written as one word.
Which particle follows when going?
Use 에, as in 공원에 가요. Use 에서 for something you do there, as in 공원에서 운동해요, and 을 with 산책하다, as in 공원을 산책하다.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: places city vocabulary groups 공원 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in the city list: post office.