Key Facts
- Hangul: PC방; Revised Romanization: pisibang
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Mixed. English letters PC plus 방, from hanja 房 (room; 방 part only)
- Register: Neutral; the letters PC are read with Korean sounds.
PC Cafe in Korean: What Does PC방 Mean?
PC방 is a shop where you rent a computer by the hour, mostly to play online games. English calls it a "PC cafe" or an "internet cafe"; both point at the same place. The word is neutral in register, so you can use it in any conversation. The 방 half means "room", which is why the whole word reads as "PC room".
How Do You Pronounce It?
Read PC방 as three Korean syllables: 피-시-방. The Korean Basic Dictionary lists the Hangul spelling 피시방. Revised Romanization writes pisibang. You will also hear a tense ss in everyday speech, often written informally as 피씨방; keep 피시방 for the standard Hangul spelling.
Example Sentences with PC방
PC방에서 게임을 해요.
Pisibangeseo geimeul haeyo.
I play games at the PC cafe.
The default weekend plan for gamers. 에서 marks the PC cafe as the place where the action happens, and 해요 is the polite form of the verb for doing.
친구와 PC방에 갔어요.
Chinguwa pisibange gasseoyo.
I went to a PC cafe with a friend.
A past-tense outing. 와 means "with", so 친구와 reads "with a friend", and 갔어요 reports that you went.
PC방은 한 시간에 천 원이에요.
Pisibangeun han sigane cheon wonieyo.
The PC cafe costs 1,000 won an hour.
A price statement. 한 시간에 means "per one hour", and 천 원 is one thousand won, so the sentence quotes the hourly rate.
Common Phrases and Collocations
These phrases come up around the shop itself: going there, working there, and paying for time.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| PC방에 가다 | go to a PC cafe |
| PC방 알바 | PC cafe part-time job |
| PC방 요금 | PC cafe fee |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners keep the English letter names.
Wrong: reading 방 as the English word “bang”.
Correct: 방 has the Korean vowel ㅏ, followed by the final ng sound. Read the whole word with Korean syllables: 피-시-방. The a in the English word “bang” is a different vowel.
PC방 Compared with 인터넷 카페 and 카페
Two neighbours share the word "cafe" with PC방, but they are not interchangeable. In everyday Korean, 인터넷 카페 now more often means an online community or forum than a shop with computers.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| PC방 | PC cafe | This page's word |
| 인터넷 카페 | internet cafe | An older term; today it usually means an online community. |
| 카페 | cafe | A coffee shop; no computers are rented there. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
PC방 is a mixed word. The PC part is English letters, and 방 comes from the hanja 房, meaning "room". Only the 방 part is Sino-Korean.
Cultural Note
PC bangs are popular places to play online games with friends, which is why the word often appears in plans made after school.
Asking for Two Seats Together
Two friends arrive at a PC cafe and ask about adjacent seats. One friend speaks to the staff member.
Customer
두 명인데 옆자리에 앉을 수 있어요?
Du myeonginde yeopjarie anjeul su isseoyo?
There are two of us. Can we sit next to each other?
Staff
네, 저쪽에 두 자리 있어요.
Ne, jeojjoge du jari isseoyo.
Yes, there are two seats over there.
Customer
요금은 어디서 확인해요?
Yogeumeun eodiseo hwaginhaeyo?
Where can I check the rates?
Staff
여기 요금표를 보세요.
Yeogi yogeumpyoreul boseyo.
Please look at the rate chart here.
자리 means a seat or available place. 두 명 counts the customers, while 두 자리 counts the seats they need. 옆자리 adds the idea of the seat next to another one, which matters when friends want to play together. The dialogue asks where to find the rates without assuming a particular price or payment system.
What Will You Read inside a PC방?
PC방 요금표 means the PC cafe's rate chart. 요금 is the charge, and 표 presents it as a chart or list. The existing sentence about one thousand won is a language example, not a promise about current prices. Read the shop's own 요금표 for the amount and how time is charged.
남은 시간 means remaining time. On a computer screen, it refers to the time left in a session or account. 시간 충전 means adding time or credit; 충전 also appears elsewhere for topping up balances. The exact steps vary by shop, so recognizing the phrase is more useful than memorizing one checkout procedure.
회원 and 비회원 mean member and nonmember. These labels can appear on login or payment screens. They describe account status rather than gaming ability. A beginner at a game can still be a 회원 if they have an account with that shop.
Phrases about Work and Playing Together
PC방 알바 means a part-time job at a PC cafe, or the person doing that job when the context is clear. 알바 is an everyday shortened form for part-time work. In a job listing, the phrase describes the workplace; it does not mean that someone earns wages simply by playing games.
PC방에 가다 says where someone goes, and PC방에서 게임을 하다 says what happens there. In messages between friends, the place can be understood without repeating the whole sentence. A plan involving PC방 normally concerns using computers together, while meeting at a 카페 normally concerns a coffee shop.
방 also appears in 노래방, a karaoke venue. The shared ending helps you recognize a type of place, but the activity comes from the first part. PC방 is therefore useful as a whole word rather than as a literal description of any room containing a computer.
Useful Words at the Counter
| Korean | Meaning | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 자리 | seat / spot | Ask whether space is available. |
| 요금표 | rate chart | Find the shop's stated charges. |
| 헤드셋 | headset | Name equipment at the computer. |
| 키보드 | keyboard | Identify the item if there is a problem. |
The traditional culture vocabulary lesson includes PC방 among words for Korean life. For the contrasting coffee-shop word, see 카페.
Quick Self-Test
- In the dialogue, why use 명 for customers and 자리 for seats?
- What does 남은 시간 tell you?
- Does PC방 알바 mean being paid to play games?
Show answers
- 명 counts people; 자리 names the available seats.
- The remaining time.
- No. It means part-time work at a PC cafe.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "PC cafe" in Korean?
Say PC방 (pisibang), read as 피시방 in Korean.
How do you read the letters PC in Korean?
Read them as 피시 in the standard Hangul spelling. A tense ss is also common in everyday speech.
Is there another spelling?
Yes. 피시방, written fully in Hangul, also appears.
How do you say "go to a PC cafe"?
PC방에 가다. In a sentence, 친구와 PC방에 갔어요 means "I went to a PC cafe with a friend".
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: traditional culture words puts PC방 beside other places in Korean life.
- Index: Korean words A to Z lists every single-word page.
- Practice: add PC방 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in the culture list is a page on the traditional house, see traditional house.
- Compare with the page for the plain coffee-shop word, cafe.