Key Facts
- Hangul: 체육; Revised Romanization: cheyuk
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 體育 (體 body + 育 raise)
- Register: Neutral, everyday word. As a school subject it means gym class; 운동 is exercise in general.
Physical Education in Korean: What Does 체육 Mean?
체육 is the timetable subject where students run, play ball games and learn sports. It is neutral and common in school talk. Several useful words are built on it: 체육 시간 is the P.E. period, 체육관 is the gym or sports hall, and 체육복 is the gym clothes pupils change into. For general exercise outside school, the word is 운동.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Two syllables: che-yuk. The first is a quick "che", and the second ends in ㄱ, an unreleased stop: the back of the tongue closes the sound with no puff of air.
Example Sentences with 체육
오늘 체육 시간이 있어요.
Oneul cheyuk sigani isseoyo.
I have P.E. class today.
A schedule remark. 시간 here means a class period, so 체육 시간 is the P.E. lesson, and 오늘 sets the day.
체육 시간에 축구를 해요.
Cheyuk sigane chukgureul haeyo.
We play soccer in P.E. class.
A description of what class involves. 축구를 is "soccer" as the object, and 해요 is the polite "do" or "play".
체육 선생님은 키가 크세요.
Cheyuk seonsaengnimeun kiga keuseyo.
The P.E. teacher is tall.
A comment about a teacher. 선생님 is the respectful word for teacher, and 크세요 is the honorific form of "is tall".
Common Phrases and Collocations
Three compounds all start with 체육: the lesson, the building and the clothing.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 체육 시간 | P.E. class |
| 체육관 | gym |
| 체육복 | gym clothes |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners use 체육 for their own workouts.
- Wrong: using 체육 to say that you exercise.
- Correct: 운동해요 (I exercise). 체육 is the school subject, so using it for your own workout sounds as if you are describing a class.
체육 Compared with 운동 and 체육관
These three words separate the subject, the activity and the place.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 체육 | physical education | This page's word |
| 운동 | exercise | Exercise or sports in general, outside the school subject. |
| 체육관 | gym | A sports hall or gym building. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
체육 is Sino-Korean, written 體育 in hanja: 體 (body) plus 育 (raise). "Raising the body" is the old idea behind the subject.
Checking What to Bring for P.E.
Two classmates check tomorrow’s P.E. lesson before leaving school. Both use polite 요 endings; classmates who are close may speak more casually.
Sora
내일 체육 시간 있어요?
Naeil cheyuk sigan isseoyo?
Do we have P.E. tomorrow?
Minho
네, 체육관에서 농구해요.
Ne, cheyukgwaneseo nongguhaeyo.
Yes, we’re playing basketball in the gym.
Sora
체육복도 가져와요?
Cheyukbokdo gajyeowayo?
Should we bring our P.E. clothes too?
Minho
네, 운동화도 가져오세요.
Ne, undonghwado gajyeooseyo.
Yes, bring your sneakers too.
The first question leaves out the subject “we” because the classmates share a timetable. 내일 gives the day. 체육 시간 identifies the class period, so the listener knows this is a scheduling question rather than a question about exercising tomorrow.
체육관에서 tells us where the basketball activity happens. 체육복도 and 운동화도 each use 도 to add an item to the packing list. In this question, 가져와요 asks whether bringing something is expected; the context supplies “should we”.
What Will 체육 Mean on a School Notice?
체육 can appear by itself in a timetable because the timetable already supplies the school-subject context. In conversation, 체육 시간 makes the period explicit. 체육 수업 emphasizes the lesson or instruction, while 체육 선생님 identifies the teacher responsible for it.
체육복 is clothing for P.E., and 운동화 is athletic footwear. A notice listing both is asking for two kinds of equipment, rather than repeating the same requirement. 체육복 does not automatically include shoes, and 체육관 names the building rather than anything you wear.
체육 대회 means an athletic meet or sports day. It describes an event with sports activities, rather than a single regular P.E. period. On a school calendar, look at the whole phrase: the shared 체육 connects the topic, but 대회 changes the kind of occasion.
How Far Does 체육 Extend beyond School?
The school subject is the most useful beginner meaning of 체육, but the word also appears in names connected with organized sport and physical education. A community sports facility can have 체육 in its name. Seeing it on a building therefore does not prove that the building belongs to a school.
체육관 usually suggests a sports hall, with space for activities such as basketball. 헬스장 is the everyday word for a fitness gym where people use exercise equipment. English “gym” covers both, so the activity you have in mind helps you choose the Korean place word.
운동 is broader than a school lesson: it can mean exercise or sport. A student can do 운동 during 체육 시간 and also after school. For a personal workout, 운동 is still the useful everyday choice, even though the same physical activity might appear in a P.E. lesson.
Words around the P.E. Lesson
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 시간표 | timetable | Check this to find the P.E. period. |
| 운동장 | schoolyard / athletic field | An outdoor place, unlike the indoor sports hall. |
| 운동화 | sneakers / athletic shoes | Footwear that may be required for class. |
| 준비 운동 | warm-up exercises | An activity before the main sport or workout. |
The school-subject vocabulary lesson places 체육 alongside other timetable subjects. Learn the subject name separately from its room and equipment: a change of room does not change the class into a different subject.
Quick Self-Test
- Which word names the clothing: 체육관 or 체육복?
- Would 운동 or 체육 be the everyday choice for your personal workout?
- Is 체육 대회 a regular class period or a sports event?
Show answers
- 체육복 is the clothing; 체육관 is the sports hall.
- 운동.
- A sports event, such as an athletic meet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "physical education" in Korean?
Say 체육 (cheyuk).
How do you say "P.E. class"?
체육 시간 means "P.E. class".
How do you say "I exercise"?
Use 운동해요. 체육 is the school subject, not your own exercise.
What are 체육관 and 체육복?
체육관 is a gym, and 체육복 is gym clothes.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: school subject words groups 체육 with the other school subjects.
- Index: Korean words A to Z lists every single-word page.
- Practice: add 체육 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in the subjects list is the page on physics, the physics word.