Key Facts
- 방학 (banghak) means a school vacation or school break.
- Part of speech: noun; origin: Sino-Korean.
- Register: neutral, everyday word used in speech and writing, for school holidays such as 여름방학.
- Hanja: 放學 (放 release + 學 study).
- Level: A1.
School Vacation in Korean: What Does 방학 Mean?
방학 is a Sino-Korean noun, and its hanja 放學 combines 放 release and 學 study, so it is a release from study. That origin explains why it belongs to students and teachers. It covers any school vacation or break, and the register is neutral. The summer vacation is 여름방학.
How Do You Pronounce 방학?
Say bang-hak, the Revised Romanization banghak. The word has two closed syllables, each ending in a consonant. In the first example the particle joins the final k, giving banghagi.
How Do You Use 방학 in a Sentence?
방학이 시작됐어요.
The vacation has started.
Banghagi sijakdwaesseoyo. 시작됐어요 means has started. The marker on 방학 shows it as the subject: the break is the thing that began.
여름방학에 여행을 가요.
I'm going on a trip during the summer vacation.
Yeoreumbanghage yeohaengeul gayo. 여름 is summer, so 여름방학 is the summer break. 여행을 가요 means go on a trip, a typical use of the time.
방학 동안 아르바이트를 했어요.
I worked part-time during the vacation.
Banghak dongan areubaiteureul haesseoyo. 동안 means during. Putting it after 방학 frames the whole break as a stretch of time, and 아르바이트 is the part-time job.
Common Word Combinations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 여름방학 | summer vacation |
| 방학 숙제 | vacation homework |
| 방학이 끝나다 | the break ends |
여름방학 is written as one word. 방학 숙제 is vacation homework, a staple of school life. 방학이 끝나다 says the break ends.
Common Mistake
Learners use 방학 for any long break.
- Wrong: 방학 for a holiday from your job.
- Correct: 휴가 for leave from work. 방학 is only for schools and universities.
How Does 방학 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | Meaning | How to tell it from 방학 |
|---|---|---|
| 휴가 | vacation (work) | 휴가 is leave from work, so adults take a 휴가 and students have a 방학. |
| 휴일 | holiday | 휴일 is a day off, one calendar day rather than a long school break. |
Comparing Plans before the School Break
Two classmates are discussing the coming break. One asks about the start date, then about plans. The other will stay home rather than travel.
Jisu
방학은 언제 시작해요?
Banghageun eonje sijakhaeyo?
When does the school break start?
Alex
다음 주에 시작해요.
Daeum jue sijakhaeyo.
It starts next week.
Jisu
방학에 뭐 할 거예요?
Banghage mwo hal geoyeyo?
What are you going to do during the break?
Alex
집에서 쉴 거예요.
Jibeseo swil geoyeyo.
I am going to rest at home.
방학에 places an activity during the break, while 방학 동안 presents the break as a stretch of time. Neither expression means that the activity occupies every minute. The reply 집에서 쉴 거예요 also shows that 방학 does not mean a holiday trip: the student can spend the entire break at home.
Which Phrases Describe the School-Break Cycle?
여름방학 and 겨울방학 mean summer break and winter break. Each is written as one word. The season identifies which break the speaker means, but it does not fix the dates. A university and a nearby elementary school may publish different calendars, so use the particular school's notice for start and end dates.
방학을 하다 means that a school goes on break. 방학이 시작되다 describes the break beginning, and 방학이 끝나다 describes it ending. These phrases focus on different parts of the same calendar event. If a student is away from school for one day, that absence alone is not a 방학.
방학 계획 means plans for the break. 방학 숙제 means homework assigned for that period. The word 방학 tells you when those plans or tasks belong; it does not promise that students have no studying to do. A conversation about 방학 숙제 can therefore be about schoolwork completed while regular classes are paused.
개학 means the start or resumption of school after a break. It is useful beside 방학 because a notice may announce when students return rather than explicitly state when the vacation ends. In university contexts, 개강 names the start of classes. Look at which institution issued the notice before interpreting its schedule.
Where Will You Hear or See 방학?
School calendars, parent notices and student group chats use 방학 for the period without regular classes. A notice may still list homework, activities or access arrangements during that time. The noun names the academic break; the surrounding details explain what students can or must do during it.
Libraries and museums may advertise 방학 특강, special classes offered during the school break. 특강 is a special lecture or course, and 방학 identifies the intended timing. Such a label does not mean the library itself has closed for a vacation. It can mean the opposite: an extra programme for students who are free from regular lessons.
Adult university students can naturally talk about their 방학. Age is not the deciding factor; the academic calendar is. Someone discussing annual leave from an office job normally uses 휴가 instead. 방학 is neutral vocabulary, so students can use it with classmates, parents or teachers while choosing suitable sentence endings.
Calendar Words to Learn Next
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 학기 | semester; school term | The teaching period around the break. |
| 개학 | school reopening | Marks the return to school after a break. |
| 개강 | start of classes | Especially useful for university courses. |
| 숙제 | homework | Can still be assigned during 방학. |
| 휴가 | leave; vacation | The usual choice for time away from a job. |
The school vocabulary lesson puts these terms into the school year. Pairing 방학 with the return date helps you understand both sides of a calendar notice, rather than recognising only the holiday period.
Quick Self-Test
- Can a university student aged thirty have a 방학?
- Does 방학에 여행을 가요 mean the break itself is a trip?
- What does 개학 tell you about the school calendar?
Show answers
- Yes. 방학 belongs to an academic schedule, regardless of the student’s age.
- No. It says a trip happens during the school break.
- School is starting again after the break.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Adults Say 방학?
Not for a job. Office workers take 휴가. 방학 is for schools, so students and teachers have it.
What Does 放學 Mean?
放 means release and 學 means study, so 방학 is a release from study.
What Is 여름방학?
It is the summer vacation, which in Korean schools usually runs from late July into August.
How Do I Say 'during the Vacation'?
Say 방학 동안.
Where to Go Next
방학 belongs to the school vocabulary list. Compare it with the vacation word and the holiday word, then read the textbook word. See also Korean words A to Z.