Key Facts
- Hangul: 학생; Revised Romanization: haksaeng; pronounced [hak-ssaeng]
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 學生 (學 learn + 生 person/born)
- Register: Neutral and polite as is; it is the standard word for a school or university student.
Student in Korean: What Does 학생 Mean?
학생 covers a student or pupil at any school level. The register is neutral and polite as is, so you can use it for yourself or for others without adding an honorific. It also builds the common school words 대학생 (university student), 초등학생 (elementary school student), 학생증 (student ID card) and 학생 할인 (student discount).
How Do You Pronounce 학생?
Written 학생, it is pronounced [hak-ssaeng]. The ㄱ at the end of the first syllable is unreleased, and the ㅅ that follows it becomes tense. Hold the ㄱ closed for a beat, then release into a hissing ss.
Example Sentences with 학생
저는 학생이에요.
jeoneun haksaengieyo.
I am a student.
저는 is "as for me", and 이에요 is the copula after a noun that ends in a consonant. This is the standard self-introduction line.
우리 반 학생은 열 명이에요.
uri ban haksaengeun yeol myeongieyo.
There are ten students in our class.
우리 반 is "our class", and 열 명 is ten people. The counter 명 is used for people, and 이에요 ends the sentence.
학생 식당에서 점심을 먹어요.
haksaeng sikdangeseo jeomsimeul meogeoyo.
I eat lunch at the student cafeteria.
학생 식당 is the student cafeteria. 에서 marks where lunch happens, and 먹어요 is the verb to eat.
Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 대학생 | university student |
| 초등학생 | elementary school student |
| 학생증 | student ID card |
| 학생 할인 | student discount |
The Mistake to Avoid
There are two traps. First, learners say [hak-saeng] with a plain ㅅ, but the ㅅ is tense after the ㄱ batchim, so it sounds like [hak-ssaeng]. Second, they mix up 학생 (a person) with 학교 (the school, a place).
학생 Compared with 선생님 and 학교
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 학생 | student | This page's word |
| 선생님 | teacher (honorific) | The person who teaches; 학생 is the person who studies. |
| 학교 | school | The place, not the person. |
Origin and Culture
학생 is Sino-Korean, written 學生 in hanja: 學 (learn) plus 生 (person or born). So it reads literally as "a person who learns".
Asking about a Student Discount at a Ticket Desk
A student asks a ticket clerk about a discount before purchasing admission. The exchange establishes student status but does not assume every student qualifies.
Visitor
학생 할인 있어요?
Haksaeng harin isseoyo?
Is there a student discount?
Clerk
네, 학생증 있으세요?
Ne, haksaengjeung isseuseyo?
Yes. Do you have your student ID?
Visitor
네, 여기 있어요.
Ne, yeogi isseoyo.
Yes, here it is.
Clerk
감사합니다. 잠시만 기다려 주세요.
Gamsahamnida. Jamsiman gidaryeo juseyo.
Thank you. Please wait a moment.
학생 할인 names the discount, while 학생증 names the document the clerk asks to see. 있으세요 is a respectful way to ask whether the visitor has the card. The visitor can answer 여기 있어요 while showing it. The counter still needs to confirm its own eligibility rules; the word 학생 alone does not promise a particular ticket price.
Naming a Student's Level More Precisely
초등학생 is an elementary school student, 중학생 a middle school student, and 고등학생 a high school student. 대학생 means a university student. Each word names the person, whereas the corresponding school names end in 학교 or, for a university, 대학교. The 학생 ending helps you distinguish a student from their institution.
대학원생 means a graduate student. 유학생 means someone studying abroad. A person can fit more than one description: an international student may also be a 대학생 or 대학원생. These words answer different questions about the person's studies rather than forming a single list of mutually exclusive categories.
학생 is broader than any of these labels. In a self-introduction, 저는 학생이에요 gives your general status. 저는 대학생이에요 adds that you attend university. Use the more precise word when the listener is asking about your school level rather than simply whether you study or work.
How Do Student Phrases Work on Campus?
학생증 combines student with 증, which here refers to a certificate or identifying document. You may be asked to show a 학생증 at a ticket counter or when entering a campus facility. It is a card proving student status, not the student number itself. 학번 is the student number assigned by an institution.
학생 식당 identifies a student cafeteria. The first noun tells you who the facility is associated with; it does not turn 학생 into an adjective with a separate ending. 학생 할인 follows the same useful pattern: student plus discount. These are literal combinations, not idioms with hidden meanings.
학생회 means the student council or student association. A notice from 학생회 concerns the representative organisation, rather than every student acting individually. You may see the word on event notices and campus announcements, alongside dates, locations, and contact details.
Is 학생 a Form of Address?
학생 is natural when describing yourself or a group of learners. A teacher or an older adult may also address a young person as 학생. That direct address can suggest an age or authority difference. It is less suitable as a friendly replacement for the name of a fellow adult student.
When speaking to classmates, use their name and the form of address appropriate to your relationship. When speaking about the whole group, 학생들 explicitly means “students”. The plural ending 들 can highlight the group, but a number and a counter already give a count: 열 명 in the existing example makes “ten students” clear without adding 들.
Words to Use Alongside 학생
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 중학생 | middle school student | Names the learner rather than the school. |
| 고등학생 | high school student | More precise than the general 학생. |
| 대학생 | university student | Useful in an introduction about studies. |
| 학번 | student number | An identifier, rather than the ID card itself. |
The school vocabulary lesson teaches the wider school set, and the university and majors lesson covers campus study terms.
Quick Self-Test
- Which word is the card: 학생증 or 학번?
- What does 중학생 tell you that 학생 does not?
- Is 학생 always a suitable way to address an adult classmate?
Show answers
- 학생증 is the card; 학번 is the student number.
- That the student attends middle school.
- No. It can imply an age or authority difference; use an appropriate name or title.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "student" in Korean?
Say 학생 (haksaeng), pronounced [hak-ssaeng].
How do you say "university student" in Korean?
Say 대학생. For an elementary school student, say 초등학생.
What is the difference between 학생 and 선생님?
선생님 is the honorific word for the teacher who teaches. 학생 is the person who studies.
What is the difference between 학생 and 학교?
학교 is the school, a place. 학생 is the person.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: the Jobs and Occupations page puts 학생 beside its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 학생 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next in the list is the word for job: see job.
- Compare with teacher: The person who teaches; 학생 is the person who studies.
- Compare with school: The place, not the person.