Key Facts
- Hangul: 유학; Revised Romanization: yuhak
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 留學 (留 stay + 學 study)
- Register: neutral, used in speech and writing; verb phrase 유학(을) 가다
Study Abroad in Korean: What Does 유학 Mean?
유학 names the experience of living and studying abroad for a period, such as a degree or a language year. It is a neutral, everyday word in both conversation and writing. Because it already contains the idea of studying, it does not need the verb for studying beside it.
The usual verb is 가다 (to go): 유학을 가다 means to go abroad to study. The word is also a handy base for compounds. 유학생 is an international student, and 해외 유학 stresses that the study is overseas. The middle example below uses 유학 중이에요, where 중 means in the middle of something, so the friend is currently abroad.
How Do You Pronounce 유학?
유학 has two syllables, yu-hak. The first is y plus u, like the English word "you". The final ㄱ of 학 is an unreleased k: the tongue closes the sound at the back of the mouth and you stop without any puff of air. When a vowel follows, as in the first example, that ㄱ moves across and is heard at the start of the next syllable, which is why the romanization reads yuhageul.
Example Sentences with 유학
미국으로 유학을 가요.
Migugeuro yuhageul gayo.
I go to study in America.
The particle 으로 marks the destination, here America, and 가요 closes the sentence in the polite style. Together 유학을 가요 reads as go to study abroad.
제 친구는 유학 중이에요.
Je chinguneun yuhak jungieyo.
My friend is studying abroad.
제 is the humble form of my. 중이에요 attaches to a noun to say that someone is in the middle of it, so this sentence reports that a friend is abroad right now. For yourself, leave out the subject and say 유학 중이에요.
유학 준비를 하고 있어요.
Yuhak junbireul hago isseoyo.
I am preparing to study abroad.
준비 means preparation. The ending 하고 있어요 makes a continuing action, so the sentence says that the speaker is in the middle of arranging a study-abroad plan.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Three combinations cover most real-world use. They show how 유학 takes a verb, a suffix and a modifier.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 유학을 가다 | to go study abroad |
| 유학생 | international student |
| 해외 유학 | overseas study |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners translate study abroad word for word and attach the verb for studying.
Wrong: ✗ 유학을 공부해요.
Correct: ✓ 유학을 가요. The pattern to remember is 유학을 가다, or the verb 유학하다.
공부하다 means to study a subject, so it needs a subject such as Korean. 유학 is the trip-and-stay itself, not a subject you can study, so it goes with 가다.
유학 Compared with 연수 and 교환학생
Two nearby words come up when people talk about time spent learning somewhere else. Neither means exactly the same as 유학.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 유학 | study abroad | Studying in another country, usually for a longer stretch. |
| 연수 | training | A training or study period. The word itself does not say the place is abroad. |
| 교환학생 | exchange student | A student on an exchange programme. It is one route into 유학, not a synonym. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
유학 is Sino-Korean, written 留學 in hanja: 留 (stay) plus 學 (study). The literal picture is staying somewhere in order to study, which is exactly why no extra verb for studying is needed. The same 學 appears in many other words about learning.
On Campus: Talking about Next Year
Two classmates discuss one student’s plans for the following year.
Jisoo
내년에 유학을 가요?
Naenyeone yuhageul gayo?
Are you going abroad to study next year?
Alex
네, 한국으로 가요.
Ne, Hangugeuro gayo.
Yes, I’m going to Korea.
Jisoo
유학 준비는 잘돼요?
Yuhak junbineun jal dwaeyo?
Are your study-abroad preparations going well?
Alex
네, 지금 집을 찾고 있어요.
Ne, jigeum jibeul chatgo isseoyo.
Yes, I’m looking for a place to live now.
내년에 places the plan next year. The present form 가요 can describe an arranged future action when a time word makes the timing clear. 한국으로 gives the destination; once 유학 is established, the reply can simply say where the student is going.
Where Will You See 유학 on Campus?
유학 상담 means study-abroad counselling, and 유학 준비 covers the arrangements before departure. You may see these phrases on education websites or at information sessions. Neither phrase tells you whether someone has already left. 유학 중, by contrast, explicitly describes someone currently studying abroad.
A notice addressed to 유학생 is aimed at people, rather than at the activity. 유학생 지원 means support for international students. Read the words that follow 지원 to see what kind of support is offered; the phrase alone does not promise funding.
Words for the Next Part of the Conversation
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 전공 | major | Names the subject a university student specialises in. |
| 장학금 | scholarship | Relevant when discussing study funding. |
| 기숙사 | dormitory | A possible place to live while studying. |
| 어학연수 | language training | Focuses on language study rather than necessarily a degree. |
The university and majors lesson teaches the campus set. 유학 names the broad experience; these words let you ask about the subject, funding and accommodation.
Quick Self-Test
- Which phrase means someone is abroad studying now?
- Does 연수 by itself say the training happens overseas?
- Does 유학생 name a person or an activity?
Show answers
- 유학 중이에요.
- No. The location needs to come from the context.
- A person: an international student.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say study abroad in Korean?
Say 유학 (yuhak). To say that someone goes abroad to study, use 유학을 가다, as in 미국으로 유학을 가요, which means I go to study in America. The word is neutral and works in speech and in writing.
How do you say that a friend is studying abroad right now?
Use 유학 중이에요, which says the person is in the middle of studying abroad. The sentence 제 친구는 유학 중이에요 means My friend is studying abroad. Add the destination before 유학 if you need it.
What is an international student called in Korean?
Add 생 (student) to make 유학생. The same ending works in other student words, and 해외 유학 is the phrase for overseas study.
Is 유학 the same as 연수?
No. 연수 is a training or study period and does not say the place is abroad, while 유학 always points to studying in another country.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: university and majors vocabulary places 유학 beside campus and degree words.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: Add 유학 to your review in the vocabulary flashcard decks.