Key Facts
- Word: 태권도 (taegwondo) [tae-kkwon-do], noun, Sino-Korean origin
- Register: Neutral; Korea's national martial art.
- Hanja: 跆拳道 (跆 kick + 拳 fist + 道 way)
Taekwondo in Korean: What Does 태권도 Mean?
태권도 is the name of Korea's national martial art, and the register is neutral. It works as the sport, the school subject and the hobby name alike. Its closest neighbours are 무술 (martial arts in general) and 검도 (kendo).
How Do You Pronounce It?
The spelling is 태권도, and the standard pronunciation is [tae-kkwon-do]. The middle syllable is tensified, so it starts with a hard, tight 'kkw' rather than a plain 'gw'. RR still writes taegwondo, which is why romanization alone misleads here.
Example Sentences with 태권도
저는 태권도를 배워요.
Jeoneun taegwondoreul baewoyo.
I am learning taekwondo.
A first-person hobby statement. 배워요 is the polite 'learn', so this says you are studying it.
동생은 태권도 학원에 다녀요.
Dongsaengeun taegwondo hagwone danyeoyo.
My younger sibling attends a taekwondo academy.
Parents often send children to an academy. 학원 is a private lesson school and 다녀요 means 'attend regularly'.
태권도는 한국의 전통 무술이에요.
Taegwondoneun hangugui jeontong musurieyo.
Taekwondo is a traditional Korean martial art.
A definition sentence. 전통 무술 together mean 'traditional martial art', and 이에요 closes it as a polite 'is'. This is how Koreans usually describe the sport, although modern taekwondo took its present form in the mid-20th century.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 태권도를 하다 | do taekwondo |
| 태권도장 | taekwondo gym |
| 태권도 선수 | taekwondo athlete |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners read the romanization literally and give the middle syllable a soft g.
Wrong: [tae-gwon-do], with a plain g
Correct: [tae-kkwon-do], with a tense kk
RR keeps the spelling taegwondo, so do not copy the romanization when you speak.
태권도 Compared with Similar Words
Two nearby words cover the wider category and a sibling art.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 무술 | martial arts | martial arts |
| 검도 | kendo | kendo |
Where Does the Word Come From?
The hanja is 跆拳道: 跆 means kick, 拳 means fist and 道 means way. So the name reads as 'the way of the kick and the fist'.
Cultural Note
Taekwondo is Korea's national sport and an Olympic event.
At a Taekwondo School: a First Lesson
A new student asks an instructor about starting taekwondo. The exchange is about joining a class, rather than describing a match.
Student
태권도를 배우고 싶어요.
Taegwondoreul baeugo sipeoyo.
I want to learn taekwondo.
Instructor
태권도는 처음이에요?
Taegwondoneun cheoeumieyo?
Is this your first time doing taekwondo?
Student
네. 도복이 필요해요?
Ne. Dobogi piryohaeyo?
Yes. Do I need a uniform?
Instructor
네, 도복을 준비해 주세요.
Ne, dobogeul junbihae juseyo.
Yes, please get a uniform ready.
태권도를 배우고 싶어요 introduces an interest in learning. The instructor’s question checks previous experience. 도복 is the training uniform, so the student asks about equipment before the first session. 준비해 주세요 is a polite request to prepare something.
The two speakers keep polite endings even though one is a beginner and the other an instructor. The sport name itself stays 태권도. When speaking directly to an instructor, 사범님 is a respectful title you may hear in the school.
Combinations That Explain What Someone Does
태권도를 배우다 means “learn taekwondo”. 태권도를 가르치다 means “teach taekwondo”. The sport takes 를 in both expressions, but the person’s role changes with the verb. A child attending lessons is learning; the instructor leading the lesson is teaching.
태권도를 하다 is the broad expression for doing or practising the sport. It does not tell the listener whether you are a beginner, a competitor or an instructor. 태권도 선수 is more specific: 선수 identifies an athlete or competitor. Taking a weekly class does not by itself make that the right description of your role.
태권도장 names the training place. The final 장 refers to a place, as it does in other facility names. 태권도 학원 describes a private academy that teaches taekwondo. Both expressions can refer to the place a child attends, while 태권도 수업 refers to the lesson itself.
What Will You Hear inside a Class?
차렷 is the command to stand at attention, and 경례 is the command to bow or salute. In a lesson these are short instructions, not ordinary ways to start chatting. An instructor can use concise commands while students use polite requests when asking questions.
품새 refers to a set sequence of movements. 겨루기 refers to sparring against an opponent. These terms tell you what kind of practice or event is being discussed. A lesson about 품새 can focus on a sequence without being a sparring session; a sports report about 겨루기 concerns opponents competing against each other.
띠 is a belt. In a clothing shop it can describe a belt generally, but in a taekwondo school its colour may identify a training level. 검은 띠 means black belt. The surrounding conversation makes clear that the belt has a grading role, rather than simply being part of an outfit.
Where Does 태권도 Appear in Everyday Korean?
Academy signs, class timetables and parents’ conversations use 태권도 as an activity name. 다녀요 in the existing sibling example means attending regularly. It tells you about an ongoing routine, whereas 배우고 싶어요 in the dialogue expresses a wish to start.
Sports coverage uses 태권도 선수 when identifying an athlete. Watch the noun after 태권도: a school, a lesson and a competitor are different things even though the same sport name starts each phrase. This makes longer headlines easier to separate into useful parts.
Words for Your First Visit to a 도장
| Korean | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 도복 | martial arts uniform | Clothing worn for training. |
| 띠 | belt | Used for the belt worn with the uniform. |
| 사범님 | instructor | A respectful way to address the instructor. |
| 발차기 | kick; kicking | Names a movement, rather than the whole sport. |
The taekwondo and martial arts vocabulary lesson teaches the training terms together. 도복 and 띠 help with preparation, while 사범님 helps you address the person leading the class.
Quick Self-Test
- Which phrase identifies a competitor: 태권도 선수 or 태권도장?
- Is 품새 the same activity as 겨루기?
- What does 도복 name?
Show answers
- 태권도 선수. 태권도장 is the training place.
- No. 품새 is a set movement sequence; 겨루기 is sparring.
- The martial arts training uniform.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is 태권도 pronounced?
As [tae-kkwon-do], with the second syllable tensified. RR spells it taegwondo.
What do the hanja mean?
跆 is kick, 拳 is fist and 道 is way.
How do I say 'do taekwondo'?
Use 태권도를 하다. A taekwondo gym is 태권도장, and an athlete is a 태권도 선수.
Which word means martial arts in general?
무술. The word 검도 names kendo, a separate art.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Sports words groups 태권도 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- See also the page for the racket sport tennis: tennis.