Key Facts
- Word: 텔레비전 (tellebijeon), noun, loanword origin
- Register: Neutral and slightly formal in this full form; in speech people usually say 티비 or TV.
- Senses: television; TV
Television in Korean: What Does 텔레비전 Mean?
텔레비전 means television or TV. The register is neutral and slightly formal in the full form. In speech people usually say 티비, often written TV. The set and what is shown on it are different words: 방송 is the broadcast.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Say tel-le-bi-jeon. The double l in tellebijeon is real: the final ㄹ of 텔 meets the initial ㄹ of 레, making a held l sound across 텔–레. The last syllable starts with a soft j.
Example Sentences with 텔레비전
텔레비전을 봐요.
Tellebijeoneul bwayo.
I watch television.
A habit sentence. 봐요 is the polite present of 보다, "watch", and 을 marks 텔레비전 as the object.
텔레비전이 켜져 있어요.
Tellebijeoni kyeojyeo isseoyo.
The television is on.
A state description. 켜져 있어요 reports that it is on, without saying who switched it.
저녁에는 텔레비전 뉴스를 봐요.
Jeonyeogeneun tellebijeon nyuseureul bwayo.
In the evening I watch the news on television.
A routine. 저녁에는 is 'in the evening', and 뉴스 is the news, so the TV is the channel for it.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 텔레비전을 보다 | to watch television |
| 텔레비전을 켜다 | to turn on the television |
| 텔레비전을 끄다 | to turn off the television |
| 텔레비전 프로그램 | television program |
The Mistake to Avoid
There are two traps: an old-style spelling and the wrong verb.
Wrong: 텔레비젼
Right: 텔레비전
Wrong: 보이다 for "watch" (it means "to be seen" or "to be visible")
Right: 텔레비전을 봐요 (I watch television)
Keep 켜다 and 끄다 for turning the set on and off.
텔레비전 Compared with Similar Words
Two nearby words cover the casual form and the content.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 티비 | TV (casual) | The common spoken short form, also written TV. |
| 방송 | broadcast | The programming, not the machine. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
텔레비전 is a loanword with no hanja.
At Home: Choosing What to Watch
Two housemates are settling down in the living room. The first asks about a program; the second asks for the remote. Both use polite everyday endings.
Mina
지금 텔레비전에서 뭐 해요?
Jigeum tellebijeoneseo mwo haeyo?
What’s on television now?
Jin
뉴스 해요. 드라마 볼까요?
Nyuseu haeyo. Deurama bolkkayo?
The news is on. Shall we watch a drama?
Mina
네, 좋아요. 리모컨 어디 있어요?
Ne, joayo. Rimokeon eodi isseoyo?
Yes, sounds good. Where’s the remote?
Jin
소파 위에 있어요.
Sopa wie isseoyo.
It’s on the sofa.
텔레비전에서 means “on television” here. The particle 에서 introduces the medium carrying the program. The question is about the schedule, so 뭐 해요 asks what is showing. In the answer, 뉴스 해요 means the news is on; Jin is not saying that he works in news.
Which TV Phrases Mean More than Their Individual Words?
텔레비전에 나오다 literally means “come out on television”, but usually means to appear on TV. A singer, interviewee or local restaurant can appear in a broadcast. The phrase does not mean that somebody is physically coming out of a television set.
텔레비전을 틀다 means to turn on the TV or put it on. It overlaps with 텔레비전을 켜다, the direct expression for switching the set on. A request to put the television on can also imply starting something to watch; the surrounding conversation supplies that detail.
채널을 돌리다 means to change channels. Although 돌리다 can mean “turn” or “rotate”, a modern remote need not have a dial. Treat the phrase as an ordinary action you can perform with a button. 소리를 줄이다 means to turn the sound down, which is different from switching the set off.
Where Will You See 텔레비전 and TV?
In an appliance shop, 텔레비전 or TV names the product. A hotel room description may list a TV as an amenity. In both settings the word points to the device, while a television schedule tells you about the programs available through it.
In conversation about last night’s viewing, people often use TV or 티비. The full 텔레비전 is also understandable in ordinary conversation; it does not require a formal situation. Saying the shorter form to an older person is not automatically impolite. The sentence ending and the request you make carry politeness.
Watching a drama on a phone is still watching a 드라마, but the device is a phone. If you want to explain exactly how you watched something, distinguish the content from the screen. 텔레비전, 프로그램 and 방송 answer different questions: the device, the individual show, and the broadcast.
Words for Controlling and Discussing the Television
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 리모컨 | remote control | Use this when asking who has the remote. |
| 채널 | channel | The channel changes while the television stays on. |
| 화면 | screen; screen image | Name what you can see, rather than the sound. |
| 소리 | sound | Use this when the television is too loud. |
| 드라마 | TV drama | Names a kind of program, not the television set. |
| 자막 | subtitles; captions | Text on the screen that helps you follow the dialogue. |
자막 names text displayed on the screen. Turning down 소리 changes the audio volume; switching on 자막 makes dialogue readable when the program provides captions.
The home and furniture lesson places the television alongside other things in a room. In the dialogue, 소파 위에 means “on the sofa”: it locates the remote, while 텔레비전에서 locates the broadcast. The English word “on” needs different Korean expressions in these two situations.
Quick Self-Test
- How would you describe someone appearing on TV?
- Does 채널을 돌리다 require a physical dial?
- Which word names the remote control?
Show answers
- 텔레비전에 나오다 means to appear on television.
- No. It means to change channels, including with a remote.
- 리모컨.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the short form?
티비, often written TV. It is the usual casual spoken form.
How do I say 'watch television'?
텔레비전을 보다.
How do I turn it on or off?
Use 켜다 for on and 끄다 for off.
What is 방송?
The broadcast or programming, not the machine.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Home and furniture words groups 텔레비전 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- See also the page for another household appliance: washing-machine.