Key Facts
- Word: 교과서 (gyogwaseo), noun, Sino-Korean origin
- Register: Neutral, everyday word used in both spoken and written Korean.
- Hanja: 敎科書 (敎 teach + 科 subject + 書 book)
Textbook in Korean: What Does 교과서 Mean?
교과서 means textbook, a school book for a subject. The register is neutral and works in both speech and writing. Subject names attach in front, as in 영어 교과서 for the English textbook.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Read it gyo-gwa-seo, three syllables, just as the romanization gyogwaseo shows. The middle syllable 과 is gwa, a quick w glide after g; do not split it into two syllables.
Example Sentences with 교과서
교과서를 펴세요.
Gyogwaseoreul pyeoseyo.
Please open your textbook.
A classroom instruction. 펴세요 is the honorific 'please open', typical of a teacher speaking.
교과서를 집에 두고 왔어요.
Gyogwaseoreul jibe dugo wasseoyo.
I left my textbook at home.
An excuse sentence. 두고 왔어요 means 'left it behind', and 집에 is 'at home'.
새 교과서를 받았어요.
Sae gyogwaseoreul badasseoyo.
I received a new textbook.
A school-year sentence. 새 is 'new' and 받았어요 means 'received', so the books were handed out.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 교과서를 펴다 | to open a textbook |
| 영어 교과서 | English textbook |
| 교과서에 나오다 | to appear in a textbook |
The three collocations show the typical life of a textbook. You open it with 교과서를 펴다, you name its subject in 영어 교과서, and you point to content with 교과서에 나오다, meaning 'it appears in the textbook'. That last phrase is what students say about exam material.
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners use 교과서 for any book they study from.
- Wrong: calling a language-school course book or a self-study book a 교과서.
- Correct: 교재 for study materials in general. A 교과서 is the official school textbook for a subject.
교과서 Compared with Similar Words
Two broader words show how narrow 교과서 is.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 교재 | teaching material | 교재 is a teaching material of any kind. |
| 책 | book | 책 is a general book. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
The hanja is 敎科書: 敎 means teach, 科 means subject and 書 means book. So it reads as 'a book for teaching a subject'.
Before Class: Sharing a Textbook
Two classmates are getting ready for an English lesson. One has left the textbook at home and asks to share. Their polite endings suit classmates who are not yet close friends.
Sora
영어 교과서 있어요?
Yeongeo gyogwaseo isseoyo?
Do you have your English textbook?
Minho
네. 교과서 안 가져왔어요?
Ne. Gyogwaseo an gajyeowasseoyo?
Yes. Didn’t you bring yours?
Sora
집에 두고 왔어요. 같이 봐도 돼요?
Jibe dugo wasseoyo. Gachi bwado dwaeyo?
I left it at home. May I look at yours with you?
Minho
네, 같이 봐요.
Ne, gachi bwayo.
Yes, let’s look at it together.
The first line omits a possessive word such as “your”: the classroom situation makes the intended book clear. 같이 봐도 돼요 asks permission to share the view of the book. 같이 봐요 accepts the request. Here 보다 means looking at or reading the textbook, rather than watching a show.
Which Expressions Help You Follow a Lesson?
교과서를 펴다 means to open a textbook. 펴다 emphasizes unfolding or spreading something open, so it is the natural partner for a book’s pages. The opposite classroom action is 교과서를 덮다, to close the textbook. Neither phrase says that a lesson has finished unless the context makes that clear.
교과서에 나오다 means to appear in the textbook. The verb 나오다 literally has a “come out” meaning, but here it identifies where information can be found. A word, picture, explanation or exercise can be the thing that appears. This is useful when a teacher asks whether a topic has already been covered.
교과서 내용 means “textbook content”. 교과서 표지 means “textbook cover”. These combinations distinguish what is inside a textbook from its outer cover. If you are trying to identify the right edition or subject, the cover can help; if you are asking about an explanation, you mean the content.
Where Will You See 교과서?
A school supply list may name separate textbooks by subject. 영어 교과서 is a textbook for English as a subject. It does not automatically mean any textbook printed in English. The subject name tells you what the class studies; the language of the book may need a separate explanation.
Teachers use 교과서 in instructions about opening books, looking at a page or bringing materials to class. A classmate can use the same noun in a polite request or a casual conversation. The word itself has no special honorific replacement when you speak to a teacher.
At a language school, 교재 is a useful broader label for course materials. It can include a course book, worksheets and other resources. When you ask what to buy for a course, follow the teacher’s title or materials list: a workbook and the main textbook may be sold separately.
Books and Materials beside the Textbook
| Korean | Meaning | One useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 공책 | notebook | A place to write your own notes, rather than the printed lesson book. |
| 문제집 | exercise book | A book organized around practice questions. |
| 사전 | dictionary | A reference for looking up words. |
| 필기 | note-taking; written notes | What you record during a lesson. |
| 쪽 | page | Used after a page number to identify where to look. |
The school vocabulary lesson introduces the wider classroom set. 공책 and 문제집 are especially useful when packing a school bag: bringing something to write in is different from bringing a book of questions. All of these objects can be 책 in a broad sense, but their specific names explain their purpose.
Quick Self-Test
- Which verb naturally means opening a textbook: 펴다 or 켜다?
- Does 영어 교과서 necessarily mean a book printed in English?
- Which is broader: 교과서 or 교재?
Show answers
- 펴다: 교과서를 펴다. 켜다 is for switching something on.
- No. It names the subject, English.
- 교재 covers teaching materials more generally.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 교과서 mean?
It means a school textbook for a subject, such as 영어 교과서 (English textbook).
What is 교재?
교재 is teaching material of any kind, including course books at language schools. 교과서 is narrower: a school textbook.
How do I say 'open your textbook'?
교과서를 펴세요. Teachers use this polite request at the start of a lesson.
What does the hanja say?
敎 means teach, 科 means subject and 書 means book: a book for teaching a subject.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: School words groups 교과서 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- See also the page for 책: book.