Key Facts
- Hangul: 기차; Revised Romanization: gicha
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: Neutral. Used for intercity trains such as KTX.
- Hanja: 汽車 (汽 steam + 車 vehicle)
Train in Korean: How Do You Pronounce 기차?
Two syllables: gi-cha, read just as written. The consonant ㅊ is aspirated, with a breath of air, in cha.
Example Sentences with 기차
기차를 타요.
Gichareul tayo.
I take the train.
The verb 타요 means ride, so 기차를 타요 is the basic boarding sentence.
기차는 열 시에 출발해요.
Gichaneun yeol sie chulbalhaeyo.
The train leaves at ten.
A timetable sentence. 열 시에 is at ten o'clock, and 출발해요 means departs.
부산까지 기차로 세 시간 걸려요.
Busankkaji gicharo se sigan geollyeoyo.
It takes three hours to Busan by train.
A journey length: 부산까지 means as far as Busan, and 세 시간 걸려요 says it takes three hours.
The three examples follow one trip: boarding, departure time and duration. If you are building a travel phrase set, reuse the last frame with another city name before 까지 (as far as).
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 기차를 타다 | to take a train |
| 기차역 | train station |
| 기차표 | train ticket |
기차를 타다 is to take a train, 기차역 is the station and 기차표 the ticket.
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners use 기차 for any train, including the metro.
- Wrong: calling the city metro 기차.
- Correct: 지하철 for the city subway; 기차 for longer-distance trains between cities.
기차 Compared with Similar Words
지하철 is the city subway. KTX is the name of Korea's high-speed rail service, one kind of 기차.
| Word | Meaning | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|---|
| 기차 | train | This page's word |
| 지하철 | subway | 지하철 is the city subway. |
| KTX | high-speed train | KTX is Korea's high-speed rail service. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
기차 is written 汽車: 汽 (steam) and 車 (vehicle).
At the Ticket Counter: Buying a Train Ticket
A passenger wants to travel to Busan. The clerk asks which departure they want before issuing a ticket.
Passenger
부산 가는 기차표 한 장 주세요.
Busan ganeun gichapyo han jang juseyo.
One train ticket to Busan, please.
Clerk
몇 시 기차로 드릴까요?
Myeot si gicharo deurilkkayo?
Which departure time would you like?
Passenger
열 시 기차로 주세요.
Yeol si gicharo juseyo.
The ten o'clock train, please.
Clerk
네, 여기 표 있어요.
Ne, yeogi pyo isseoyo.
Yes, here is your ticket.
부산 가는 describes the train's destination: “going to Busan”. 한 장 counts one ticket, using the flat-item counter 장. The clerk's question checks a departure time rather than a destination, so the passenger answers with 열 시, “ten o'clock”. The times belong to this practice conversation.
Which Train Phrases Describe Which Action?
기차를 타다 means to take or board a train. 기차로 가다 means to go by train. In the first phrase, 를 marks the vehicle you board; in the second, 로 marks the means of travel. The existing Busan example uses 기차로 because it explains how the journey is made.
기차를 놓치다 means to miss a train. 놓치다 can describe failing to catch something, and here it means the service left before you boarded. It does not mean losing a physical train. Losing a ticket is a different problem involving 기차표.
기차에서 내리다 means to get off a train. 에서 identifies the vehicle you leave. That completes a useful travel sequence: obtain the 기차표, board with 기차를 타다, then leave with 기차에서 내리다. The noun stays the same while the particle and verb show the action.
What Will You See at a Railway Station?
기차 is a good everyday word when discussing a trip with a friend. Station displays and announcements also use 열차, “train”, a word common in railway information. Recognising 열차 helps you connect an official announcement to the 기차 you have been talking about.
출발 means departure and 도착 means arrival. Read them alongside the place name and time: a city name on an arrivals board tells you something different from the same city on a departures board. The example 기차는 열 시에 출발해요 gives the leaving time.
기차표 names the ticket in ordinary conversation. You may also see 승차권, a more formal word for a ticket authorising travel. The two labels can refer to the same ticket. You do not need to switch to formal vocabulary just to ask the clerk a polite question.
The three-hour Busan sentence above illustrates journey duration. It gives no starting point or service, so it cannot serve as a timetable for a real trip. 걸려요 tells you how long something takes; 출발해요 tells you when it leaves. Listen for that verb to identify the kind of time information.
A ticket question also needs a destination and a quantity. In the dialogue, 부산 supplies the destination and 한 장 supplies the ticket count. 열 시 supplies a departure time only after the clerk asks for it. These details solve three separate questions, so a city name alone is not a complete ticket order.
Words to Recognise before Boarding
| Korean | Meaning | Practical use |
|---|---|---|
| 열차 | train | Common in railway information and announcements. |
| 승강장 | platform | The place where passengers board. |
| 좌석 | seat | Helps you identify seating information. |
| 왕복 | round trip | Describes a journey going out and coming back. |
The transportation vocabulary lesson groups train words with other ways of travelling. 기차 names the vehicle, 승강장 the boarding place and 좌석 the seat. Keeping those categories separate helps when a staff member gives directions through a station.
Quick Self-Test
- Which means “by train”: 기차로 or 기차표?
- What happens if you 기차를 놓치다?
- Which word on a board means arrival: 출발 or 도착?
Show answers
- 기차로. 기차표 is a train ticket.
- You miss the train; it leaves before you board.
- 도착 means arrival. 출발 means departure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "train" in Korean?
Say 기차 (gicha).
Is 기차 the subway?
No. The subway is 지하철.
What is KTX?
It is Korea's high-speed rail service.
How do I say "train station"?
Say 기차역.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: transportation word list. 기차 is listed with the other vehicles.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Compare with the subway page. 지하철 covers the city line this word does not.