Key Facts
- Hangul: 여행; Revised Romanization: yeohaeng
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 旅行 (旅 travel + 行 go)
- Register: Neutral; 여행하다 is the verb, and 여행을 가다 is common.
Travel in Korean: What Does 여행 Mean?
여행 covers two English senses, "travel" as an activity and "trip" as a single outing. It is neutral in register. The verb form is 여행하다, but Korean speakers more often say 여행을 가다, literally "go a trip". English "travel" and "trip" both usually come out as 여행.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Say it in two beats, yeo-haeng. The first syllable begins with a y glide, and the second ends in ng.
Example Sentences with 여행
저는 여행을 좋아해요.
jeoneun yeohaengeul joahaeyo.
I like travelling.
This is the plain statement of taste. The topic marker on 저는 sets you up as the subject, and 좋아해요 delivers the feeling, so the whole sentence works as a self-introduction line.
다음 달에 일본으로 여행을 가요.
daeum dare ilboneuro yeohaengeul gayo.
I am going on a trip to Japan next month.
Here 여행 takes the object marker and the verb 가요 means go, so the pattern is "go a trip". Notice the destination 일본으로 comes before it and 다음 달에 sets the time.
여행은 정말 즐거웠어요.
yeohaengeun jeongmal jeulgeowosseoyo.
The trip was really enjoyable.
The past tense 즐거웠어요 turns 여행은 into a looking-back remark. Use it the day you return and someone asks how things went.
Collocations
Three combinations are worth learning first. The first two split the same idea into a going verb and a doing verb, and 해외여행 is the compound for trips abroad.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 여행을 가다 | go on a trip |
| 여행을 하다 | travel |
| 해외여행 | overseas travel |
The Mistake to Avoid
English speakers think "go to travel" and reach for the location marker 에.
Wrong: 여행에 가다
Correct: 여행을 가다, or simply 여행하다
여행 is not a place, so it takes the object marker. The destination gets the place particle instead, as in 일본으로 여행을 가요.
여행 Compared with 관광 and 출장
The two neighbours name narrower ideas. 관광 is sightseeing, the touring part of a trip, and 출장 is a business trip. 여행 is the broad word that can contain either.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 관광 | sightseeing | sightseeing |
| 출장 | business trip | business trip |
Where Does the Word Come From?
여행 is Sino-Korean, written 旅行 in hanja: 旅 (travel) plus 行 (go). The pieces already say "travel-go", which matches the way Korean uses 가다 with it.
Talking about Travel as a Hobby
Two classmates are getting to know each other. They talk about the kind of travel they enjoy before mentioning a destination.
Mina
여행을 좋아해요?
Yeohaengeul joahaeyo?
Do you like travelling?
Sam
네. 혼자 여행하는 걸 좋아해요.
Ne. Honja yeohaenghaneun geol joahaeyo.
Yes. I like travelling alone.
Mina
어디로 여행을 가고 싶어요?
Eodiro yeohaengeul gago sipeoyo?
Where would you like to go on a trip?
Sam
한국에 가고 싶어요.
Hanguge gago sipeoyo.
I would like to go to Korea.
혼자 means “alone”. In 혼자 여행하는 걸 좋아해요, the speaker likes the activity of travelling alone. The question 어디로 asks about a destination. The reply can name only the destination and the wish to go, because both speakers already know they are discussing travel.
Travel Combinations That Describe Your Interests
국내여행 means domestic travel, within a country. 해외여행 means overseas travel. These describe where the journey takes place relative to the country being discussed. A trip to Busan can be 국내여행 for someone in Korea, even when that person holds a foreign passport. The category concerns the journey, rather than nationality.
가족 여행 means a family trip, and 혼자 여행하다 means to travel alone. The first identifies the group; the second describes how someone travels. If a classmate asks what you enjoy, either can make your answer more specific than simply saying that you like 여행.
여행을 떠나다 means to set off on a journey. You may hear it at the beginning of a travel programme or read it in a personal travel story. Compared with 여행을 가다, it draws attention to departure. It does not mean that the traveller has already returned or finished sightseeing.
Where Will You See 여행?
여행사 means a travel agency. The ending 사 here belongs to a business name, so the whole word names an organization that arranges travel. 여행 상품 means a travel product or package offered for sale. Seeing 여행 on an advertisement tells you the topic; the following noun tells you what is being offered.
A bookshop's 여행 section contains travel books. A video titled 여행 브이로그 is a travel vlog. Neither phrase promises practical transport information: one book may be a personal account, while a video may focus on someone's meals and daily experiences. Look at the rest of the title to understand the format.
여행 is equally comfortable in a friendly conversation and a written description. The noun has no special respectful replacement. A polite ending on the surrounding sentence is what lets you ask a new classmate about their interests, as in the dialogue above.
People, Places and Memories Connected with Travel
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 여행자 | traveller | Names the person rather than the activity. |
| 여행지 | travel destination | The place chosen for a trip. |
| 여행사 | travel agency | A business that arranges travel. |
| 여행 사진 | travel photos | Pictures taken during a trip. |
| 여행 계획 | travel plans | What you intend to do before you leave. |
The travel vocabulary lesson teaches the words needed around journeys and airports. For a conversation about interests, the hobbies vocabulary lesson helps you connect travel with the other activities you enjoy.
여행 사진 is especially useful after someone returns. It shifts the conversation from the general hobby to a particular experience. A phrase such as 여행 계획 looks forward; 여행 사진 usually looks back. The word after 여행 gives you that difference without changing 여행 itself.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 국내여행 describe the traveller’s passport or the route?
- What does 여행사 name?
- Which phrase focuses on setting off: 여행을 떠나다 or 여행 사진?
Show answers
- The route: travel within the country being discussed.
- A travel agency.
- 여행을 떠나다. 여행 사진 means travel photos.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "travel" in Korean?
Say 여행 (yeohaeng). For the activity of travelling, 여행하다 is the verb, and 여행을 가다 means to go on a trip.
What is the difference between 여행 and 관광?
여행 is travel or a trip in general. 관광 is sightseeing, the touring of sights.
Which particle goes with 여행 and 가다?
Use 여행을 가다 with the object marker. 여행에 가다 sounds wrong to Korean ears.
How do you say "overseas travel"?
It is 해외여행, from 해외 (overseas) plus 여행.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Hobbies and leisure words puts 여행 with other hobby and leisure words.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- This page teaches the word 여행. For a short course of phrases for a trip, see Korean for travel.