Key Facts
- Hangul: 대학교; Revised Romanization: daehakgyo; spoken as [dae-hak-kkyo]
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 大學校 (大 big + 學 learn + 校 school)
- Register: Neutral, everyday word used in both spoken and written Korean. Often shortened to 대학 in speech.
University in Korean: What Does 대학교 Mean?
대학교 means a university or college. The register is neutral and common in speech and writing. In speech it is often shortened to 대학, which can also mean a single college within a university. 대학원 is the graduate school that follows. Sentences below use the full form.
How Do You Pronounce It?
The spoken form is [dae-hak-kkyo]. The ㄱ of 교 is tensed after the k sound of 학, so it sounds like a tight kk, not a soft g.
Example Sentences with 대학교
저는 대학교에 다녀요.
Jeoneun daehakgyoe danyeoyo.
I attend university.
다녀요 is the verb for attending a school regularly, so this is how you say you are enrolled. It does not say you studied there in the past.
우리 대학교는 서울에 있어요.
Uri daehakgyoneun Seoure isseoyo.
Our university is in Seoul.
Here the topic is a shared one, "our university", with 서울에 있어요 giving the location. Koreans often say 우리 (our) for groups they belong to, so 우리 대학교 is the normal way to say "my university".
내년에 대학교를 졸업해요.
Naenyeone daehakgyoreul joreopaeyo.
I graduate from university next year.
The verb 졸업해요 means graduate, and 내년에 sets the time. The present tense is used for a planned event next year.
Collocations
대학교에 입학하다 is to enter university, 대학생 is a university student, and 대학교 캠퍼스 is a university campus.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 대학교에 입학하다 | to enter university |
| 대학생 | university student |
| 대학교 캠퍼스 | university campus |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners read the romanization letter by letter.
- Wrong: dae-hak-gyo, with a soft g.
- Correct: [dae-hak-kkyo]. The ㄱ in 교 is tensed after the k sound of 학.
대학교 Compared with 대학 and 대학원
대학 is the shorter common form, and it can mean a college inside a university. 대학원 is graduate school, which comes after 대학교.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 대학 | college / university | 대학 is a shorter, common form; it can also mean a college within a university. |
| 대학원 | graduate school | 대학원 is graduate school. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
대학교 is Sino-Korean, written 大學校: 大 (big) plus 學 (learn) plus 校 (school). So it is literally the "big learning school".
Meeting Another Student on Campus
Two students meet before a class. The first question asks for an institution, and the follow-up asks for a subject of study.
Jisu
어느 대학교에 다녀요?
Eoneu daehakgyoe danyeoyo?
Which university do you attend?
Alex
서울에 있는 대학교에 다녀요.
Seoure inneun daehakgyoe danyeoyo.
I attend a university in Seoul.
Jisu
전공이 뭐예요?
Jeongongi mwoyeyo?
What is your major?
Alex
한국어를 전공해요.
Hangugeoreul jeongonghaeyo.
I major in Korean.
어느 means “which” before a noun. A speaker who asks 어느 대학교에 다녀요? usually expects the name of your university. Alex gives only its location here, so the answer identifies the kind of institution without naming a particular one. 전공 means a major, and 전공해요 means to major in a subject.
The polite endings make these questions suitable for students who have just met. The noun 대학교 stays the same regardless of the listener's age. Once you know the institution and the major, a question about the year of study is a separate topic: neither 대학교 nor 대학생 tells you how far through a degree someone is.
How Do You Talk about Attending and Graduating?
대학교에 다니다 means to attend university regularly. The marker 에 connects the institution to attendance. 대학교에 가다 means to go to university, and context may describe a physical trip to campus or the decision to pursue university study. 다니다 makes ongoing attendance clearer.
대학교를 졸업하다 means to graduate from university. English uses “from”, but Korean marks the school with 를 in this phrase. Compare the existing examples: the institution takes 에 with 다녀요 and 를 with 졸업해요. Learning each verb with its marker gives you a usable sentence pattern.
입학 and 졸업 label the two ends of a course of study: entry and graduation. 대학교에 입학하다 describes entering university as a student. It does not simply mean walking through the entrance gate. You can therefore hear 입학 in an introduction about someone's education even when the speaker is nowhere near the campus.
Where Will You See 대학교 and 대학?
대학교 appears in institution names, campus signs, websites, and conversations about education. A shortened 대학 is common in phrases about university life and admission. 대학 입시 means university entrance examinations or the admissions process. The shorter word here still concerns higher education.
On a campus map, a word ending in 대학 may name a college within the university, such as 공과대학, a college of engineering. That label identifies an academic division. The surrounding institution name and the map show whether 대학 refers to the whole university or one of its colleges.
대학교 is an institution; 캠퍼스 is its campus. A university can have more than one campus, so asking for the university name alone may leave the meeting location unclear. In directions, listen for the campus or building name that follows. 대학교 앞 means “in front of the university”, a useful location phrase for a bus stop, shop, or meeting point.
Words for Finding Your Way through University Life
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 학과 | academic department | Names a subject-based department within the institution. |
| 전공 | major | Tells someone your main field of study. |
| 강의실 | lecture room / classroom | Names the room where a university class meets. |
| 기숙사 | dormitory | Names student accommodation, rather than a teaching building. |
The school vocabulary lesson teaches education words together. Use 대학교 to identify where you study, 전공 to explain what you study, and 강의실 when arranging where to meet for a class.
Quick Self-Test
- Which phrase clearly describes regular attendance: 대학교에 다니다 or 대학교 앞?
- Which marker completes 대학교__ 졸업해요?
- Does 공과대학 on a campus map necessarily name a separate university?
Show answers
- 대학교에 다니다. 대학교 앞 means in front of the university.
- 를: 대학교를 졸업해요.
- No. It can name the college of engineering within a university.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "university" in Korean?
Say 대학교 (daehakgyo), spoken as [dae-hak-kkyo].
What is the difference between 대학교 and 대학?
대학 is a shorter form that can also mean a college within a university. 대학교 is the full word.
How do you say "university student"?
대학생, which drops the 교 and adds 생 (student).
How do you say "graduate school"?
대학원. It comes after a first degree at 대학교.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: School words sits with school words.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.