Key Facts
- Hangul: 배구; Revised Romanization: baegu
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean, hanja 排球 (排 push away + 球 ball)
- Register: Neutral.
Volleyball in Korean: What Does 배구 Mean?
배구 has one sense, the sport, and a neutral register. Use 배구를 하다 to say you play volleyball. The word ends in 구, which is the Sino-Korean ending for a ball sport, so it belongs to a family with the basketball word. The three example sentences cover liking the sport, playing it at school and watching a match, which are the three situations learners most often need. The collocations extend that to the player and the match itself, so you can talk about the sport as a spectator as well as a participant.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Say bae-gu, two syllables. The first has the ae vowel.
Example Sentences with 배구
저는 배구를 좋아해요.
jeoneun baegureul joahaeyo.
I like volleyball.
The simplest preference line with a sport. 좋아해요 means like, and the object marker 를 follows 배구.
학교에서 배구를 했어요.
hakgyoeseo baegureul haesseoyo.
I played volleyball at school.
Here the past tense 했어요 of 하다 says you played, and 학교에서 gives the place. For playing volleyball, use 하다; a verb for hitting describes a particular action with the ball.
배구 경기를 봤어요.
baegu gyeonggireul bwasseoyo.
I watched a volleyball match.
The word 경기 means match, and 봤어요 means watched. This one is about spectating rather than playing.
Collocations
배구를 하다 is to play volleyball, 배구 선수 is a volleyball player, and 배구 경기 is a volleyball match.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 배구를 하다 | play volleyball |
| 배구 선수 | volleyball player |
| 배구 경기 | volleyball match |
The Mistake to Avoid
Learners mix up 배구 (volleyball) and 농구 (basketball): both end in 구, "ball", and both are indoor team sports.
Wrong: 농구 for the sport played over a net
Correct: 배구 for volleyball, played over a net; 농구 for basketball, played with a hoop
배구 Compared with 농구 and 공
농구 is basketball, played with a hoop. 공 is a ball, the general word for the object.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 농구 | basketball | basketball, played with a hoop |
| 공 | ball | ball |
Where Does the Word Come From?
배구 is Sino-Korean, written 排球: 排 (push away) plus 球 (ball).
After Class: Arranging a Game
Two classmates are deciding what to do in the school gym. Both use polite conversation endings, which fit classmates who are still getting to know each other.
Mina
오늘 배구 할까요?
Oneul baegu halkkayo?
Shall we play volleyball today?
Alex
좋아요. 어디에서 해요?
Joayo. Eodieseo haeyo?
Sounds good. Where shall we play?
Mina
체육관에서 해요. 공 있어요?
Cheyukgwaneseo haeyo. Gong isseoyo?
Let’s play in the gym. Do you have a ball?
Alex
네, 제가 가져올게요.
Ne, jega gajyeoolgeyo.
Yes, I’ll bring it.
The first line leaves out 를 from 배구를, as people often do in conversation. The meaning stays “play volleyball”. In the third line, 체육관에서 names the location of the game. The final answer volunteers to bring the ball; it does not say who owns it.
Playing, Watching or Cheering?
배구를 하다 means to participate in the sport. 배구 경기를 보다 means to watch a match, whether in person or on a screen. A person who says they like 배구 might be a player, a fan or both. Ask about playing or watching if that distinction matters to your conversation.
배구를 잘하다 means to be good at volleyball. Here 잘하다 is written together because it means to do something skillfully. 배구를 좋아하다 means to like volleyball. Liking the sport does not tell the listener how well you play, so the two expressions answer different questions.
배구공 names the volleyball itself and is written as one word. 공 alone works once everyone knows which sport you mean, as in the dialogue. Keep 배구 for the sport and 배구공 for the object you bring, buy or look for in the gym.
Where Will You See 배구?
A school club notice may say 배구 동아리, “volleyball club”. 동아리 names the group, so the notice is about joining or meeting other players. A timetable headed 배구 경기 instead points to a match. The surrounding time and venue tell you when and where to go.
Sports coverage uses 남자 배구 for men’s volleyball and 여자 배구 for women’s volleyball. On a broadcast schedule, these identify the competition being shown. Neither phrase needs a different word for the sport. 배구 선수 can refer to a player in either competition.
배구 is neutral in school announcements, casual talk and sports reporting. Politeness comes from the rest of the sentence. A friend can invite you to play using the same sport name that a commentator uses to describe a televised match.
A phrase such as 배구 경기 중계 means a volleyball match broadcast. 중계 points to coverage of the game, so a listing with that word is for viewers. A club practice notice instead concerns the people taking part. This helps you distinguish a television schedule from an invitation to play.
Words for a Volleyball Conversation
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 배구공 | volleyball, the ball | Use it when talking about equipment. |
| 체육관 | gym / sports hall | An indoor venue for a game or practice. |
| 선수 | player / athlete | 배구 선수 specifies the sport. |
| 팀 | team | The group you play for or support. |
| 응원 | cheering / support | Useful when you go to support a team. |
The sports vocabulary lesson teaches the wider set of sport names. The shared ending 구 helps you recognize several ball sports, but the whole word tells you which game someone means.
Quick Self-Test
- Which names the physical ball: 배구 or 배구공?
- Does 배구 경기를 봤어요 say you played in the match?
- What is the difference between 배구를 잘하다 and 배구를 좋아하다?
Show answers
- 배구공 names the ball; 배구 names the sport.
- No. It says you watched a volleyball match.
- The first means to be good at volleyball; the second means to like it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "volleyball" in Korean?
Say 배구 (baegu).
What is the difference between 배구 and 농구?
배구 is volleyball, played over a net. 농구 is basketball, played with a hoop.
Which verb goes with 배구?
하다, as in 배구를 하다.
How do you say "volleyball player"?
배구 선수.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Sports words lists 배구 among sports words.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.