150 Core Korean Nouns Every Learner Should Know

Need to start filling up your Korean vocabulary bank? This list contains 150 must-know nouns from the language that’ll serve as a great foundation for the rest of your studies.

While 150 might sound like a lot, you’ll probably notice patterns between words that can make memorization easier. Plus, there are plenty of words that are just Korean transliterations of English words.

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People

There are over 50 million people living in Korea today. A big population for a relatively small country, and all the more reason you should learn the nouns associated with people.

Knowing these nouns will get you by in a lot of social situations that require identification.

Korean	English	Romanization
남자	man	nam-ja
여자	woman	yuh-ja
소년	boy	so-nyun
소녀	girl	so-nyuh
친구	friend	chin-gu
아기	baby	ah-gi
어린이	child	uh-ri-nii
십대	teen	ship-dae
어른	adult	uh-reun
아줌마 / 아주머니	middle-aged woman	ah-joom-ma / ah-joo-muh-ni
아저씨	middle-aged man	ah-juh-ssi
노인 / 어르신	elderly person	no-iin / uh-reu-shin
대선배 / 선배	senior	dae-sun-bae / sun-bae
후배	junior	hu-bae
고객	customer / client	go-gaek
낯선 사람	stranger	nat-sun sa-ram
관계	relationship	gwan-geh

Family

Family is a big deal in Korean culture. The close bonds between family members are seen as hallmarks of societal success.

There are a lot of special names and titles for Korean family members, and I’ll be the first to admit that memorizing all of them can be difficult.

The titles can differ depending on which side of the family a person comes from, and whether or not they’re older or younger than you or someone else.

That said, knowing at least these nouns will definitely get you some brownie points with the fam!

Korean	English	Romanization
가족	family	ga-jok
아이들	children	ah-ii-deul
아들	son	ah-deul
딸	daughter	ddal
형제	brothers / siblings	hyung-jeh
자매	sisters	ja-meh
부모님	parents	bu-mo
어머니	mother	uh-muh-nii
아버지	father	ah-buh-ji
남편	husband	nam-pyun
아내	wife	ah-nae
조부모님	grandparents	jo-bu-mo
사촌	cousin	sa-chon
손주	grandchild	son-ju

Professions

These are helpful nouns to know if you’re interested in learning about (or joining) the Korean workforce.

Korea is a popular hub for international employees, so it’s definitely an option to consider if you’re looking to work abroad.

Korean	English	Romanization
직업	career	jih-geop
일	work	il
학생	student	hak-seng
선생님	teacher	sun-saeng-nim
의사	doctor	ui-sa
간호사	nurse	gahn-ho-sa
요리사	chef	yo-rii-sa
변호사	lawyer	byun-ho-sa
과학자	scientist	gwa-hak-ja
경찰관	police officer	gyung-chal-gwan
운동 선수	athlete	oon-dong sun-soo
배우	actor	bae-woo
예술가	artist	yeh-sul-ga
미용사	beautician	mi-yong-sa
기관사	engineer	gi-gwan-sa
정비사	mechanic	jung-bii-sa
판매원	salesperson	pahn-mae-won

Transportation

Trains, buses, cars—oh my!

Cars may remain the most common mode of vehicle-based travel in Korea, but the expansive public transportation system is certainly a thing to behold.

In fact, if you ever travel to Korea, I highly recommend you just bask in the convenience, speed and cleanliness of the available public transport modes.

Korean	English	Romanization
자동차	car	ja-dong-cha
버스	bus	buh-seu
택시	taxi	taek-shi
기차	train	gi-cha
배	ship / boat	bae
비행기	airplane	bi-haeng-gi
자전거	bicycle	ja-jeon-guh
오토바이	motorcycle	oh-toh-ba-ii
역	train station	yuhk
버스 정류장	bus stop	buh-seu jung-nyu-jang
공항	airport	gong-hahng
도로	road	doh-ro
거리	street	guh-rii
승객	passenger	seung-gek
운전수	driver	oon-jun-soo
티켓	ticket	tee-ket
교통	traffic	gyo-tong

Places

Sure, you can simply call most things on this list a “building,” but knowing just that noun won’t get you far in navigating a Korean town or city. 

So make sure you know these nouns for common places you might come across!

Korean	English	Romanization
집	house	jiip
도시	city	doh-shi
시골	countryside	shi-gol
학교	school	hak-gyo
식당	restaurant	shik-dang
사무실	office	sa-mu-shil
가게	store	ga-geh
시장	market	shi-jang
쇼핑몰	shopping mall	sho-piing-mol
병원	hospital	byung-won
약국	pharmacy	yak-gook
경찰서	police station	gyung-chal-suh
은행	bank	eun-haeng
미술관	art gallery	mi-sul-gwan
공원	park	gong-won
교회	church	gyo-hwae
극장	theater	geuk-jang
노래방	karaoke	no-rae-bang
호텔	hotel	ho-tel
카페	café	ka-peh

Media and Technology

Whether it’s the newest K-pop music video or the next household cleaning robot, Korea is very big on trends in both media and technology.

And these trends are quick to get picked up. With a super-fast internet connection and high digital immersion among the population, it’s no wonder that communications can reach the masses so easily.

You can also use technology to help you study Korean! The language learning platform FluentU, for instance, helps you learn Korean vocabulary, grammar and cultural nuances in context.

And those are all good reasons to learn some of the vocabulary related to technology and media.

Korean	English	Romanization
전자 공학	electronics	jeon-ja gong-hak
기술	technology	gi-sul
텔레비전	TV	tel-leh-bii-jeon
인터넷	internet	een-tuh-net
컴퓨터	computer	kum-pyoo-tuh
노트북	laptop	no-teu-book
전화기	telephone	jun-hwa-gi
스마트 폰	smartphone	seu-ma-teu pon
메세지	message	meh-seh-ji
카메라	camera	ka-meh-ra
소식	news	so-shiik
음악	music	eu-mak
영화	movie	yung-hwa
라디오	radio	ra-dii-oh
광고	commercial	gwang-go

Food

Korean cuisine is continuing to rise in popularity, what with its reputation for being healthy, unique and just plain delicious.

If you haven’t tried any Korean food yet, you’re missing out on some fantastic experiences your taste buds will cherish. 

And whether you’re going to a Korean restaurant or the local Korean supermarket, you’re going to have to know some basic food vocab to get by.

Korean	English	Romanization
음식	meal	eum-shiik
쌀 / 밥	rice	ssal / bahp
빵	bread	bbang
물	water	mul
쥬스	juice	ju-seu
술	alcohol	sul
김치	kimchi	gim-chi
채소 / 야채	vegetables	chae-so / ya-chae
고기	meat	go-gee
생선	fish	saeng-sun
과일	fruits	gwa-eel
반찬	side dish	ban-chan
사탕	candy, sweets	sa-tang
디저트	dessert	dee-juh-teu
아침밥	breakfast	ah-chiim-bahp
점심	lunch	jum-shiim
저녁	dinner	juh-nyuk
간식	snack	gan-shiik

Body

It isn’t just a matter of pointing out your head, shoulders, knees and toes.

If you’re in Korea, knowing how to say the body parts is vital for many situations, primarily those that are medical in nature. You wouldn’t want the doctor looking into your ears when you have a broken arm!

Korean	English	Romanization
머리	head	muh-rii
얼굴	face	eol-gool
눈	eye	nun
코	nose	ko
입	mouth	iip
귀	ear	gwi
어깨	shoulder	uh-kkae
가슴	chest	ga-seum
등	back	deung
위	stomach	wii
팔	arm	pahl
다리	leg	da-rii
발	foot	bahl
손	hand	sohn

Emotions

In Korean and any other language, it’s crucial to know how to communicate your thoughts and feelings.

So you should definitely learn the words for some of those everyday sentiments you have.

Korean	English	Romanization
생각	thought	saeng-gak
감정	emotion	gam-jeong
사랑	love	sa-rang
싫음	dislike, disgust	shi-reum
배고픔	hunger	bae-go-peum
기쁨	joy	gi-bbeum
흥분	excitement, agitation	heung-bun
재미	fun	jae-mi
놀라움	surprise	nol-ra-woom
슬픔	sadness	seul-ppeum
걱정	worry	geok-jeong
실망	disappointment	shil-mang
두려움	fear	du-ryuh-oom

 

This is a good first taste of the Korean language, and there’s so much more to look forward to. Asking for English for every word gets tiring quickly, so now you won’t have to!

Sure, it’s a pretty big list that’ll keep you busy, but you’ll get all these words down in time. Soon enough, you’ll be moving on to learn hundreds more and move into the thousands!

To get you motivated, here’s one more word that’s used wish people good luck: 화이팅 (hwa-ii-ting), which means “fight on!”

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)