Korean word

경찰

Pronunciation

Romanizationkyeongchal

Meaning

  • nounpolice

Example

어제 경찰이 우리 동네에 왔어요.eo je kyeong cha ri u ri tong ne e wa sseo yo

The police came to our neighborhood yesterday.

Illustration for 경찰 (police)

More examples

밤에 이상한 소리가 나서 경찰을 불렀어요.pa me i sang han so ri ga na seo kyeong cha reul pul leo sseo yo

Because I heard a strange sound at night, I called the police.

Core concept

A public safety service and the people who work in it, ready to respond to danger.

Common phrases

  • 경찰에 신고하다kyeong cha re sin go ha da

    report to the police

  • 경찰을 부르다kyeong cha reul pu reu da

    call the police

  • 경찰이 오다kyeong cha ri o da

    the police arrive

Similar words

경찰관kyeongchalgwan: A government worker who protects the public and deals with dangerous situations.
신고singo: A written or spoken notice that officially informs an office about an event or problem.
긴급전화kingeupjjeonhwa: An emergency phone service that lets people quickly report danger to officers.
경찰서kyeongchalseo: A local public building that accepts reports, investigates incidents, and assists residents.

Definition in Korean

공공의 치안 유지를 목적으로 조직된 국가 기관과 그 소속 직원들.kong gong ui chi an yu ji reul mok jjeo geu ro cho jik ttoen kuk kka ki gwan gwa keu so sok chi gwon deul

Word origin

The Sino-Korean word combines roots meaning to warn and to examine, reflecting an institution that notices danger and investigates it.

Usage tips

  • Unlike English, Korean can use one word for the police service or an individual officer, so context often shows which meaning is intended.

Other meanings

  • police officernoun

Related words

Word lists with this word