Korean word

고국

Pronunciation

Romanizationkoguk

Meaning

  • nounhome country

Example

제가 고국으로 돌아가야 합니다.che ga ko gu geu ro to ra ga ya ham ni da

I have to return to my home country.

Illustration for 고국 (home country)

More examples

이번 방학에 고국을 방문하려고 해요.i beon pang ha ge ko gu geul pang mun ha ryeo go hae yo

I plan to visit my home country during this vacation.

Core concept

The country where someone was born or spent much of life and still regards as home.

Common phrases

  • 고국으로 돌아가다ko gu geu ro to ra ga da

    return to one's home country

  • 고국을 떠나다ko gu geul tteo na da

    leave one's home country

  • 고국을 방문하다ko gu geul pang mun ha da

    visit one's home country

Similar words

모국moguk: A person's homeland connected with birth or family ancestry.
본국ponguk: A person's official country of nationality or formal return destination.

Definition in Korean

태어나거나 오랫동안 살아온 출신 국가tae eo na geo na o raet ttong an sa ra on chul sin kuk kka

Word origin

The word comes from Sino-Korean elements meaning an earlier or original country.

Usage tips

  • The word is about personal background rather than legal nationality, so it can apply to someone who has lived abroad for many years.

Opposites

  • 외국oegukforeign countrynoun
  • 타국tagukanother countrynoun

Word lists with this word