Korean word

국어

Pronunciation

Romanizationkugeo

Meaning

  • nounKorean

Example

오늘 국어 시험이 있어요.o neul ku geo si heo mi i sseo yo

I have a Korean test today.

Illustration for 국어 (Korean)

More examples

어제 국어 숙제를 다 끝냈어요.eo je ku geo suk jje reul ta kkeun nae sseo yo

Yesterday, I finished all of my Korean homework.

Core concept

A country's officially recognized language as taught in school, especially the Korean language in Korea.

Common phrases

  • 국어 숙제ku geo suk jje

    Korean homework

  • 국어 교과서ku geo kyo gwa seo

    Korean-language textbook

Similar words

한국어hangugeo: The language and writing system used by people in Korea and nearby areas.
한국말hangungmal: The everyday spoken form of the Korean language used in casual conversation.
우리말urimal: A familiar name for the Korean language that expresses belonging to a shared community.
언어eoneo: A system for sharing thoughts and information through speech, writing, or signs.

Definition in Korean

한 나라에서 공식적·교육적으로 인정되는 말, 특히 한국에서는 한국어를 가리키는 말.han na ra e seo kong sik jjeok kyo yuk jjeo geu ro in jeong doe neun mal teu ki han gu ge seo neun han gu geo reul ka ri ki neun mal

Word origin

The word is a Sino-Korean compound built from elements meaning nation and language, giving it the sense of a country's recognized language.

Usage tips

  • This word often appears as a school subject or exam label, while everyday speech tends to use a more specific term for the Korean language.

Opposites

Related words

  • 국어사전kugeosajeonKorean-language dictionarynoun
  • 국어교재kugeogyojaeKorean study materialnoun

Word lists with this word