Korean word

사무

Pronunciation

Romanizationsamu

Meaning

  • nounoffice work

Example

오늘은 사무를 빨리 끝내야 해요.o neu reun sa mu reul ppal li kkeun nae ya hae yo

I have to finish my office work quickly today.

Illustration for 사무 (office work)

More examples

사무처리는 컴퓨터로 하는 일이 많아요.sa mu cheo ri neun keom pyu teo ro ha neun i ri ma na yo

Administrative processing is often done on computers.

Core concept

Routine administrative work that manages information and paperwork for an organization.

Common phrases

  • 사무실sa mu sil

    office

  • 사무원sa mu won

    office worker

  • 사무처리sa mu cheo ri

    administrative processing

  • 사무기기sa mu gi gi

    office equipment

Similar words

업무eommu: A person's assigned duties and responsibilities within an organization.
처리cheori: Handling a matter through the required steps until it is finished.
관리kwalli: Ongoing care that keeps a person, thing, or system in good condition.
서류seoryu: Written or electronic records used for official tasks or proof.

Definition in Korean

사무는 서류 작성·정리·보관 등 조직 운영에 필요한 관리적 일을 가리키는 명사이다.sa mu neun seo ryu chak sseong cheong ni po gwan teung cho jik u nyeong e pi ryo han kwal li jeok i reul ka ri ki neun myeong sa i da

Word origin

As a Sino-Korean compound, the word joins the ideas of affairs and duties to describe work that takes care of organizational matters.

Usage tips

  • In workplace contexts, the word can sound broad on its own, while the surrounding sentence usually shows which administrative area is meant.

Other meanings

  • paperworknoun
  • clerical worknoun

Opposites

  • 육체노동yukchenodongmanual labornoun
  • 현장근무hyeonjanggeunmufield worknoun

Related words

  • 사무원samuwonoffice workernoun
  • 사무처리samucheoriadministrative processingnoun

Word lists with this word