Korean word

선장

Pronunciation

Romanizationseonjang

Meaning

  • nouncaptain

Example

바다에서 선장을 처음 보았다.pa da e seo seon jang eul cheo eum po at tta

I saw the captain at sea for the first time.

Illustration for 선장 (captain)

More examples

항해 중 선장님과 대화했다.hang hae chung seon jang nim gwa tae hwa haet tta

I spoke with the captain during the voyage.

Core concept

The person who directs a ship and takes responsibility for its journey.

Common phrases

  • 선장님seon jang nim

    captain

  • 부선장pu seon jang

    first mate

  • 선장을 맡다seon jang eul mat tta

    serve as captain

Similar words

기장kijang: The person who commands an aircraft and oversees the crew and passengers' safety.
선원seonwon: A member of a ship's crew who carries out work aboard the vessel.

Definition in Korean

배를 지휘하고 항해를 책임지는 사람.pae reul chi hwi ha go hang hae reul chae gim ji neun sa ram

Word origin

The word is a Sino-Korean compound built from elements meaning ship and leader, which together name the person in charge of a vessel.

Usage tips

  • English uses captain for both ships and aircraft, but this Korean word points specifically to the person responsible for a vessel.

Related words

  • 부선장puseonjangfirst matenoun

Word lists with this word