Korean word

옥탑방

Pronunciation

Romanizationoktapppang

Meaning

  • nounrooftop room

Example

친구가 옥탑방으로 이사했어요.chin gu ga ok tap ppang eu ro i sa hae sseo yo

My friend moved into a rooftop room.

Illustration for 옥탑방 (rooftop room)

More examples

밤에 옥탑방에서 별을 봤어요.pa me ok tap ppang e seo pyeo reul pwa sseo yo

I saw the stars in the rooftop room at night.

Core concept

A small, separate room built on a corner of a rooftop and used as a home or workspace.

Common phrases

  • 옥탑방에 살고 있다ok tap ppang e sal go it tta

    live in a rooftop room

  • 옥탑방으로 이사 가다ok tap ppang eu ro i sa ka da

    move into a rooftop room

  • 옥탑방을 구하다ok tap ppang eul ku ha da

    look for a rooftop room

Similar words

옥상okssang: A building's flat upper surface used as an outdoor area.
반지하panjiha: A living space positioned below ground level but not fully underground.
원룸wollum: A small self-contained home arranged around one main room.
다락방tarakppang: A low-ceilinged room built into the space beneath a roof.

Definition in Korean

옥탑방은 옥상 한켠에 독립적으로 지어진 소형 방을 가리키며 생활공간이나 작업실로도 사용된다.ok tap ppang eun ok ssang han kyeo ne tong nip jjeo geu ro chi eo jin so hyeong pang eul ka ri ki myeo saeng hwal gong ga ni na cha geop ssil lo do sa yong doen da

Word origin

옥탑방 (oktapppang, "rooftop room") combines 옥탑 (oktap, "rooftop structure") with 방 (ppang, "room").

Usage tips

  • English speakers may picture an ordinary attic, but this word specifically highlights a separate structure on a building's roof.

Opposites

Related words

  • 옥탑oktaprooftop structurenoun
  • 옥탑층oktapcheungrooftop floornoun

Word lists with this word