πŸ’Ό How to Talk About Jobs in Korean: Essential Beginner Phrases – Beginner Level (TOPIK 1–2)

How to Talk About Jobs in Korean: Essential Beginner Phrases | Beginner Korean (TOPIK 1–2)
λ‹€μ–‘ν•œ 직업 일러슀트

Do you know how to ask someone about their job in Korean?

This lesson introduces simple phrases to talk about occupations, ask about someone’s work, and answer politely—perfect for beginner learners traveling, studying, or living in Korea.

πŸ“š Table of Contents

πŸ“ Basic Job Vocabulary

  • 학생 (hak-saeng) – student
  • νšŒμ‚¬μ› (hoe-sa-won) – office worker
  • μ„ μƒλ‹˜ (seon-saeng-nim) – teacher
  • μ˜μ‚¬ (ui-sa) – doctor
  • κ°„ν˜Έμ‚¬ (gan-ho-sa) – nurse
  • μš”λ¦¬μ‚¬ (yo-ri-sa) – chef
  • κ²½μ°°κ΄€ (gyeong-chal-gwan) – police officer
  • μš΄μ „κΈ°μ‚¬ (un-jeon-gi-sa) – driver
  • μžμ˜μ—…μž (ja-yeong-eop-ja) – self-employed
  • ν”„λ¦¬λžœμ„œ (peu-ri-raen-seo) – freelancer

Tip: Add “μž…λ‹ˆλ‹€” (am/is/are) for polite introductions: “μ €λŠ” ν•™μƒμž…λ‹ˆλ‹€.” (I am a student.)

❓ How to Ask About Jobs

  • 무슨 일 ν•˜μ„Έμš”? (Museun il haseyo?) – What do you do?
  • 직업이 λ­μ˜ˆμš”? (Jigeobi mwoyeyo?) – What is your job?
  • μ–΄λ””μ—μ„œ μΌν•΄μš”? (Eodieseo ilhaeyo?) – Where do you work?

πŸ’‘ Note: Use polite endings like **-μ„Έμš”** or **-μ˜ˆμš”** when asking about jobs, especially with someone you’ve just met.

πŸ™‹ How to Answer Politely

  • μ €λŠ” νšŒμ‚¬μ›μ΄μ—μš”. (Jeoneun hoesawon-ieyo) – I’m an office worker.
  • μ €λŠ” ν•™μƒμ΄μ—μš”. (Jeoneun haksaeng-ieyo) – I’m a student.
  • μ €λŠ” λ³‘μ›μ—μ„œ μΌν•΄μš”. (Jeoneun byeongwon-eseo ilhaeyo) – I work at a hospital.
  • μ €λŠ” μ‹λ‹Ήμ—μ„œ μš”λ¦¬μ‚¬μ˜ˆμš”. (Jeoneun sikdang-eseo yorisa-yeyo) – I’m a chef at a restaurant.

Tip: You can add “μ €λŠ” ~μ˜ˆμš”/μ΄μ—μš”” to politely state your occupation.

πŸ’¬ Example Sentences

  • μ €λŠ” ν”„λ¦¬λžœμ„œμ˜ˆμš”. – I’m a freelancer.
  • 무슨 일 ν•˜μ„Έμš”? – What do you do?
  • μ €λŠ” λ³‘μ›μ—μ„œ κ°„ν˜Έμ‚¬λ‘œ μΌν•΄μš”. – I work as a nurse in a hospital.
  • μ €λŠ” μžμ˜μ—…μžμ˜ˆμš”. – I’m self-employed.

🧩 Quick Check: Can you create your own sentence using “μ €λŠ” ___μ΄μ—μš”/μ˜ˆμš”” to describe your job?

πŸ—£ Practice Dialogue

A: 무슨 일 ν•˜μ„Έμš”? What do you do?

B: μ €λŠ” νšŒμ‚¬μ›μ΄μ—μš”. μ„œμšΈμ—μ„œ μΌν•΄μš”. I’m an office worker. I work in Seoul.

A: μ•„, κ·Έλ ‡κ΅°μš”. νšŒμ‚¬λŠ” 어디에 μžˆμ–΄μš”? Oh, I see. Where is your company?

B: 강남에 μžˆμ–΄μš”. It’s in Gangnam.

🧩 Quick Check: Try rewriting this dialogue by changing the job to “teacher” and the location to “Busan.”

🌏 Did You Know?

Did you know? In Korea, asking about someone’s job is common when first meeting. It’s not considered rude, as it helps understand social context and age hierarchy. However, younger Koreans now often ask about **hobbies or interests** instead to make conversations friendlier.

πŸ“¦ Final Thoughts

Talking about jobs in Korean is simple once you know key vocabulary and polite patterns. Use these phrases to introduce yourself and learn about others—this is a great way to start conversations and make friends in Korea.

Keep practicing by asking and answering about jobs in Korean, and soon it will feel natural in real-life interactions!

πŸ”— Related Post

πŸŽ“ Want to practice talking about your job in Korean?
Book a 1:1 Korean class on italki and learn how to introduce yourself naturally in real-life conversations.

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  • πŸ’¬ Leave a comment: What job vocabulary do you want to learn next?

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Feel free to ask me all! Not only scam! :)

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