📈 Understanding Korean Proficiency Levels & TOPIK Alignment

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.

📚 Table of Contents

• Basic Job Vocabulary
• How to Ask About Jobs
• How to Answer Politely
• Example Sentences
• Practice Dialogue
• Did You Know?
• Final Thoughts

📝 Basic Job Vocabulary

• 학생 (hak-saeng) – student
• 회사원 (hoe-sa-won) – office worker
• 선생님 (seon-saeng-nim) – teacher
• 의사 (ui-sa) – doctor
• 간호사 (gan-ho-sa) – nurse
• 요리사 (yo-ri-sa) – chef
• 경찰관 (gyeong-chal-gwan) – police officer
• 운전기사 (un-jeon-gi-sa) – driver
• 자영업자 (ja-yeong-eop-ja) – self-employed
• 프리랜서 (peu-ri-raen-seo) – freelancer

Tip: Add “입니다” (am/is/are) for polite introductions: “저는 학생입니다.” (I am a student.)

❓ How to Ask About Jobs

• 무슨 일 하세요? (Museun il haseyo?) – What do you do?
• 직업이 뭐예요? (Jigeobi mwoyeyo?) – What is your job?
• 어디에서 일해요? (Eodieseo ilhaeyo?) – Where do you work?

💡 Note: Use polite endings like **-세요** or **-예요** when asking about jobs, especially with someone you’ve just met.

🙋 How to Answer Politely

• 저는 회사원이에요. (Jeoneun hoesawon-ieyo) – I’m an office worker.
• 저는 학생이에요. (Jeoneun haksaeng-ieyo) – I’m a student.
• 저는 병원에서 일해요. (Jeoneun byeongwon-eseo ilhaeyo) – I work at a hospital.
• 저는 식당에서 요리사예요. (Jeoneun sikdang-eseo yorisa-yeyo) – I’m a chef at a restaurant.

Tip: You can add “저는 ~예요/이에요” to politely state your occupation.

💬 Example Sentences

• 저는 프리랜서예요. – I’m a freelancer.
• 무슨 일 하세요? – What do you do?
• 저는 병원에서 간호사로 일해요. – I work as a nurse in a hospital.
• 저는 자영업자예요. – I’m self-employed.

🧩 Quick Check: Can you create your own sentence using “저는 ___이에요/예요” to describe your job?

🗣 Practice Dialogue

A: 무슨 일 하세요? What do you do?

B: 저는 회사원이에요. 서울에서 일해요. I’m an office worker. I work in Seoul.

A: 아, 그렇군요. 회사는 어디에 있어요? Oh, I see. Where is your company?

B: 강남에 있어요. 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.

📦 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!

🔗 Related Post

• Introducing Yourself in Korean
  Learn to say your name, nationality, and greeting phrases politely.

🎓 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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