Master Must-Know Words, Phrases, and Cultural Tips for Korean Workplace Life (직장 생활)

If you’re planning to work in Korea or want to understand the Korean work culture better, this guide covers the most essential 직장인 (office worker) vocabulary, useful expressions, and cultural insights that will help you thrive in or relate to Korean workplaces.

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🏢 Must-Know Korean Vocabulary for Office/Workplace Life

Korean	Pronunciation	English
직장인	jik-jang-in	Office worker
회사	hoe-sa	Company
직장	jik-jang	Workplace
부서	bu-seo	Department
팀	tim	Team
상사	sang-sa	Boss / Superior
부장	bu-jang	Department head
팀장	tim-jang	Team leader
사원	sa-won	Entry-level employee
후배	hu-bae	Junior
선배	seon-bae	Senior
회의	hoe-ui	Meeting
야근	ya-geun	Overtime work
출근	chul-geun	Going to work
퇴근	toe-geun	Leaving work
휴가	hyu-ga	Vacation / leave
업무	eop-mu	Work / task
인사과	in-sa-gwa	HR department
연차	yeon-cha	Annual leave
월급	wol-geup	Salary
복지	bok-ji	Employee benefits

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📁 Useful Verbs & Phrases for Korean Office Life

Korean	Pronunciation	English
출근하다	chul-geun-ha-da	To go to work
퇴근하다	toe-geun-ha-da	To leave work
회의를 하다	hoe-ui-reul ha-da	To have a meeting
보고하다	bo-go-ha-da	To report
이메일을 보내다	i-me-il-eul bo-nae-da	To send an email
야근하다	ya-geun-ha-da	To work overtime
휴가를 쓰다	hyu-ga-reul sseu-da	To take vacation
일을 처리하다	il-eul cheo-ri-ha-da	To handle a task
상사에게 보고하다	sang-sa-e-ge bo-go-ha-da	To report to a boss
회식하다	hoe-sik-ha-da	To have a company dinner

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🗣️ Common Office Expressions in Korean

Korean	Pronunciation	English
수고하셨습니다.	su-go-ha-syeot-seum-ni-da	Thank you for your effort. (after work)
내일 뵙겠습니다.	nae-il boep-get-seum-ni-da	See you tomorrow.
회의 언제예요?	hoe-ui eon-je-ye-yo?	When is the meeting?
이메일 확인하셨나요?	i-me-il hwak-in-ha-syeot-na-yo?	Did you check the email?
자료 준비됐어요.	ja-ryo jun-bi-dwaet-seo-yo	The material is ready.
퇴근해도 될까요?	toe-geun-hae-do doel-kka-yo?	May I leave work now?
오늘 야근이에요.	o-neul ya-geun-i-e-yo	I have to work overtime today.
보고서 제출했습니다.	bo-go-seo je-chul-haet-seum-ni-da	I submitted the report.
일정이 어떻게 되세요?	il-jeong-i eo-tteo-ke doe-se-yo?	What’s your schedule like?

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💼 Korean Office Life – Culture Tips & Must-Know Facts

🧍‍♂️ Hierarchy Matters

• Korean workplaces emphasize seniority (연차, 직급). Always be respectful to 선배 and 상사.
• Honorific language (존댓말) is essential when addressing superiors or clients.

🍻 회식 Culture

• 회식 (company dinners) are common for team bonding. Expect food, drinks, and maybe karaoke (노래방).
• It’s polite to pour drinks for others and not leave early without permission.

🕗 Overtime Culture

• 야근 (overtime) is common. In some cases, it’s unspoken but expected.
• Koreans often stay late even if they finished their tasks to show dedication.

📅 휴가 and 연차

• Taking 휴가 (vacation) is more accepted than before but still sensitive in some workplaces.
• Using 연차 (paid leave) requires advance notice and team consideration.

📁 Communication Style

• Indirectness and politeness are common. Avoid being too blunt even when making suggestions.
• Use polite expressions like “죄송하지만…” or “가능하실까요?” when making requests.

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🖇️ Bonus Vocabulary: Office Items

Korean	Pronunciation	English
컴퓨터	keom-pyu-teo	Computer
프린터	peu-rin-teo	Printer
복사기	bok-sa-gi	Copier
회의실	hoe-ui-sil	Meeting room
사무실	sa-mu-sil	Office
책상	chaek-sang	Desk
의자	ui-ja	Chair
명함	myeong-ham	Business card
전화기	jeon-hwa-gi	Telephone
파일	pa-il	File / Folder

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🎯 Vocabulary Quiz

1. How do you say “overtime” in Korean?
2. Translate: “I submitted the report.”
3. What’s the word for “meeting room”?

💬 Share your answers in the comments! Have you ever worked in Korea or want to?

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