Korean Work Vocabulary — Words for Jobs & the Office
Work vocabulary opens up a side of Korean that everyday courses often skip, yet it's exactly what you need for a job, an internship, or simply understanding Korean dramas set in offices. This page gathers Korean work words: 일 (work), 회사 (company), 사무실 (office), 회의 (meeting), each with its English meaning and a button to hear it. Two notes for English speakers. First, it's all written in Hangul, the logical Korean alphabet you can learn to read in just a few days — a great skill these short, common words help you practise. Second, the workplace is where Korean politeness levels matter most; the same word can carry different endings depending on rank and formality, so listening carefully pays off. Since Korean shares no roots with English, hearing the words is the fastest way to make them stick. Tap any 🔊 to listen, read the table to get comfortable with the script, then carry the words into the game below, where matching them cements the meaning and the sound together.
Key words explained
- job 직업 She started her first job after graduating.
- career 경력 He built a long career in engineering.
- company 회사 The company hired ten new staff this year.
- business 사업 They run a small family business downtown.
- industry 산업 The film industry employs thousands of people.
- headquarters 본사 The firm moved its headquarters to the city centre.
- department 부서 She manages the marketing department.
- employee 직원 Every employee received a bonus this year.
All 90 Korean work words
| English | Pronunciation | Korean | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| job | /dʒɑːb/ | 직업 | |
| career | /kəˈrɪər/ | 경력 | |
| company | /ˈkʌmpəni/ | 회사 | |
| business | /ˈbɪznɪs/ | 사업 | |
| industry | /ˈɪndəstri/ | 산업 | |
| headquarters | /ˈhɛdˌkwɔːrtərz/ | 본사 | |
| department | /dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/ | 부서 | |
| employee | /ɪmˈplɔɪiː/ | 직원 | |
| employer | /ɪmˈplɔɪər/ | 고용주 | |
| apprentice | /əˈprɛntɪs/ | 견습생 | |
| freelancer | /ˈfriːlænsər/ | 프리랜서 | |
| mechanic | /mɪˈkænɪk/ | 정비사 | |
| task | /tæsk/ | 과제 | |
| project | /ˈprɑːdʒɛkt/ | 프로젝트 | |
| meeting | /ˈmiːtɪŋ/ | 회의 | |
| report | /rɪˈpɔːrt/ | 보고서 | |
| deadline | /ˈdɛdlaɪn/ | 마감일 | |
| skill | /skɪl/ | 기술 | |
| salary | /ˈsæləri/ | 급여 | |
| contract | /ˈkɑːntrækt/ | 계약 | |
| interview | /ˈɪntərvjuː/ | 면접 | |
| promotion | /prəˈmoʊʃən/ | 승진 | |
| overtime | /ˈoʊvərtaɪm/ | 초과 근무 | |
| shift | /ʃɪft/ | 교대 | |
| workforce | /ˈwɜːrkfɔːrs/ | 노동력 | |
| agency | /ˈeɪdʒənsi/ | 에이전시 | |
| internship | /ˈɪntɜːrnʃɪp/ | 인턴십 | |
| trade | /treɪd/ | 직종 | |
| retirement | /rɪˈtaɪərmənt/ | 은퇴 | |
| resignation | /ˌrɛzɪɡˈneɪʃən/ | 사직 | |
| strategy | /ˈstrætiːdʒi/ | 전략 | |
| revenue | /ˈrɛvənuː/ | 수익 | |
| turnover | /ˈtɜːrnoʊvər/ | 매출액 | |
| forecast | /ˈfɔːrkæst/ | 예측 | |
| target | /ˈtɑːrɡɪt/ | 목표 | |
| client | /ˈklaɪənt/ | 고객 | |
| supplier | /səˈplaɪər/ | 공급업체 | |
| competitor | /kəmˈpɛtɪtər/ | 경쟁자 | |
| product | /ˈprɑːdʌkt/ | 제품 | |
| service | /ˈsɜːrvɪs/ | 서비스 | |
| campaign | /kæmˈpeɪn/ | 캠페인 | |
| feedback | /ˈfiːdbæk/ | 피드백 | |
| appraisal | /əˈpreɪzəl/ | 성과 평가 | |
| bonus | /ˈboʊnəs/ | 보너스 | |
| allowance | /əˈlaʊəns/ | 수당 | |
| redundancy | /rɪˈdʌndənsi/ | 정리해고 | |
| dismissal | /dɪsˈmɪsəl/ | 해고 | |
| tribunal | /traɪˈbjuːnəl/ | 심판소 | |
| union | /ˈjuːniən/ | 노동조합 | |
| strike | /straɪk/ | 파업 | |
| negotiation | /nɪˌɡoʊʃiˈeɪʃən/ | 협상 | |
| agreement | /əˈɡriːmənt/ | 합의 | |
| policy | /ˈpɑːlɪsi/ | 정책 | |
| procedure | /prəˈsiːdʒər/ | 절차 | |
| regulation | /ˌrɛɡjʊˈleɪʃən/ | 규정 | |
| tender | /ˈtɛndər/ | 입찰 | |
| merger | /ˈmɜːrdʒər/ | 합병 | |
| partnership | /ˈpɑːrtnərʃɪp/ | 파트너십 | |
| quota | /ˈkwoʊtə/ | 할당량 | |
| recruitment | /rɪˈkruːtmənt/ | 채용 | |
| leadership | /ˈliːdərʃɪp/ | 리더십 | |
| teamwork | /ˈtiːmwɜːrk/ | 팀워크 | |
| communication | /kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃən/ | 소통 | |
| creativity | /ˌkriːeɪˈtɪvɪti/ | 창의성 | |
| initiative | /ɪˈnɪʃɪətɪv/ | 주도성 | |
| responsibility | /rɪˌspɑːnsəˈbɪlɪti/ | 책임감 | |
| punctuality | /ˌpʌŋktʃuˈælɪti/ | 시간 엄수 | |
| reliability | /rɪˌlaɪəˈbɪlɪti/ | 신뢰성 | |
| productivity | /ˌproʊdʌkˈtɪvɪti/ | 생산성 | |
| efficiency | /ɪˈfɪʃənsi/ | 효율성 | |
| networking | /ˈnɛtwɜːrkɪŋ/ | 네트워킹 | |
| mentorship | /ˈmɛntərʃɪp/ | 멘토십 | |
| training | /ˈtreɪnɪŋ/ | 교육 | |
| qualification | /ˌkwɑːlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ | 자격 | |
| CV | /ˌsiːˈviː/ | 이력서 | |
| reference | /ˈrɛfərəns/ | 추천서 | |
| application | /ˌæplɪˈkeɪʃən/ | 지원서 | |
| shortlist | /ˈʃɔːrtlɪst/ | 후보 명단 | |
| probation | /proʊˈbeɪʃən/ | 수습 기간 | |
| notice period | /ˈnoʊtɪs ˈpɪəriəd/ | 예고 기간 | |
| handover | /ˈhændoʊvər/ | 인수인계 | |
| meeting agenda | /ˈmiːtɪŋ əˈdʒɛndə/ | 회의 의제 | |
| minutes | /ˈmɪnɪts/ | 회의록 | |
| collaboration | /kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃən/ | 협업 | |
| delegation | /ˌdɛlɪˈɡeɪʃən/ | 위임 | |
| accountability | /əˌkaʊntəˈbɪlɪti/ | 책임 | |
| transparency | /trænsˈpærənsi/ | 투명성 | |
| outcome | /ˈaʊtkʌm/ | 결과 | |
| performance | /pərˈfɔːrməns/ | 성과 | |
| workload | /ˈwɜːrkloʊd/ | 업무량 |
Tired of memorizing word lists? Reading a table won't make these stick. Speakka turns vocabulary into a falling-words game — catch the word before it lands and the meaning sticks because you played it. A new way to learn vocabulary that doesn't feel like studying.
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