Learn 500 Essential Korean Nouns by Theme – Part4. School & Education (학교와 교육)

 

Master 500 Basic Korean Nouns with English and Romanization

This resource introduces 500 essential Korean nouns, thoughtfully grouped into 10 everyday themes such as people, food, places, nature, and time. Each noun is shown in its original Korean form (Hangul), along with accurate Romanized spelling and its English meaning. For example: 학교 (hakgyo) means “school,” and 물 (mul) means “water.”

Learning vocabulary by theme is one of the most effective ways to build your Korean language skills. Instead of memorizing random words, you’ll learn related nouns together — like 밥 (bap – rice), 국 (guk – soup), and 과일 (gwail – fruit) under the “Food” category. This helps reinforce memory and makes vocabulary more useful in real-life conversations.

The Romanization system used follows the official Revised Romanization of Korean, making it easy to pronounce even if you’re still learning Hangul. It’s also helpful for typing or searching Korean words online.

Whether you’re studying on your own or with a teacher, this list is great for flashcards, writing, reading, or daily speaking practice. It’s designed for beginners and lower-intermediate learners who want to improve their everyday vocabulary and feel more confident using Korean in context.

1. 학교 – hakgyo – school
2. 유치원 – yuchiwon – kindergarten
3. 초등학교 – chodeunghakgyo – elementary school
4. 중학교 – junghakgyo – middle school
5. 고등학교 – godeunghakgyo – high school
6. 대학교 – daehakgyo – university
7. 교실 – gyosil – classroom
8. 강의실 – ganguisil – lecture room
9. 운동장 – undongjang – playground / sports field
10. 도서관 – doseogwan – library
11. 교무실 – gyomusil – teachers' office
12. 실험실 – silheomsil – laboratory
13. 식당 – sikdang – cafeteria
14. 교장 – gyojang – principal
15. 교사 – gyosa – teacher
16. 선생님 – seonsaengnim – teacher (polite)
17. 학생 – haksaeng – student
18. 동급생 – donggeupsaeng – classmate
19. 후배 – hubae – junior (in school)
20. 선배 – seonbae – senior (in school)
21. 교과서 – gyogwaseo – textbook
22. 참고서 – chamgoseo – reference book
23. 책 – chaek – book
24. 공책 – gongchaek – notebook
25. 연필 – yeonpil – pencil
26. 볼펜 – bolpen – ballpoint pen
27. 지우개 – jiugae – eraser
28. 필통 – piltong – pencil case
29. 자 – ja – ruler
30. 칠판 – chilpan – blackboard / whiteboard
31. 분필 – bunpil – chalk
32. 책상 – chaeksang – desk
33. 의자 – uija – chair
34. 시험 – siheom – exam / test
35. 문제 – munje – question / problem
36. 정답 – jeongdap – correct answer
37. 점수 – jeomsu – score
38. 성적 – seongjeok – grade
39. 숙제 – sukje – homework
40. 발표 – balpyo – presentation
41. 토론 – toron – debate
42. 교육 – gyoyuk – education
43. 수업 – sueop – class / lesson
44. 복습 – bokseup – review
45. 예습 – yeseup – preview
46. 공부 – gongbu – study
47. 학기 – hakgi – semester
48. 방학 – banghak – vacation
49. 졸업 – joreop – graduation
50. 입학 – iphak – entrance to school