농구
nonggu[no̞ŋɡu]
The English word basketball is expressed in Korean as 농구 (nonggu). Wiktionary also lists 바스켓볼 (baseuketbol) and 롱구 (ronggu).
Meaning: the sport (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 농구 | nonggu | [no̞ŋɡu] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 바스켓볼 | baseuketbol | [pa̠sʰɯkʰe̞t̚p͈o̞ɭ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 롱구 | ronggu | [ɾo̞ŋɡu] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | North Korea |
The term refers to the sport of basketball.
Which one should you use?
농구 is the standard term used in South Korea. 롱구 is the specific term used in North Korea. 바스켓볼 is a loanword that transliterates the English word 'basketball' and is typically used in specific contexts like the names of leagues or brands.
Is it said differently in some regions?
롱구 is used in North Korea, whereas 농구 is the standard form in South Korea.
How do you pronounce it?
nonggu
Did you know?
- The term 농구 is an orthographic borrowing from the Japanese word 'rōkyū', which uses the same Chinese characters for 'basket' and 'ball'.
- Both the South Korean term 농구 and the North Korean term 롱구 actually share the exact same Chinese characters, 籠球, despite their different pronunciations.
- In South Korea, using the transliterated 바스켓볼 often makes the subject sound more modern or international compared to the traditional 농구.
Examples in context
- 오늘은 농구 하러 갈래?Do you want to play basketball today?
- 저는 농구를 좋아해요.jeoneun nonggureul joahaeyo.I like basketball.
- 어제 농구를 했어요.eoje nonggureul haesseoyo.I played basketball yesterday.
- 농구 경기가 정말 재미있어요.nonggu gyeonggiga jeongmal jaemiisseoyo.The basketball game is really fun.
Example conversation
Subin and Jihun are talking about hobbies at a cafe.
- 수빈 Su-bin지훈 씨는 농구를 좋아해요?jihun ssineun nonggureul joahaeyo?Jihun, do you like basketball?
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 저는 농구를 자주 해요.ne, jeoneun nonggureul jaju haeyo.Yes, I play basketball often.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말 멋지네요!jeongmal meotjineyo!That's really cool!
- 지훈 Ji-hun수빈 씨도 같이 할래요?subin ssido gachi hallaeyo?Subin, do you want to do it together?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “basketball” translations and entries 농구, 바스켓볼, 롱구, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 농구, 롱구, 바스켓볼, CC BY-SA 4.0.
