회사
hoesa[ˈɸwe̞(ː)sʰa̠]
The Korean word for company is 회사 (hoesa).
회사 is used to refer to any business or commercial entity in a non-legal context, regardless of whether it is incorporated. To refer to an individual who works at such a business, the term 회사원 is used. In more formal contexts, particularly when referring to large corporations or businesses, the term 기업 is more common.
Meaning: in non-legal context, any business, without respect to incorporation (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say you are performing an action 'at' or 'in' a company, use the particle –에서 with 회사 (e.g., 회사에서). If you are expressing movement toward the company, such as 'going to the company', use the particle –에 (e.g., 회사에).
How do you pronounce it?
hoesa
Did you know?
- Due to the use of Hanja, there are several other words spelled '회사' in different characters that have completely different meanings, such as 'to return thanks' or 'to regret'.
- The word 회사 is actually a loanword from Japanese. It was borrowed into Korean from the Japanese word 会社 (kaisha) during the early 20th century.
- While 회사원 describes a company employee, it is often used as a vague social category that implies a stable, white-collar lifestyle rather than a specific job title.
Examples in context
- 나는 이 회사의 주인이다.I'm the owner of this company.This sentence is useful for identifying ownership of a 회사.Tatoeba #11110674 by intertime, translation #6260477 by CK
- 톰은 기술 회사에 일하고 있어.Tom works for a tech company.This sentence is useful for describing employment at a tech 회사.Tatoeba #8533630 by Eunhee, translation #7524994 by Hybrid
- 그의 회사가 생산하는 기계가 우리것보다 뛰어나다.Machines that his company produces are superior to ours.This sentence is useful for discussing the production output of a 회사.Tatoeba #3680983 by intertime, translation #285750 by CM
- 우리 기업은 세계적인 유명 기업입니다.Our company is a globally renowned corporation.
- 제가 다니고 있는 회사는 전자제품을 만들어 판매하고 있습니다.The company I work for manufactures and sells electronic products.
- 내 동생은 대형 IT 회사에 다니고 있어.My younger sibling is working at a large IT company.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jihoon and Minji are talking about work during lunch.
- 지훈 Ji-hun민지 씨는 회사가 어디예요?Minji ssi-neun hoesaga eodi-eyo?Minji, where is your company?
- 민지 Min-ji강남에 있는 회사예요.Gangnam-e inneun hoesa-ye-yo.It is a company in Gangnam.
- 지훈 Ji-hun그 회사는 규모가 커요?geu hoesaneun gyumoga keoyo?Is that company large?
- 민지 Min-ji아니요, 아주 작은 회사예요.aniyo, aju jageun hoesa-ye-yo.No, it is a very small company.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 회사, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 회사, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
