대학교를 졸업하다
daehakgyoreul joleophada
To graduate from college in Korean is 대학교를 졸업하다 (daehakgyoreul joleophada).
The phrase 대학교를 졸업하다 is the most standard and commonly used way to say 'graduate from college' in Korean. In many contexts, you can omit the university portion and simply use the verb 졸업하다 to mean 'to graduate'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 대학교를 졸업하다 is composed of daehakgyo (university), the object marker reul and joleophada (to graduate).
Which one should you use?
While 대학교를 졸업하다 is the standard expression, 대학을 졸업하다 is also used and is particularly appropriate in formal contexts. If you want to speak about the past in an informal way, you can use 대학을 졸업했다.
How do you pronounce it?
daehakgyoreul joleophada
Did you know?
- The word 졸업 (joreop) uses the Hanja character 業 (eop), which means 'work', 'business', or 'task'. While English uses 'graduation' to suggest a step or a movement, the Korean term focuses on the completion of a specific body of work or studies.
- In Korea, someone who has not yet graduated but is finishing their requirements is called a 수료생, meaning they have 'completed' the coursework but not yet the degree.
- Students who delay their graduation to gain work experience or study for exams are called 졸업 유예자, which translates to 'graduation deferment person'.
Examples in context
- 저는 대학교를 졸업했습니다.I graduated from college.
- 그는 대학교를 졸업하였습니다.He graduated from college.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 졸업하다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
