그랜드마스터
geuraendeumaseuteo
The English phrase "grandmaster" is translated into Korean as 그랜드마스터 (geuraendeumaseuteo).
The term 그랜드마스터 is used to refer to the highest title achievable by a chess player.
Meaning: highest title for chess player (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
geuraendeumaseuteo
Did you know?
- In the context of Korean e-sports, you will hear 그랜드마스터 used more frequently to describe a top-tier rank in games like League of Legends than in actual chess discussions.
- While 그랜드마스터 refers to chess, the traditional Korean game janggi uses 명인 to describe its top experts. This highlights a linguistic divide between the borrowed terminology of Western chess and the native terminology of Asian strategy games.
- Due to Korean phonology, 그랜드마스터 requires the addition of 'eu' vowels to break up consonant clusters. This turns the English 'grand' into three syllables 그-랜-드 instead of one.
Examples in context
- 그는 체스 그랜드마스터예요.geuneun cheseu geuraendeumaseteo-yeyo.He is a chess grandmaster.
- 그랜드마스터가 되는 것은 어려워요.geuraendeumaseteoga doeneun geoseun eoryeowoyo.Becoming a grandmaster is difficult.
- 제 꿈은 그랜드마스터가 되는 거예요.je kkumeun geuraendeumaseteoga doeneun geoyeyo.My dream is to become a grandmaster.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a chess tournament.
- 서연 Seo-yeon도현 씨는 그랜드마스터가 되고 싶어요?Dohyeon ssi-neun geuraendeumaseteoga doego sipeoyo?Dohyeon, do you want to become a grandmaster?
- 도현 Do-hyeon네, 꼭 되고 싶어요.Ne, kkok doego sipeoyo.Yes, I really want to.
- 서연 Seo-yeon정말 대단한 목표네요!Jeongmal daedanhan mokpyoneyo!That is a truly amazing goal!
- 도현 Do-hyeon열심히 연습할게요.Yeolsimhi yeonseuphalgeyo.I will practice hard.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandmaster” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
