박물관
bangmulgwan[pa̠ŋmuɭɡwa̠n]
The Korean word for museum is 박물관 (bangmulgwan). Wiktionary also lists 미술관 (misulgwan).
Meaning: building or institution (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 박물관 | bangmulgwan | [pa̠ŋmuɭɡwa̠n] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 미술관 | misulgwan | [ˈmi(ː)sʰuɭɡwa̠n] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
박물관 is the most commonly used term for museum in Korean, used for general museums, such as those containing historical artifacts or natural history exhibits. 미술관 is a term used to specifically refer to an art museum.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 박물관 is composed of 박 (object/artifact), 물 (thing/matter) and 관 (building/institution). The word 미술관 is composed of 미술 (art) and 관 (building/institution).
Which one should you use?
박물관 is used for general museums, such as those containing historical artifacts or natural history exhibits. 미술관 is used specifically for art museums or galleries.
How do you pronounce it?
bangmulgwan
Did you know?
- The word 미술 in 미술관 breaks down into 'beauty' and 'skill', suggesting that an art museum is a place for the 'skill of beauty'.
- The character 관 in both 박물관 and 미술관 originally referred to a government office or an official building, showing how these institutions were historically viewed as formal state entities.
- The suffix 관 is so versatile that it is also used for 'library' in some contexts or 'gymnasium' (체육관), emphasizing a specialized functional building.
Examples in context
- 우리는 2시 30분에 박물관 앞에서 만나기로 했다.We're going to meet in front of the museum at 2:30.This sentence is useful for describing a meeting time and location involving the word 박물관.Tatoeba #11104669 by intertime, translation #11104538 by CK
- 저희 미술관에 오신 것을 환영합니다.Welcome to our museum.This sentence is a welcoming phrase used at an 미술관.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Minjun are planning their weekend trip.
- 서연 Seo-yeon민준 씨, 이번 주말에 박물관에 갈까요?Minjun ssi, ibeon jumare bangmulgwan-e galkkayo?Minjun, shall we go to the museum this weekend?
- 민준 Min-jun좋아요. 어느 박물관에 가고 싶어요?joayo. eoneu bangmulgwan-e gago sipeoyo?Sounds good. Which museum do you want to go to?
- 서연 Seo-yeon시내에 있는 국립 박물관에 가요.sinae-e inneun gungnip bangmulgwan-e gayo.Let's go to the national museum downtown.
- 민준 Min-jun네, 거기 정말 가보고 싶었어요.ne, geogi jeongmal gabogo sipeosseoyo.Yes, I've really wanted to go there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “museum” translations and entries 박물관, 미술관, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 미술관, 박물관, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
