국적
gukjeok[kuk̚t͡ɕ͈ʌ̹k̚]
The Korean word for "nationality" is 국적 (gukjeok).
국적 is a noun used to denote the membership of a nation or state. In legal or formal settings, you can use the phrase 국적을 가지다 to express the act of holding a nationality. While 국적 refers to the concept of nationality itself, you can also specify a person's nationality by adding the suffix 인 after a country name in formal contexts.
Meaning: membership of a nation or state (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
gukjeok
Did you know?
- The word 국적 shares the exact same characters as the word for 'traitor', which is 국적. In the latter case, the final character means 'enemy' or 'betrayer' instead of 'status'.
- South Korea generally does not recognize dual 국적 for adult males unless they fulfill their mandatory military service requirements.
- While 국적 is a formal term, using it in a friendly social setting can sometimes sound like you are conducting a legal interrogation or an immigration interview.
Examples in context
- 나는 베트남에 살고 있고, 국적은 베트남이야.I live in Vietnam and my nationality is Vietnamese.This sentence is useful for stating your current residence and your nationality using 국적.Tatoeba #13756553 by qlTmalffk, translation #11362819 by chaule3
- 그의 국적은 무엇입니까?What is his nationality?This sentence is useful for asking someone about their nationality using 국적.Tatoeba #11105869 by intertime, translation #286323 by CK
- 이 게임에선 말야, 네가 만들 캐릭터의 국적을 무엇으로 고르든 간에 모두 미국식 억양으로 말하게 될 거야.In this game, no matter what nationality you choose for your character, they will still speak in an American accent.This sentence demonstrates the use of 국적 when choosing a character's background in a game.Tatoeba #8775514 by Eunhee, translation #6167880 by sabretou
- 우리 삼촌은 멕시코 음식을 좋아해.My uncle likes Mexican food.
- 그 여자는 프랑스인이에요.She is French.
- 그 남자는 프랑스인이에요.He is French.
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Minjun are filling out registration forms at a gym.
- 서연 Seo-yeon여기에 국적을 적어 주세요.yeogiege gukjeogeul jeogeo juseyo.Please write your nationality here.
- 민준 Min-jun제 국적은 한국이에요.je gukjeogeun hangugieyo.My nationality is Korean.
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 확인했습니다. 여기 서명해 주세요.ne, hwaginhaetseumnida. yeogi seomyeonghae juseyo.Yes, I've confirmed it. Please sign here.
- 민준 Min-jun알겠습니다. 여기 있습니다.algetseumnida. yeogi isseumnida.I understand. Here it is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nationality” translations and entries 국적, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 국적, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
