회사원
hoesawon[ˈɸwe̞(ː)sʰa̠wʌ̹n]
The Korean phrase for "office worker" is 회사원 (hoesawon).
회사원 is the standard way to refer to a white-collar employee or someone working for a corporation in Korea.
Meaning: someone who works in an office (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
hoesawon
Did you know?
- In corporate culture, a 회사원 might be referred to as 넥타이 부대 ('necktie army') when describing a mass of office workers commuting together.
- In Korea, the social identity of a 회사원 is often tied to 'hoesik', the culturally mandatory after-work dining and drinking gatherings with colleagues.
- If an office worker is feeling particularly exhausted by their routine, they might use the slang term K-직장인 to identify with the unique, high-pressure culture of Korean corporate life.
Examples in context
- 회사원입니다.I am an office worker.This sentence is useful for stating your occupation using 회사원.Tatoeba #2998129 by al_ex_an_der, translation #256575 by CC
- 제 형은 평범한 회사원이에요.je hyeong-eun pyeong-beom-han hoe-sa-won-i-e-yo.My older brother is an ordinary office worker.
- 그는 아주 성실한 회사원입니다.geu-neun a-ju seong-sil-han hoe-sa-won-im-ni-da.He is a very diligent office worker.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Minji are meeting for the first time at a party.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo민지 씨는 무슨 일 하세요?Minji ssi-neun museun il haseyo?Minji, what kind of work do you do?
- 민지 Min-ji저는 회사원이에요. 현우 씨는요?jeoneun hoesawon-ieyo. Hyunwoo ssi-neun-yo?I am an office worker. How about you, Hyunwoo?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo저는 대학생이에요.jeoneun daehaksaeng-ieyo.I am a college student.
- 민지 Min-ji아, 그렇군요. 반가워요.a, geureokunyo. bangawoyo.Ah, I see. Nice to meet you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “office worker” translations and entries 회사원, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
