박사 과정생
baksa gwajeongsaeng
The English phrase "phd student" is translated into Korean as 박사 과정생 (baksa gwajeongsaeng).
박사 과정생 is used to describe someone currently enrolled in a doctoral program. This term specifically distinguishes the student from a 박사, which refers to someone who has already obtained the doctorate degree.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 박사 (doctor), 과정 (course/process) and 생 (student/person).
Which one should you use?
While 박사 과정생 refers to the student, you should use 박사 과정 to refer to the doctoral program or course itself. There is also a specific term for those who have finished their coursework but are still working on their dissertation: 박사 수료생 (PhD candidate).
How do you pronounce it?
baksa gwajeongsaeng
Did you know?
- A 박사 과정생 is often addressed by the title 선생님 (teacher) by peers or juniors, even though they have not yet earned their degree.
- The word 박사 originally comes from the Hanja 博士, where the first character 博 means 'broad' and the second character 士 means 'scholar'. It literally describes a person with 'broad knowledge'.
- The word 박사 is frequently used as a colloquial honorific for anyone perceived as an expert in a specific niche, regardless of whether they have a formal degree.
Examples in context
- 저는 박사과정 학생입니다.I am a PhD student.
- 제 동생은 지금 박사 과정생이에요.je dongsaeng-eun jigeum baksa gwajeongsaeng-ieyo.My younger sibling is a PhD student now.
- 그는 유능한 박사 과정생입니다.geu-neun yuneunghan baksa gwajeongsaeng-imnida.He is a capable PhD student.
- 박사 과정생인지 궁금해요.baksa gwajeongsaeng-inji gung-geumhaeyo.I am curious if she is a PhD student.
Example conversation
Dohyun and Subin are talking about a mutual acquaintance.
- 도현 Do-hyeon수빈 씨, 민수 씨는 지금 뭐 해요?su-bin ssi, min-su ssi-neun ji-geum mwo hae-yo?Subin, what is Minsu doing these days?
- 수빈 Su-bin민수 씨는 미국에서 박사 과정생이에요.min-su ssi-neun mi-guk-e-seo bak-sa gwa-jeong-saeng-i-e-yo.Minsu is a PhD student in the US.
- 도현 Do-hyeon정말 대단하네요. 공부가 힘들겠어요.jeong-mal dae-dan-ha-ne-yo. gong-bu-ga him-deul-get-eo-yo.That's amazing. The studies must be hard.
- 수빈 Su-bin네, 매일 밤늦게까지 공부한대요.ne, mae-il bam-neut-ge-kka-ji gong-bu-han-dae-yo.Yes, I heard he studies until late every night.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 박사, CC BY-SA 4.0.
