사진사
sajinsa[sʰa̠d͡ʑinsʰa̠]
The English word photographer is 사진사 (sajinsa) in Korean. Wiktionary also lists 사진가 (sajin'ga).
Meaning: one who takes photographs (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 사진사 | sajinsa | [sʰa̠d͡ʑinsʰa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 사진가 | sajin'ga | [sʰa̠d͡ʑinɡa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The term refers to someone who takes photographs. Depending on the context, you might use 사진사, 사진가 or 사진작가.
Which one should you use?
There are nuances in how you refer to a photographer: 사진사 often refers to someone whose job is taking photos (like a studio photographer). In contrast, 사진가 is used to refer to a photographer as an artist or a professional creator. Additionally, 사진작가 is a common way to say photographer in Korean.
How do you pronounce it?
sajinsa
Did you know?
- The word 사진 (sajin), meaning 'photograph', literally translates to 'copying the truth' from its Chinese characters. This reflects an old philosophical view that a photo is a reproduction of reality.
- While 사진작가 translates to 'photographer', the word 작가 actually means 'writer' or 'author'. This frames the act of taking a professional photograph as a form of authorship or literary creation.
- In modern social media culture, Koreans often use the English loanword 'photographer' written as 포토그래퍼 to describe a specific trendy, freelance style of photography that differs from the traditional 사진사.
Examples in context
- 제 친구는 사진작가입니다.My friend is a photographer.
- 그는 전문 사진사입니다.He is a professional photographer.
- 사진사에게 사진을 부탁했어요.sasin-sa-e-ge sa-jin-eul bu-tak-hae-sseo-yo.I asked the photographer to take a photo.
- 결혼식 사진사가 정말 친절해요.gyeol-hon-sik sa-sin-sa-ga jeong-mal chin-jeol-hae-yo.The wedding photographer is very kind.
Example conversation
Subin and Hyunwoo are talking about their wedding plans.
- 수빈 Su-bin결혼식 사진사는 정했어?gyeolhonsik sajinsaneun jeonghaesseo?Did you decide on a wedding photographer?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo아니, 아직 찾는 중이야.ani, ajik chatneun jung-iya.No, I'm still looking.
- 수빈 Su-bin내가 아는 좋은 사진사가 있어.naega aneun joeun sajinsaga isseo.I know a good photographer.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo정말? 연락처 좀 알려줘.jeongmal? yeollakcheo jom allyeojwo.Really? Please give me the contact information.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “photographer” translations and entries 사진사, 사진가, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 사진가, 사진사, CC BY-SA 4.0.
