월세
wolse
The English word 'rent' (as a noun referring to payment made by a tenant) is translated into Korean as 월세 (wolse).
월세 specifically refers to monthly rent payments. In contrast, Korea has a unique housing system called 전세 (jeonse), where a tenant provides a large lump-sum deposit to the landlord instead of making monthly payments.
Meaning: payment made by a tenant (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 월세 is composed of 월 (month) and 세 (tax/fee), literally meaning 'monthly fee'.
Which one should you use?
While 월세 is used for monthly rent, 전세 refers to the Korean system of paying a large lump-sum deposit instead of monthly rent. For more general or formal contexts regarding rent, the term 임대료 is used.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
wolse
Did you know?
- When searching for a place to pay 월세, you will often see the term 원룸 (one-room). Despite the English words, it does not mean a room in a house, but rather a studio apartment.
- The second character in 월세 comes from the Chinese character 貰, which means 'loan'. This reveals that the historical concept of rent was viewed as the landlord 'loaning' the space to the tenant.
- While 월세 is the common term, you may see 반전세 (half-jeonse) in rental listings. This is a hybrid system where a tenant pays a larger deposit than usual to significantly lower their monthly 월세 payment.
Examples in context
- 월세가 너무 비싸요.wolsega neomu bissayo.The monthly rent is too expensive.
- 매달 월세를 내야 해요.maedal wolse-reul naeya haeyo.I have to pay the rent every month.
- 월세 포함 가격인가요?wolse poham gagyeong-in-gayo?Is the price inclusive of rent?
Example conversation
Minjun and Jieun are discussing their new apartment budget.
- 민준 Min-jun여기 월세가 생각보다 싸네요.yeogi wolse-ga saenggak-boda ssaneyo.The rent here is cheaper than I thought.
- 지은 Ji-eun맞아요, 지은이가 찾은 집 정말 좋네요.majayo, jieun-iga chajeun jip jeongmal jonneyo.That's true, the place Jieun found is really great.
- 민준 Min-jun월세는 언제부터 내면 될까요?wolse-neun eonje-buteo naemyon doelkkayo?When should we start paying the rent?
- 지은 Ji-eun다음 달 1일부터 내면 돼요.da-eum dal iril-buteo naemyon dwaeyo.We can start paying from the first of next month.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 월세, CC BY-SA 4.0.
