주제
juje[t͡ɕud͡ʑe̞]
The English word 'subject' is translated into Korean as 주제 (juje).
주제 refers to the main topic or the central theme of a discussion, book, movie or academic paper. For example, you can use the phrase 주제를 선택하다 to mean 'to choose a subject'.
Meaning: main topic (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
juje
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 주제 to mean the 'grammatical subject' of a sentence. For that, the linguistic term is 주어. You can also use the idiomatic phrase 주제에 맞지 않다 to express that something is off-topic or does not fit the subject.
Did you know?
- When using the phrase 주제에 맞지 않다, you are not just saying something is off-topic, but rather that someone is 'acting beyond their station' or 'out of their league'.
- In Korean, the word for 'subject' in a classroom setting, such as 'math' or 'science', is 과목 rather than 주제.
- The character 主 in 주제 also means 'master' or 'lord', which is why it carries the sense of the 'chief' or 'controlling' idea.
Examples in context
- 주제를 선택하는 것은 어려울 수도 있지만 중요합니다.Choosing a subject can be difficult, but it's important.
- 오늘 논의할 주제가 있어?Do you have a subject to discuss today?
- 다음 미팅에 대해 어떤 얘기거리가 있을까?What subjects do you think we should discuss in the next meeting?
- 오늘 대화의 주제는 무엇인가요?oneul daehwaui juje-neun mueosingayo?What is the subject of today's conversation?
- 그 영화는 주제가 아주 명확해요.geu yeonghwaneun juje-ga aju myeonghwakhaeyo.The movie has a very clear theme.
- 토론 주제를 정해야 합니다.toron juje-reul jeonghaeya hamnida.We need to decide on the discussion topic.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a book in a cafe.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo이 책의 주제가 뭐야?i chaegui juje-ga mwoya?What is the subject of this book?
- 서연 Seo-yeon사랑과 우정에 관한 이야기야.sarang-gwa ujeong-e gwanhan iyagiya.It is a story about love and friendship.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo주제가 참 따뜻하네.juje-ga cham ttatteut-hane.The theme is quite warm.
- 서연 Seo-yeon응, 현우 너도 좋아할 거야.eung, hyeon-u neo-do joahal geoya.Yeah, Hyun-woo, you will like it too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “subject” translations and entries 주제, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 주제, CC BY-SA 4.0.
