일하다
ilhada[ˈi(ː)ɾɦa̠da̠]
To work in Korean is 일하다 (ilhada).
일하다 is used to describe the act of engaging in physical or mental activity to achieve a result or to earn money.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb is a combination of the noun 일, meaning work or job and the verb 하다, meaning to do.
Which one should you use?
While 일하다 refers to the act of working or performing a task, the noun 직업 is used to refer to one's specific occupation or profession.
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite present tense form of 일하다 is 일해요. In more formal settings, you can use the formal-style present tense form 일합니다. To indicate that someone worked in the past, use the past tense form 일했어요.
How do you pronounce it?
ilhada
Did you know?
- In Korean, the word 일 is a homonym that can mean both 'work' and the number 'one'.
- The root of 일하다 can be traced back to 1459 in the Worin seokbo, an early Korean Buddhist text.
- In high-level professional environments, the phrase 업무를 보다 is used instead of 일하다 to sound more sophisticated and respectful.
Examples in context
- 나는 은행에서 일해요.I work at a bank.
- 내일부터 새로운 직장에서 일할 거예요.I will be working at a new workplace starting tomorrow.
- 저는 회사에서 근무해요.I work at a company.
- 그분은 정부기관에서 오랫동안 근무하셨어요.He/she worked for a long time at a government institution.
- 나 지금 일해.I'm working right now.
- 친구랑 함께 카페에서 일했어.I worked at a café with my friend.
- 오늘은 학교 끝나고 알바하러 갈 거야.After school, I'm going to work part-time.
- 언니는 카페 알바하는 중이야.My older sister is working at a café part-time.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 일하다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 일하다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
