대학교
daehakgyo[ˈtɛ(ː)ɦa̠k̚k͈jo]
The Korean word for university is 대학교 (daehakgyo). Wiktionary also lists 대학 (daehak).
Meaning: institution of higher education (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 대학교 | daehakgyo | [ˈtɛ(ː)ɦa̠k̚k͈jo] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ˈte̞(ː)ɦa̠k̚k͈jo] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 대학 | daehak | [ˈtɛ(ː)ɦa̠k̚] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ˈte̞(ː)ɦa̠k̚] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
Both 대학교 and 대학 are used to refer to an institution of higher education. In casual conversations, you can use 학교 to refer to university.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 대학교 is composed of 대 (large), 학 (study/learning) and 교 (school).
Which one should you use?
While both terms mean university, 대학 is more commonly used as a component in compound nouns, such as 대학생 (university student) or 대학원 (graduate school).
How do you pronounce it?
daehakgyo
Did you know?
- When university students meet for the first time, they often ask for the other person's 학번, which is a student ID number that reveals the year they entered the university.
- In Korea, students often refer to their university as 우리 학교 ('our school') even when speaking to a stranger, emphasizing a collective identity rather than individual ownership.
- In the context of university life, the term 과잠 is a popular slang word for the 'department jacket' that students wear to show pride in their specific major and school.
Examples in context
- 테드가 어느 대학을 갈거라고 생각하세요?Which university do you think Ted will go to?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's future university choice using 대학.Tatoeba #3682914 by JangSungHyuk, translation #962045 by Eevee
- 제네바 대학의 도서관에는 좋은 열람실이 있다.The Geneva University Library has a good reading room.This sentence shows how to refer to a specific university library using 대학.Tatoeba #13250275 by qiwiwi, translation #533419 by FeuDRenais
- 우리는 대학생이다.We're university students.This sentence demonstrates how to identify oneself as a university student using 대학.Tatoeba #10605315 by ssuss32, translation #7097782 by Luiaard
- 저는 서울 대학교에 다니고 있어요.I am currently attending Seoul University.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jihoon and Subin are talking about their future plans.
- 지훈 Ji-hun수빈 씨는 어느 대학교에 가고 싶어요?Subin ssi-neun eo-neu dae-hak-gyo-e ga-go sip-eo-yo?Subin, which university do you want to go to?
- 수빈 Su-bin저는 서울에 있는 대학교에 가고 싶어요.Jeo-neun Seo-ul-e it-neun dae-hak-gyo-e ga-go sip-eo-yo.I want to go to a university in Seoul.
- 지훈 Ji-hun그 대학교는 공부하기에 정말 좋은 곳이죠.Geu dae-hak-gyo-neun gong-bu-ha-gi-e jeong-mal jo-eun got-i-jyo.That university is a really great place to study.
- 수빈 Su-bin맞아요. 그래서 열심히 공부하고 있어요.Ma-ja-yo. Geu-rae-seo yeol-sim-hi gong-bu-ha-go it-eo-yo.That's true. That's why I'm studying hard.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “university” translations and entries 대학교, 대학, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
