전공
jeon'gong[t͡ɕʌ̹nɡo̞ŋ]
In Korean, "your major" is expressed as 전공 (jeon'gong).
전공 refers to the main subject that a student studies at a college or university. In a polite or formal setting, when asking someone about their major, you use the particle 이/가 with the verb 뭡니까 or 무엇입니까 (e.g., 전공이 무엇입니까?).
Which one should you use?
While 전공 refers to a major, a minor is called 부전공. If a student has a double major or a minor, the primary major is often referred to as 주전공.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use "major" as a verb (to major in something), you add the suffix –하다 to the noun 전공, resulting in 전공하다.
How do you pronounce it?
jeon'gong
Did you know?
- In the Hanja characters for 전공 meaning 'major', the second character 攻 means 'to attack' or 'to strike'. This gives the word a subtle historical connotation of 'attacking' or 'mastering' a specific field of study through intense effort.
- In South Korea, the concept of 'major' is often tied to 'job stability'. When people ask about your 전공, they are often implicitly asking about your future career path and social standing.
- When students change their 전공, they use the term 전과, which literally means 'changing the department'.
Examples in context
- 마크 씨는 전공이 뭡니까?What is your major, Mark?This sentence is useful for asking someone about their major using the word 전공.
- 전공은 컴퓨터 공학입니다.My major is Computer Science.
- 저는 컴퓨터 공학을 전공하고 있습니다.I am majoring in Computer Science.
- 나는 심리학 전공 중이야.I am majoring in Psychology.
- 제 전공은 경영학이에요.je jeongong-eun gyeong-yeong-hak-ieyo.My major is business administration.
- 그분의 전공은 디자인입니다.geu-bun-ui jeongong-eun dijain-imnida.His major is design.
Example conversation
Two students meet for the first time at a university orientation.
- 지훈 Ji-hun반가워요, 서연 씨. 전공이 뭐예요?bangawoyo, seoyeon ssi. jeongong-i mwoyeyo?Nice to meet you, Seoyeon. What is your major?
- 서연 Seo-yeon저는 심리학 전공이에요.jeoneun simrihak jeongong-ieyo.I am a psychology major.
- 지훈 Ji-hun정말 흥미로운 전공이네요.jeongmal heungmiroun jeongong-ineyo.That is a really interesting major.
- 서연 Seo-yeon지훈 씨는 전공이 무엇인가요?jihun ssi-neun jeongong-i mueosingayo?What is your major, Jihun?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 전공, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 전공, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
