Lesson 13
Word Builder lessons are designed to help you understand how to expand your vocabulary by learning/understanding some common and basic building blocks of Korean words. The words and letters introduced through Word Builder lessons are not necessarily all Chinese characters, or 한자, and although many of them are based on Chinese characters, the meanings can be different from modern-day Chinese. Your goal, through these lessons, is to understand how words are formed and remember the key word elements in Korean to expand your Korean vocabulary from there. You certainly do not have to memorize the Hanja characters, but if you want to, feel free.
The key word element of this lesson is 회.
The Chinese character for this is 會.
The word 회 is related to “gathering” or “to gather”.
Sample Expressions
회 (to gather) + 사 (group/society) = 회사 會社 = company
회사 (company) + 원 (member) = 회사원 會社員 = employee, worker
Related Vocabulary
교직원 敎職員
= someone who works for a school, someone who is a member of the staff at a school
회 (to gather) + 의 (to discuss) = 회의 會議 = meeting
Ex)
회의가 길어지는 건 너무 싫어요.
= I hate it when meetings go too long.
회의 (meeting) + 실 (house, residence) = 회의실 會議室 = meeting room, conference room
Related Vocabulary
대회의실 大會議室 = big/main conference room
회의장 會議場 = meeting room, conference room
회 (to gather) + 식 (food, to eat) = 회식 會食 = get-together dinner, company dinner
Ex)
비싸고 맛있는 거 먹으면, 회식이 좋아요.
= If I get to eat expensive and delicious food, then I like company dinners.
회 (to gather) + 계 (to count, to calculate) = 회계 會計 = accounting
Related Vocabulary
계산기 計算器/計算機 = calculator
계산대 計算臺 = counter
계산 計算 = calculation
회계사 會計士 = accountant
회계 부서 會計 部署 = department for accounting
회 (to gather) + 비 (to spend) = 회비 會費 = (membership) fee, (membership) dues
Related Vocabulary
비용 費用 = expense, cost
회 (to gather) + 원 (the number of people) = 회원 會員 = member, membership
Ex)
저는 이 헬스장 회원이에요.
= I have a membership to this gym.
회 (to gather) + 화 (word, to talk) = 회화 會話 = conversation
* Be careful! This is not used when defining a normal “conversation”. Even though this word translates to “conversation” or “dialogue” in English, 회화 in this context is only used when talking about foreign language acquisition.
Ex)
한국어 회화를 배우고 있어요.
= I am learning conversational Korean.
사 (to gather) + 회 (to gather) = 사회 社會 = society
* 사회, “Sociology”, is also the title of subject matter which Korean middle/high school students study.
국 (country, nation) + 회 (to gather) = 국회 國會 = National Assembly
Related Vocabulary
국회 의원 國會 議員 = member of the National Assembly
대 (big) + 회 (to gather) = 대회 大會 = competition, tournament
Related Vocabulary
대학교 大學校 = a college, a university
대공원 大公園 = a (large) public park
교 (to teach) + 회 (to gather) = 교회 敎會 = church
Related Vocabulary
종교 宗敎 = religion
절 (native Korean word) = a Buddhist temple
성당 聖堂 = a Catholic church; a cathedral
동 (the same) + 호 (to like) + 회 (to gather) = 동호회 同好會 = club, society
Related Vocabulary
사진 동호회 寫眞 同好會 = photography club/circle
춤 동호회 (춤 is a native Korean word) = dance club
음악 동호회 音樂 同好會 = music club