Sports in Korean || 35 Words You Need to Know for your Next Workout
35 Korean Words for Sports and Workouts || Key Vocabulary PLUS Free Korean Quiz!
Whether you’re off to study in Korea, want to stay fit with a Korean workout video or simply fancy binge-watching a season of Physical: 100 on Netflix, there are some keywords you need to know.
Workouts and sports are a regular part of most people’s daily lives, which is why it’s important to
Today’s post will give you all the vocabulary you need to talk about this common topic in Korean.
Korean beauty standards are hard, but not impossible to meet.
Just being able to talk about sports and exercise is a good first step.
Now let’s learn some vocabulary!
Sports in Korean || “Exercise” and “Exercising” in Korean
Sports in Korean || Most Common Sports Vocabs
Sports in Korean || Specific Sports Vocabulary
Sports in Korean || Korean National and Popular Sports
Sports in Korean || General Exercise Vocabulary
Sports in Korean || Korean Workout Videos
Sports in Korean || Vocabulary Quiz!
Sports in Korean || FAQs
Sports in Korean || “Exercise” and “Exercising” in Korean
First and foremost, let’s take a look at two keywords you’re going to need to discuss working out in Korean.
Exercise is 운동 (un-dong) and exercising is 운동하다 (un-dong-hada)
With these two words you can already tell people if you’re working out or a fan of exercise (or not!)
However, you’ll likely be asked kind of sports you’re participating in, so let’s move on to some sports vocab.
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Sports in Korean || Most Common Sports
| English | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| Badminton | 배드민턴 | baedeuminteon |
| Baseball | 야구 | ya-gu |
| Basketball | 농구 | nonggu |
| Bodybuilding | 보디 빌딩 | bodi bilding |
| Golf | 골프 | golpeu |
| Horseback riding | 승마 | seungma |
| Soccer/Football | 축구 | chukgu |
| Taekwondo | 태권도 | tae-kwon-do |
| Hockey | 하키 | haki |
| Ice Hockey | 아이스하키 | ai-seu-ha-ki |
| Archery | 양궁 | yang-gung |
| Ping-pong | 탁구 | takgu |
| Rowing | 조정 | jojeong |
| Rugby | 럭비 | reokbi |
| Sailing | 항해 | hanghae |
| Swimming | 수영 | su-yeong |
| Volleyball | 배구 | baegu |
| Weightlifting | 역도 | yeokdo |
| Wrestling | 레슬링 | reseulling |
Can you write your favourite sport in Korean? Let us know in the comments section!
Sports in Korean || Specific Sports Vocabulary
Now that you can talk a little bit about a few types of sports, it is time to learn some specific vocabulary related to them.
In particular, we’ll look at baseball and taekwondo, two extremely popular sports in Korea.
Here’s a list that dives a little deeper:
Baseball
| English | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| pitcher | 투수 | tu-su |
| batter | 타자 | ta-ja |
| the baseball | 야구공 | ya-gu-gong |
| home run | 홈런 | hom-reon |
Taekwondo
| English | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| belt | 띠 | tti |
| sparring | 구르기 | gu-reu-gi |
| crescent kick | 반달차기 | ban-dal cha-gi |
| uniform | 도복 | do-bok |
Sports in Korean || Korean National and Popular Sports
You might have already been able to guess from the two previous lists, but the following two sports are a pretty big deal in Korea:
Taekwondo 태권도 is the national sport of Korea. However baseball 야구 , albeit having its origins elsewhere, is just as popular.
Korea has lots of baseball teams which are all part of the KBO (Korean Baseball Organization).
Baseball is believed to have arrived in Korea in 1905, having been introduced by American missionaries.
Impressive achievements of the Korean baseball team include winning bronze in the World Baseball Classic of 2009 and silver in 2006.
When in Korea it’s definitely worth finding the time to go watch a baseball match!
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Sports in Korean || General Exercise Vocabulary
| English | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| to stretch | 스트레칭 | seu-teu-re-ching |
| yoga | 요가 | yo-ga |
| a split | 스플릿 | seu-peul-lit |
| sit-up | 싯업 | sit-eop |
| push-up | 푸쉬업 | pu-swi-eop |
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Sports in Korean || Korean Workout Videos
So now you can talk the talk, it’s time to walk the walk.
Here’s two Korean workout videos to help you pursue that K-pop body (don’t worry they have english subtitles as well):
KPOP Dance Workout
20 MIN HIIT
Intense and quick, for busy days.
Sports in Korean || Quiz!
And there you have it! If you enjoyed this article, make sure to check out our latest posts:
- How Hard Is It To Learn Korean? Here’s What You Need to Know
- The Korean Flag // Symbolism and Significance Explained
- What is K-Pop? (케이팝) // The Korean Music Sensation Explained
- White Day in Korea: Gifts, Traditions & Useful Korean Vocabulary
- Top Korean Boy Names: Meaning, Order and Pronunciation
And for you budding polyglots out there, don’t forget to check out our Sports in Chinese article!
Korean Workout Vocab || FAQ
How do you say Workout/Working Out in Korean?
Workout means 운동 (un-dong) and working out is 운동하다 (un-dong-hada).
What are some popular sports in Korea?
Taekwondo (태권도) is considered Korea´s national sport, but baseball (야구) albeit having its origins elsewhere is just as popular.
How do you say Archery in Korean?
Archery translates to 양궁 (yang-gung).
How do you say baseball in Korean?
Baseball in Korean means 야구 (ya-gu).
Where can I practice speaking about sports in Korean?
If you’d like to practice speaking Korean with certified, native-speaker teachers, head over to our Flexi Classes platform and start practising today!
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