Professions

Question 1

선생님

Answer 1

Teacher

Notes: This is often colloquially shortened to “쌤”

선생님 (or 쌤) is often used to broadly refer to anybody in any form of a teaching position, or anybody who works at any position in a school. For example, the maintenance people who work at a school would be referred to as “선생님” within the school.

Common Usages:
교장선생님 = principal
교감선생님 = vice-principal
영어 선생님 = English teacher
중국어 선생님 = Chinese (language) teacher

Examples
저는 선생님이 되고 싶어요 = I want to be a teacher
저는 학교에서 저의 선생님을 항상 봐요 = I always see my teacher at school
저는 선생님이에요 = I am a teacher
저는 어제 선생님을 처음 만났어요 = I met my teacher for the first time yesterday
선생님들은 다 나갔어요 = All the teachers left (went out)
선생님은 학생들과 박물관에 갔다 = The teacher went to the museum with the students
저는 선생님과 함께 공부했어요 = I studied with my teacher
선생님들은 똑똑해요 = Teachers are smart

Question 2

의사

Answer 2

Doctor

Notes: Korean people don’t refer to people with a Ph.D. as “doctor.” Instead, they use the term “박사(님).”

Common Usages:
한의사 = Korean/oriental doctor
외과의사 = surgeon
치과의사 = dentist
정형외과의사 = orthopedic doctor
내과의사 = internal medicine doctor
정신과의사 = psychiatrist
비뇨기과의사 = urologist
산부인과의사 = gynecologist

Examples
저는 의사가 무서워요 = I am afraid of doctors
의사들은 돈이 많아요 = doctors have a lot of money
저의 친구는 의사예요 = My friend is a doctor
의사들은 문제에 대해 과학적으로 생각했어요 = The doctors thought about the problem scientifically
저는 정신과의사가 되려고 열심히 공부하고 있어요 = I am studying hard to become a psychiatrist

Question 3

학생

Answer 3

student

Common Usages:
학생증 = student ID
학생회 = student council
대학생 = university student
초등학생 = elementary school student
중학생 = middle school student
고등학생 = high school student
교환학생 = foreign exchange student

Examples
저는 좋은 학생이에요 = I am a good student
저는 학생이 아니에요 = I am not a student
선생님은 내일 학생들을 만날 거야 = The teacher will meet the students tomorrow
저는 학생들이 실망스러웠어요 = I was disappointed in the students
저는 학생들에게 수업을 가르쳤어요 = I taught the class to the students
선생님은 학생들과 박물관에 갔다 = The teacher went to the museum with the students