Korean Dictionary
How to say "After School" in Korean
“After School” in Korean is 방과 후 (pronounced "banggwa hu").
방과 후
banggwa hu
Usage & Context
The time period after regular school classes end. After school, students may attend clubs, tutoring, or go home. Many students stay at school for activities.
Example Sentence
방과 후에 동아리 활동을 한다.
I do club activities after school.
How to use 방과 후 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “After School” is 방과 후, romanized as banggwa hu.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 방과 후.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'bang-gwa hoo' — 'bang' rhymes with 'song,' 'gwa' has a quick 'gw' glide like in 'Gwen,' and 'hoo' sounds like the English 'who.' The space between 과 and 후 is spoken as one smooth unit.
Formal & Casual Forms
Casual (반말)
학교 끝나고
hakgyo kkeutnago
Casual everyday phrase literally meaning 'after school ends' — what students actually say to each other
More Example Sentences
texting a classmate
방과 후에 떡볶이 먹으러 갈래?
Wanna grab tteokbokki after school?
a student describing their schedule
요즘 방과 후에는 주로 학원에 가요.
These days I mostly go to hagwon after school.
introducing yourself in a new class
방과 후 활동으로 밴드부에 들었어요.
I joined the band club as an after-school activity.
Cultural Context
For most Korean students, 방과 후 doesn't mean 'free time' — it means 학원 (hagwon / cram school). A typical middle- or high-schooler's post-3pm schedule is packed with 수학 학원 (math academy), 영어 학원 (English academy), and 독서실 (self-study room) until 10pm or later. Public schools also run 방과 후 수업 (after-school classes) — optional supplementary courses in music, sports, or coding. Among friends, the more natural phrase is 학교 끝나고 (after school ends), while 방과 후 is the formal/written term you see on school notices. The eternal post-school ritual for many kids is stopping by a 분식집 for 떡볶이 before hagwon.
Editorial note
We review entries like 방과 후 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
방과 후에 뭐 해?
What are you doing after school?
학교 끝나고 봐.
See you after school.
방과 후 수업 신청했어?
Did you sign up for the after-school class?
Related Expressions
학원
hagwon
private academy / cram school
야자
yaja
mandatory late-night self-study at school (short for 야간 자율학습)
방과 후 수업
banggwa hu sueop
after-school class (school-run)
하교
hagyo
leaving school / dismissal
More School Life Words
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