Korean Dictionary
How to say "Dictionary" in Korean
“Dictionary” in Korean is 사전 (pronounced "Sajeon").
사전
Sajeon
Usage & Context
Dictionaries (사전) have evolved in Korean education from heavy paper volumes to digital apps and online tools. Korean-English and Korean-Chinese dictionaries are widely used by students learning foreign languages. Electronic dictionaries (전자사전) were very popular in Korea before smartphones, and many students still use dictionary apps like Naver Dictionary daily.
Example Sentence
모르는 단어를 사전에서 찾아봐요.
I look up unknown words in the dictionary.
How to use 사전 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Dictionary” is 사전, romanized as Sajeon.
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 사전.
Pronunciation Guide
The first syllable, 'Sa', sounds like 'sah' in 'sahara'. The second syllable, 'jeon', sounds like 'jun' in 'junior' but with a slightly softer 'j' sound, almost like 'chun' in 'chunky' but voiced. The stress is fairly even across both syllables.
More Example Sentences
Talking about modern study tools.
스마트폰 사전 앱이 정말 편리해요.
Smartphone dictionary apps are really convenient.
Struggling to find a rare word.
이 단어는 영어 사전에도 안 나오네요.
This word doesn't even appear in the English dictionary.
Nostalgically recalling past study habits.
어릴 때 종이 사전으로 공부 많이 했어요.
When I was young, I studied a lot with paper dictionaries.
Cultural Context
Before smartphones, electronic dictionaries (전자사전, jeonjasajeon) were a must-have item for Korean students, especially for English learners. Now, Naver Dictionary and Daum Dictionary apps are ubiquitous, offering not just definitions but also example sentences, pronunciations, and even related news articles. These apps have become indispensable daily tools for both students and professionals in Korea.
Editorial note
We review entries like 사전 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
사전을 찾다
to look up in a dictionary
사전적 의미
dictionary meaning
온라인 사전
online dictionary
Related Expressions
전자사전
jeonjasajeon
electronic dictionary
국어사전
gugeosajeon
Korean dictionary
영한사전
yeonghansajeon
English-Korean dictionary
단어장
daneojang
vocabulary notebook
More Education Words
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