Korean Dictionary
How to say "Driver" in Korean
“Driver” in Korean is 운전기사 (pronounced "unjeon gisa").
운전기사
unjeon gisa
Usage & Context
운전기사 refers to a professional driver such as a bus driver, taxi driver, or chauffeur in Korea. Korean 운전기사 are required to have appropriate professional licenses and undergo regular safety training. The bus 운전기사 in Korea is responsible for passenger safety and typically makes formal announcements at key stops.
Example Sentence
운전기사님 다음 정류장에서 내려주세요.
Driver please let me off at the next stop.
How to use 운전기사 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Driver” is 운전기사, romanized as unjeon gisa.
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 운전기사.
Pronunciation Guide
운 (un) sounds like 'oon' in 'moon'. 전 (jeon) sounds like 'jun' in 'junior'. 기 (gi) sounds like 'gee' in 'geese'. 사 (sa) sounds like 'sa' in 'sad'. Put it together as 'oon-jun gee-sa' with fairly even stress.
More Example Sentences
Praising a taxi driver's knowledge.
택시 운전기사님이 길을 잘 아시네요.
The taxi driver knows the way well.
Expressing gratitude after a ride.
버스 운전기사님께 감사 인사를 전했어요.
I thanked the bus driver.
Difficulty finding a taxi or designated driver.
새벽에 운전기사님을 부르기가 어려웠어요.
It was hard to call a driver in the early morning.
Cultural Context
When addressing a professional driver (taxi, bus, chauffeur) in Korea, it's crucial to add the honorific -님 (nim), making it 운전기사님 (unjeon gisa-nim). Simply saying 운전기사 to their face would be considered impolite. This reflects the general respect for service professionals in Korean culture.
Editorial note
We review entries like 운전기사 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
운전기사님
Driver (polite address)
운전기사 모집
Driver recruitment
대리 운전기사
Designated driver (for hire)
Related Expressions
운전하다
unjeonhada
To drive
운전자
unjeonja
Driver (general term, not necessarily professional)
택시 기사
taeksi gisa
Taxi driver
버스 기사
beoseu gisa
Bus driver
More Transportation Words
Master Korean with AI-Powered Learning
Practice Driver and 10,000+ words with native pronunciation and AI conversation.
