Korean Dictionary
How to say "High School" in Korean
“High School” in Korean is 고등학교 (pronounced "Godeunghakgyo").
고등학교
Godeunghakgyo
Usage & Context
High school (고등학교) in Korea spans grades 10-12 and is widely considered the most intense period of a student's academic life. Students typically arrive at school before 8 AM and study until 10 PM or later due to mandatory evening study sessions. The pressure to perform well for the 수능 (college entrance exam) defines high school culture in Korea.
Example Sentence
고등학교 때 공부를 열심히 했어요.
I studied hard in high school.
How to use 고등학교 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “High School” is 고등학교, romanized as Godeunghakgyo.
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 고등학교.
Pronunciation Guide
The first syllable, 'Go', sounds like 'go'. 'Deung' sounds like 'dung' but with a slightly softer 'd' and a nasal 'ng' sound, similar to 'doong' in 'doong-doong'. 'Hak' is like 'hack'. 'Gyo' sounds like 'gyo' in 'gyoza'. The 'g' in 'hakgyo' often sounds like 'k', making it 'hak-kkyo'.
More Example Sentences
Describing a common high school experience.
고등학교 때 야간 자율 학습을 했어요.
I had mandatory evening self-study in high school.
Talking about a child's educational stage.
우리 아들은 내년에 고등학교에 가요.
Our son is going to high school next year.
Catching up with old friends.
고등학교 친구들이랑 오랜만에 만났어요.
I met my high school friends after a long time.
Cultural Context
Korean 고등학교 (godeunghakgyo) is notorious for its intense academic rigor and long hours. Students often attend school from early morning until late evening, including mandatory evening self-study (야간 자율 학습, yagan jayul hakseup) and private academies (학원, hagwon). The entire high school experience is heavily geared towards preparing for the Suneung (수능), the national college entrance exam, which is a make-or-break moment for many students' futures.
Editorial note
We review entries like 고등학교 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
고등학교를 졸업하다
to graduate from high school
고등학교 동창
high school alumni/classmate
특목고
specialized high school (e.g., foreign language, science high school)
Related Expressions
중학교
junghakgyo
middle school
초등학교
chodeunghakgyo
elementary school
고등학생
godeunghaksaeng
high school student
수능
suneung
College Scholastic Ability Test (national college entrance exam)
More Education Words
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