Korean Dictionary
How to say "Paternity Leave" in Korean
“Paternity Leave” in Korean is 육아휴직 (pronounced "yugahyujik").
육아휴직
yugahyujik
Usage & Context
Paid leave for fathers to care for newborns. Paternity leave in Korea is increasingly recognized and supported. It reflects changing attitudes toward work-life balance.
Example Sentence
육아휴직을 사용하고 싶습니다.
I want to use paternity leave.
How to use 육아휴직 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Paternity Leave” is 육아휴직, romanized as yugahyujik.
Usage tip
Business Korean usually needs polite or formal endings, especially in emails, meetings, and customer situations.
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 육아휴직.
Pronunciation Guide
For 육아 (yu-ga), 'yu' is like 'yoo' in 'yummy', and 'ga' like 'gah' in 'garage'. For 휴직 (hyu-jik), 'hyu' is like 'hew' in 'hewlett', and 'jik' sounds like 'jik' in 'jiggle' but with a sharper 'j' sound. The stress is fairly even, with a slight emphasis on '육아'.
More Example Sentences
A wife discussing her family's plans with a friend or colleague.
남편이 육아휴직을 신청할 예정입니다.
My husband plans to apply for parental leave.
Someone reflecting positively on their experience with parental leave.
육아휴직 덕분에 아이와 더 많은 시간을 보낼 수 있었어요.
Thanks to parental leave, I could spend more time with my child.
Discussing social trends or changes in workplace culture.
최근에는 남성 육아휴직 사용이 늘고 있습니다.
Recently, the use of parental leave by men is increasing.
Cultural Context
'육아휴직' (yugahyujik) literally means 'child-rearing leave' and applies to both mothers and fathers. While traditionally more common for mothers after '출산휴가' (maternity leave), there's a growing trend and government encouragement for fathers to take '육아휴직' as well. This reflects changing societal views on gender roles and work-life balance in Korea, although it's still less common for fathers to take extended leave compared to mothers.
Editorial note
We review business terms like 육아휴직 for formality, so the example fits emails, meetings, or workplace conversations instead of casual speech.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
육아휴직 신청했어요?
Did you apply for parental leave?
육아휴직 중인 동료
a colleague on parental leave
육아휴직을 고민 중이에요.
I'm considering taking parental leave.
Related Expressions
출산휴가
chulsanhyuga
Maternity leave
가족 돌봄 휴가
gajok dolbom hyuga
Family care leave
육아휴직 급여
yugahyujik geubyeo
Parental leave pay
남성 육아휴직
namseong yugahyujik
Male parental leave (specifically for fathers)
More Business Words
Master Korean with AI-Powered Learning
Practice Paternity Leave and 10,000+ words with native pronunciation and AI conversation.
