Korean Dictionary
How to say "Professional Athlete" in Korean
“Professional Athlete” in Korean is 프로 선수 (pronounced "Peuro Seonsu").
프로 선수
Peuro Seonsu
Usage & Context
프로 선수 refers to professional athletes in Korea who earn a living through sports. Korean 프로 선수 are highly respected and well-compensated especially in baseball basketball and soccer. The path to becoming a 프로 선수 requires years of rigorous training often starting from childhood.
Example Sentence
어릴 때부터 꿈이 프로 선수가 되는 거였어요.
My dream since childhood was to become a professional athlete.
How to use 프로 선수 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Professional Athlete” is 프로 선수, romanized as Peuro Seonsu.
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 프로 선수.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounced 'peu-ro seon-su' — 'peu' like 'puh' with 'eu' unrounded, 'ro' like 'roh', 'seon' rhymes with 'yawn' with s-, 'su' like 'soo'.
More Example Sentences
sports news recap
그 선수는 프로 데뷔 첫해에 신인상을 받았어요.
That athlete won Rookie of the Year in their pro debut.
amateur athlete announcement
프로 선수로 전향하기로 결심했어요.
I decided to turn pro.
fitness article
프로 선수들은 체력 관리가 중요해요.
For pro athletes managing stamina is crucial.
Cultural Context
프로 선수 distinguishes paid professionals from '아마추어' (amateurs) in Korean sports. Top 프로 선수 in 야구 (baseball), 축구 (soccer), and e-sports become national celebrities. The path to becoming one is grueling — Korean students often attend 체육고등학교 (athletic high schools) from early age. Retirement is called '은퇴' and is often front-page news.
Editorial note
We review entries like 프로 선수 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
프로 선수가 꿈이에요.
My dream is to be a pro athlete.
프로 선수로 데뷔했어요.
I debuted as a pro athlete.
프로 선수 생활을 은퇴했어요.
I retired from pro athletics.
Related Expressions
아마추어
amachueo
amateur
선수
seonsu
athlete/player
프로
peuro
pro/professional
은퇴
eunthoe
retirement
More Sports Words
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