Phrase in 30 Seconds
The essential phrase for any student or professional to describe completing an assigned task or homework.
- Means: To perform or complete a specific assignment or project.
- Used in: University settings, office projects, or self-study contexts.
- Don't confuse: Use '과제' for university/adult tasks; '숙제' is for children's homework.
Explication à ton niveau :
Signification
The act of completing a school or work task.
Contexte culturel
The 'Ka-gong' (Cafe-Gongbu) culture is a defining trait of Korean university life. Students spend hours in cafes doing '과제' because the atmosphere is considered more conducive to focus than a quiet library. Group projects, known as '팀플' (Team-play), are a major part of '과제'. They are notorious for 'free-riders' (무임승차), leading to many humorous and stressful stories in student communities. The 'Hell Joseon' term reflects the extreme academic pressure. Doing '과제' until 3 or 4 AM is seen as a normal, albeit exhausting, part of being a 'proper' student. Digital submission platforms like 'Cyber Campus' or 'LMS' are where most '과제' are now handled, making '과제 제출' a digital-first experience for the younger generation.
Drop the marker
In casual speech, just say '과제 했어?' instead of '과제를 했어?'. It sounds much more natural.
Don't say 'Make'
Avoid saying '과제를 만들다'. Even if you are creating a physical model, '하다' or '제작하다' is better.
Drop the marker
In casual speech, just say '과제 했어?' instead of '과제를 했어?'. It sounds much more natural.
Don't say 'Make'
Avoid saying '과제를 만들다'. Even if you are creating a physical model, '하다' or '제작하다' is better.
Use '수행' for resumes
When writing a resume, use '과제 수행' (Task performance) to sound professional.
The 'Team-play' nuance
If you say '팀플 과제', expect a sympathetic reaction from any Korean student.
Teste-toi
Choose the most natural word to complete the sentence for a university student.
대학교 수업이 끝나고 도서관에서 _______를 했어요.
For university-level tasks, '과제' is the most appropriate term. '숙제' is for children, and '빨래' (laundry) or '요리' (cooking) are household chores.
Fill in the blank with the correct form of '과제를 하다'.
어제 너무 피곤해서 _______ 못 했어요.
The object marker '를' is needed here to indicate that the assignment is the thing that wasn't done.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
가: 주말에 같이 놀러 갈래? 나: 미안해. 이번 주말에는 _______ 바빠.
'-느라' is used to explain a reason for being busy or unable to do something else due to a continuous action.
Match the phrase to the correct context.
Match '과제를 제출하다' with its meaning.
'제출하다' means to hand in or submit.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
숙제 vs 과제
Banque d exercices
5 exercices대학교 수업이 끝나고 도서관에서 _______를 했어요.
For university-level tasks, '과제' is the most appropriate term. '숙제' is for children, and '빨래' (laundry) or '요리' (cooking) are household chores.
어제 너무 피곤해서 _______ 못 했어요.
The object marker '를' is needed here to indicate that the assignment is the thing that wasn't done.
가: 주말에 같이 놀러 갈래? 나: 미안해. 이번 주말에는 _______ 바빠.
'-느라' is used to explain a reason for being busy or unable to do something else due to a continuous action.
Match '과제를 제출하다' with its meaning.
'제출하다' means to hand in or submit.
🎉 Score : /5
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsYes, especially for specific projects or research assignments. However, for general daily duties, '업무' (eommu) is more common.
Mostly, yes. It's also used in graduate school and professional research settings. High schoolers might use it for big projects, but '숙제' is still common for them.
'과제' is a specific task or project (often academic), while '업무' refers to general professional duties or business operations.
You can say '과제 다 했어요' or '과제 끝냈어요'.
It is more formal than '숙제', but it's the standard word used by everyone in a university context.
It literally means 'assignment bomb,' used when you have a huge amount of assignments due at once.
No, '과제' is a noun. You must pair it with a verb like '하다' or '수행하다'.
'리포트' (Report) is a specific type of '과제'. If the assignment is an essay, they often use the specific word.
It means 'assignment hell,' a common expression during midterms or finals.
You can say '과제 제출 기한을 연장해 주실 수 있나요?' (Can you extend the assignment deadline?)
Expressions liées
숙제를 하다
similarTo do homework
리포트를 쓰다
specialized formTo write a report
과제를 제출하다
builds onTo submit an assignment
시험 공부를 하다
similarTo study for an exam
프로젝트를 수행하다
specialized formTo carry out a project
Où l'utiliser
At a Cafe
Friend A: 여기서 뭐 해?
Friend B: 나 내일까지 제출해야 하는 과제 하고 있어.
On the Phone
Mom: 지금 바쁘니?
Son: 네, 엄마. 지금 과제 하느라 정신이 없어요.
In the Classroom
Professor: 모두 과제는 다 했나요?
Student: 네, 어제 다 해서 제출했습니다.
Group Project Meeting
Team Leader: 우리 이번 주말에 모여서 과제 할까요?
Member: 좋아요. 토요일 오후에 만나요.
Job Interview
Interviewer: 대학 시절 가장 기억에 남는 과제는 무엇입니까?
Applicant: 빅데이터 분석 과제를 했던 것이 가장 기억에 남습니다.
Late Night Library
Student A: 아직도 안 갔어?
Student B: 응, 과제 다 하려면 밤새야 할 것 같아.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Think of 'Gwa' as a 'Grade' and 'Je' as a 'Job'. You do the Grade-Job (과제) to get an A!
Association visuelle
Imagine a student in a cozy Korean cafe (Ka-gong) with a tall iced americano, a laptop, and a stack of papers. The steam from the coffee forms the word '과제'.
Rhyme
과제는 언제? 지금 당장 하제! (When to do the assignment? Do it right now!)
Story
Min-su is a university student. He goes to the library to do his {과제|課題}. He works hard because he wants to graduate. After he finishes 'doing the task' (과제를 하다), he feels very happy and goes to eat fried chicken.
In Other Languages
In Japanese, 'Kadai o suru' (課題をする) is almost identical in both meaning and Hanja usage. In English, it's simply 'doing an assignment'.
Word Web
Défi
Try to use '과제를 하다' in a sentence describing your current study goal on a social media post or to a language exchange partner.
Review this phrase every time you sit down to study Korean. Say '이제 한국어 과제를 할 거예요' (Now I will do my Korean assignment).
Prononciation
The 'k' sound is unaspirated, and 'wa' is a smooth glide.
The 'r' is a light tap, similar to the 'tt' in 'better'.
Simple 'ha' and 'da' sounds.
Spectre de formalité
저는 현재 과제를 수행하고 있습니다. (General status update)
저는 지금 과제를 하고 있어요. (General status update)
나 지금 과제 해. (General status update)
나 지금 과제 늪에 빠졌어 (I'm stuck in an assignment swamp). (General status update)
Derived from the Hanja {課題|과제}. 課 (Gwa) means 'lesson' or 'division of work,' and 題 (Je) means 'topic' or 'subject.' It entered the Korean language via Classical Chinese and became standardized in the modern education system to distinguish higher-level academic tasks from basic schoolwork.
Le savais-tu ?
In North Korea, the term '숙제' is used more broadly for all levels of education, whereas South Korea maintains a strict distinction between '숙제' and '과제'.
Notes culturelles
The 'Ka-gong' (Cafe-Gongbu) culture is a defining trait of Korean university life. Students spend hours in cafes doing '과제' because the atmosphere is considered more conducive to focus than a quiet library.
“카공족(Cafe-study tribe)들이 카페에서 과제를 하고 있어요.”
Group projects, known as '팀플' (Team-play), are a major part of '과제'. They are notorious for 'free-riders' (무임승차), leading to many humorous and stressful stories in student communities.
“팀플 과제 때문에 스트레스 받아요.”
The 'Hell Joseon' term reflects the extreme academic pressure. Doing '과제' until 3 or 4 AM is seen as a normal, albeit exhausting, part of being a 'proper' student.
“밤새워서 과제를 했더니 너무 졸려요.”
Digital submission platforms like 'Cyber Campus' or 'LMS' are where most '과제' are now handled, making '과제 제출' a digital-first experience for the younger generation.
“LMS에 과제를 올렸어요.”
Amorces de conversation
이번 주에 해야 할 과제가 많아요?
보통 어디에서 과제를 하는 걸 좋아해요?
과제를 하다가 막히면 어떻게 해요?
가장 힘들었던 과제는 무엇이었나요?
Erreurs courantes
과제를 만들다
과제를 하다
L1 Interference
숙제를 하다 (for university work)
과제를 하다
L1 Interference
과제를 공부하다
과제를 하다
L1 Interference
과제를 쓰다 (for all tasks)
과제를 하다
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
Hacer la tarea / Hacer un trabajo
Spanish doesn't have the same level of formality distinction in the verb itself as Korean does.
Faire ses devoirs / Faire un dossier
French uses 'devoirs' (duties) which has a stronger moral connotation than '과제'.
Hausaufgaben machen / Eine Aufgabe erledigen
German often specifies the type of work (e.g., Hausarbeit) rather than using a general term like '과제'.
課題をする (Kadai o suru)
The pronunciation and script are different, but the logic is identical.
أداء الواجب (Ada' al-wajeb)
Arabic terminology leans heavily on the concept of 'obligation' or 'duty'.
做课题 (Zuò kètí) / 做作业 (Zuò zuòyè)
In modern Chinese, 'Zuòyè' is used more broadly than '숙제' is in Korean.
Do an assignment / Do homework
English speakers often use 'work on' (과제 중이다) more frequently than just 'do'.
Fazer o trabalho / Fazer a lição
Portuguese often uses 'trabalho' which can be confused with 'job' or 'general work'.
Spotted in the Real World
“설아, 과제 다 했어?”
In-ho asks the protagonist Hong Seol if she finished her university assignment.
“나 오늘 과제 때문에 못 나가.”
Bok-joo tells her friends she can't go out because of an assignment.
“과제 때문에 밤샜다며”
The lyrics mention a girl staying up all night doing assignments.
“#과제지옥 #종강언제해”
Common hashtags on posts showing laptops and coffee.
“교수님이 내주신 과제 같이 할래?”
The male lead asks the female lead to do a photography assignment together.
Facile à confondre
Both mean 'to do homework/assignments'.
Use '숙제' for kids and '과제' for university students or adults.
Both involve 'working'.
'일' is general work or a job; '과제' is a specific assigned task with an educational or project-based goal.
Questions fréquentes (10)
Yes, especially for specific projects or research assignments. However, for general daily duties, '업무' (eommu) is more common.
usage contextsMostly, yes. It's also used in graduate school and professional research settings. High schoolers might use it for big projects, but '숙제' is still common for them.
basic understanding'과제' is a specific task or project (often academic), while '업무' refers to general professional duties or business operations.
comparisonsYou can say '과제 다 했어요' or '과제 끝냈어요'.
practical tipsIt is more formal than '숙제', but it's the standard word used by everyone in a university context.
grammar mechanicsIt literally means 'assignment bomb,' used when you have a huge amount of assignments due at once.
cultural usageNo, '과제' is a noun. You must pair it with a verb like '하다' or '수행하다'.
grammar mechanics'리포트' (Report) is a specific type of '과제'. If the assignment is an essay, they often use the specific word.
comparisonsIt means 'assignment hell,' a common expression during midterms or finals.
cultural usageYou can say '과제 제출 기한을 연장해 주실 수 있나요?' (Can you extend the assignment deadline?)
practical tips
