Explanation at your level:
학자금 is money for school. You use it to pay for your classes. Many students need this money to go to college. It is very important for your future.
When you want to study at a university, you need 학자금. This covers your tuition fees. Sometimes the government helps students with this money. It is a formal word for school costs.
In Korea, 학자금 is a common term for educational funding. It includes tuition, books, and other school-related expenses. Many students apply for 학자금 대출 (student loans) to manage these costs during their studies.
The term 학자금 is primarily used in financial and academic contexts. It encompasses the total expenditure required for an individual's education. It is frequently discussed in relation to 학자금 지원 (financial aid) and the long-term economic impact of 학자금 대출 (student debt) on young graduates.
학자금 represents a significant socio-economic factor in modern Korean society. It is not merely a financial term but reflects the societal emphasis on higher education. Discussions surrounding 학자금 often involve complex policy debates regarding accessibility, government subsidies, and the sustainability of student loan programs for the younger generation.
The etymological composition of 학자금 (學資金) highlights the cultural reverence for academic pursuit, framing education as a capital investment. Beyond its literal meaning, the term carries weight in discourse regarding social mobility and the 'burden of education' (학자금 부담). It is a quintessential example of how Sino-Korean vocabulary structures abstract economic concepts into precise, functional nouns used across legal, educational, and personal finance domains.
Word in 30 Seconds
- Means money for education.
- Commonly used with loans.
- Formal, professional tone.
- Essential for student life.
When we talk about 학자금, we are talking about the financial side of learning. It is a compound word made of 학 (study) and 자금 (funds). Think of it as the 'fuel' that keeps the engine of education running!
You will hear this word often in Korea when discussing student loans or scholarships. It is not just for tuition; it can cover anything necessary for your studies. It is a very practical word that connects the dream of learning with the reality of paying for it.
The word 학자금 is rooted in Sino-Korean characters (Hanja). 학 (學) means 'learning' or 'school,' and 자금 (資金) means 'capital' or 'funds.' This structure is classic for formal Korean vocabulary.
Historically, as education became more structured and expensive in the 20th century, the need for a specific term to describe 'money for school' became essential. It evolved from general terms for money into this specific, professional-sounding noun that we use today in banking and academic settings.
You will mostly find 학자금 in formal or semi-formal contexts. It is standard in banking, government policy, and family financial planning. It sounds much more professional than just saying 'school money.'
Common phrases include 학자금 대출 (student loan) and 학자금 지원 (tuition support). If you are talking to a friend, you might just say 'tuition' (등록금), but if you are talking about the broader financial burden or a loan, 학자금 is the perfect choice.
While 학자금 is a noun and not an idiom itself, it appears in many set phrases. 1. 학자금 대출을 받다 (to take out a student loan). 2. 학자금을 마련하다 (to prepare/save for tuition). 3. 학자금 지원을 신청하다 (to apply for financial aid). 4. 학자금 부담 (the burden of tuition). 5. 학자금 상환 (repayment of student debt).
As a noun, 학자금 is used as a standard object or subject. It does not have plural forms in Korean. In terms of pronunciation, the 'ㄱ' sound undergoes nasalization, making it sound like '학짜금' (hak-jja-geum) in natural speech.
It is a non-count noun in the sense that it refers to a concept of 'funds.' You don't say 'one학자금,' but rather 'a large amount of학자금.' It pairs well with verbs like 필요하다 (to be needed) or 지원하다 (to support).
Fun Fact
It combines the classical Chinese character for study with the modern economic term for capital.
Pronunciation Guide
Standard Korean pronunciation
Standard Korean pronunciation
Common Errors
- Mispronouncing the final consonant
- Ignoring the nasalization
- Incorrect vowel length
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Easy to read
Simple to write
Easy to say
Clear
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Advanced
Grammar to Know
Object marker 을/를
학자금을 내다
Examples by Level
학자금이 필요해요.
I need tuition money.
Subject + object + verb
학자금을 저축해요.
학자금 대출을 알아봐요.
학자금이 비싸요.
학자금 지원을 받아요.
학자금을 마련했어요.
학자금 걱정이 있어요.
학자금은 중요해요.
학자금을 냈어요.
정부에서 학자금을 지원합니다.
학자금 대출 이자가 낮아요.
학자금 마련을 위해 아르바이트를 해요.
학자금 부담이 너무 커요.
학자금 상환을 시작했어요.
학자금 신청 기간입니다.
부모님이 학자금을 도와주셨어요.
학자금 대출을 다 갚았어요.
학자금 대출 제도를 개선해야 합니다.
학자금 지원 대상자를 선정합니다.
학자금 마련은 미리 준비해야 합니다.
학자금 부담으로 졸업 후 고민이 많습니다.
학자금 상환 유예를 신청했습니다.
학자금 관련 정보를 확인하세요.
학자금 대출 금리가 인상되었습니다.
학자금 지원은 학생들에게 큰 도움이 됩니다.
학자금 대출의 장기적 경제 영향에 대해 논의했습니다.
정부는 저소득층을 위한 학자금 지원을 확대했습니다.
학자금 마련을 위한 다양한 금융 상품이 존재합니다.
학자금 상환 부담은 청년층의 소비를 위축시킵니다.
학자금 지원 정책의 실효성을 검토해야 합니다.
학자금 대출은 교육 기회의 평등을 보장하는 수단입니다.
학자금 관련 상담은 학생처에서 가능합니다.
학자금 부담을 덜어주기 위한 장학금 제도가 있습니다.
학자금 대출의 구조적 문제점은 교육 불평등을 심화시킬 수 있습니다.
학자금 마련을 위한 개인의 노력은 가계 경제에 상당한 영향을 미칩니다.
학자금 지원 제도는 국가적 인적 자원 개발의 핵심입니다.
학자금 상환을 위한 유연한 정책 도입이 시급합니다.
학자금 관련 금융 부채는 사회적 이슈로 대두되고 있습니다.
학자금 대출의 이자율 변동은 학생들의 경제적 상황에 직결됩니다.
학자금 지원은 공교육의 질을 유지하는 데 필수적입니다.
학자금 마련의 어려움은 교육 격차를 유발하는 요인이 됩니다.
Common Collocations
Idioms & Expressions
"학자금에 허덕이다"
to struggle with tuition debt
졸업 후에도 학자금에 허덕이고 있다.
casual/descriptive""
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Easily Confused
Both relate to school money.
등록금 is specifically tuition fee.
등록금을 냈다.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + 학자금을 + Verb
나는 학자금을 마련했다.
Word Family
Nouns
Verbs
Related
How to Use It
7
Formality Scale
Common Mistakes
학비금 is not a standard word.
Tips
Break it down
HAK (study) + JAGUM (money).
Use in banking
Always use it with '대출' (loan).
Cultural focus
Education is highly valued in Korea.
Verb pairing
Use with '마련하다' or '지원하다'.
Nasal sound
Focus on the 'ng' sound at the end.
Don't say 학비금
It's wrong.
History
It reflects modern economic needs.
Flashcards
Use for banking terms.
Social context
It's a common topic for youth.
Formal tone
Use in writing.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'HAK' (school) + 'JAGUM' (money/gold). School Gold!
Visual Association
A piggy bank with a graduation cap on it.
Word Web
Challenge
Write a sentence about your own school expenses.
Word Origin
Sino-Korean
Original meaning: Funds for learning
Cultural Context
Financial stress is a sensitive topic.
Similar to 'tuition' or 'student loan'.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
At a bank
- 학자금 대출 상담하러 왔습니다.
Conversation Starters
"학자금 마련은 어떻게 하고 있나요?"
"학자금 대출에 대해 어떻게 생각하세요?"
"학자금 지원 정책이 충분한가요?"
"학자금 부담이 큰가요?"
"학자금을 저축해 본 적 있나요?"
Journal Prompts
My plan for my 학자금.
The importance of financial education.
How I manage my school expenses.
My thoughts on student loans.
Frequently Asked Questions
8 questionsIt covers tuition and related educational costs.
Test Yourself
나는 ___이 필요하다.
학자금 is the word for school money.
What is 학자금?
It refers to educational funds.
학자금 is used to buy groceries.
It is specifically for school expenses.
Word
Meaning
Vocabulary matching.
Subject-Object-Verb order.
Score: /5
Summary
학자금 is the specific term for the funds required to cover your educational journey.
- Means money for education.
- Commonly used with loans.
- Formal, professional tone.
- Essential for student life.
Break it down
HAK (study) + JAGUM (money).
Use in banking
Always use it with '대출' (loan).
Cultural focus
Education is highly valued in Korea.
Verb pairing
Use with '마련하다' or '지원하다'.
Related Content
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입체적
B2Having a three-dimensional effect or examining something from multiple perspectives rather than a single flat view. It implies a comprehensive and detailed analysis.
~에 관해
B1About, concerning.
~에 대하여
A2Concerning or regarding a particular subject; about.
~대해
A2About; concerning; regarding.
~에 관하여
A2Regarding, concerning, about (a topic).
~에 대해(서)
A1Indicates the topic or subject of discussion, meaning 'about' or 'regarding'.
무엇보다
A2More than anything else; above all.
결석생
A2A student who is absent from class.
추상
A2Abstraction; the quality of dealing with ideas rather than events.
추상화하다
B2To consider something theoretically or separately from its physical reality. It involves extracting general principles from specific examples.
