EPS-TOPIK workplace vocabulary: 60 Korean words to learn first
By Saurabh Thakulla · Published
EPS-TOPIK doesn’t test literature or politics. It tests the Korean you need to live and work in Korea: reading signs, understanding instructions, talking about your health and your workplace. That makes the vocabulary predictable. Here are 60 words to learn first, grouped by topic.
Safety signs and notices
These appear often in reading questions with pictures of signs.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 위험 | danger |
| 주의 | caution |
| 금연 | no smoking |
| 출입금지 | no entry |
| 비상구 | emergency exit |
| 소화기 | fire extinguisher |
| 안전모 | safety helmet |
| 안전화 | safety shoes |
| 장갑 | gloves |
| 마스크 | mask |
| 입구 | entrance |
| 출구 | exit |
Tools and the workplace
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 공장 | factory |
| 기계 | machine |
| 망치 | hammer |
| 드라이버 | screwdriver |
| 사다리 | ladder |
| 상자 | box |
| 창고 | warehouse |
| 작업 | work, task |
| 회의 | meeting |
| 사장님 | boss, owner |
| 동료 | colleague |
| 기숙사 | dormitory |
The body and health
Questions often describe an injury or illness and ask where to go or what to do.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 머리 | head |
| 손 | hand |
| 팔 | arm |
| 다리 | leg |
| 허리 | lower back, waist |
| 눈 | eye |
| 아프다 | to hurt, to be sick |
| 다치다 | to get hurt |
| 병원 | hospital |
| 약국 | pharmacy |
| 약 | medicine |
| 열 | fever |
Instructions you’ll hear at work
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 조심하세요 | be careful |
| 기다리세요 | please wait |
| 도와주세요 | please help |
| 시작하세요 | please start |
| 멈추세요 | please stop |
| 옮기다 | to move (something) |
| 들다 | to lift, to carry |
| 청소하다 | to clean |
| 정리하다 | to tidy up |
| 확인하다 | to check |
| 끝나다 | to finish, to end |
| 쉬다 | to rest |
Daily life, time and money
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 월급 | monthly salary |
| 휴가 | leave, holiday |
| 은행 | bank |
| 통장 | bank book, account |
| 오전 | morning (a.m.) |
| 오후 | afternoon (p.m.) |
| 출근 | going to work |
| 퇴근 | leaving work |
| 시장 | market |
| 버스 정류장 | bus stop |
| 지하철 | subway |
| 음식 | food |
How to make the words stick
- Learn 10 words a day, not 60 at once. Six days covers this whole list.
- Say every word aloud, ideally while hearing a native recording. EPS-TOPIK has a listening section, so you need to recognise words by sound, not just on paper.
- Use spaced review. Review new words the next day, three days later and a week later.
- Make example sentences. 허리가 아파요 (my back hurts) sticks better than 허리 alone.
- Picture the workplace. Imagine walking through a factory and naming what you see in Korean.
Watch out for similar words
- 입구 / 출구: entrance and exit. 입 means enter, 출 means go out. The same pair appears in 출근 (go to work) and 퇴근 (leave work).
- 오전 / 오후: morning and afternoon. On notices and schedules, these tell you whether a time is a.m. or p.m.
Next steps
Once these words feel easy, move to the vocabulary for your specific industry, such as manufacturing, agriculture or construction, using the official EPS-TOPIK textbook from HRD Korea. Read our EPS-TOPIK self-study guide for a full plan.
Prepyo’s Learn Korean course teaches words like these with audio and spaced review, and the EPS-TOPIK practice section has reading and listening questions in the real test format.
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