hagwon

/ˈhɑːɡwʌn/

noun

  1. A private, for-profit cram school in South Korea where students study after regular school hours, usually to improve grades, prepare for exams, or learn subjects such as English, math, music or art.

    B2

    countableKorean loanword

    • "After school, she goes to a hagwon to study math until nine o'clock."B1
    • "Many South Korean parents spend a large part of their income on hagwon tuition to give their children an edge in the competitive university entrance system."C1

  2. A private language school, especially one in South Korea where foreigners are hired to teach English.

    C1

    countableinformal

    • "He moved to Seoul to teach English at a hagwon for a year."B2

Common mistakes

  • I go to hagwon after school every day.→I go to a hagwon after school every day.

    'Hagwon' is a countable noun, so it normally needs an article (a/the) or a plural form, unlike 'school' in 'go to school'.

  • hagwon academy→hagwon

    Hagwon already means a private cram school; adding 'academy' is redundant.

Collocations

hagwon teacherteach at a hagwonattend a hagwonhagwon ownerEnglish hagwonhagwon tuitionhagwon curfewhagwon fees

Word family

hagwonshakwonhagwon ownerhagwon student