How do you say "first" in Korean?

첫째

cheotjjae

Noun Hangul

In Korean, "first" is 첫째 (cheotjjae).

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Pronunciation

This one reads as “cheotjjae”; native speakers clip the ending short, so avoid stretching the final syllable.

Writing and usage

첫째 is written using hangul. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

그녀는 경주에서 1위를 차지했다.

geunyeoneun gyeongjueseo 1wireul chajihaetda.

She won first place in the race.

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How to remember 첫째

Say “cheotjjae” a few times fast — it starts to sound like breaking the tape in first place, which is exactly the hook to hang it on.

Related words

Browse all Korean words in the glossary.

Questions about 첫째

How do you pronounce 첫째?

This one reads as “cheotjjae”; native speakers clip the ending short, so avoid stretching the final syllable.

Is 첫째 formal or casual?

첫째 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 첫째 written in Korean?

첫째 is written using hangul. Romanised, it reads as cheotjjae.

Where can I practice Korean words for free?

You can play free Korean minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Korean glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"First" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Korean language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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