How do you say "referee" in Korean?

심판

simpan

Noun Hangul

In Korean, "referee" is 심판 (simpan).

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

Pronounce it as “simpan”, letting the first syllable carry slightly more weight before the rest trails off smoothly.

Writing and usage

심판 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

심판이 휘슬을 불었다.

simpani hwiseureul bureotda.

The referee blew the whistle.

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How to remember 심판

Turn “simpan” into a short story: a whistle blown mid-game. Replay that mini-story and the word comes back on its own.

Related words

Browse all Korean words in the glossary.

Questions about 심판

How do you pronounce 심판?

Pronounce it as “simpan”, letting the first syllable carry slightly more weight before the rest trails off smoothly.

Is 심판 formal or casual?

심판 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 심판 written in Korean?

심판 is written using hangul. Romanised, it reads as simpan.

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.

"Referee" 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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