노트북 (noteubuk)
"Laptop" in Korean — from English "notebook." The everyday word for laptop computers, NOT for paper notebooks.
- Meaning: "Laptop" in Korean — from English "notebook." The everyday word for laptop computers, NOT for paper notebooks.
- Pronunciation: /no.tʰɯ.puk̚/ (noteubuk)
- Part of speech: noun
- Formality: Neutral — works in most everyday settings.
- Literal: notebook
What does 노트북 mean?
Noteubuk (노트북) means "laptop computer" in Korean — borrowed from English "notebook," but with a narrower meaning. In Korean it refers ONLY to a laptop, never to a paper notebook (that is 공책, gongchaek). It is the standard everyday word for laptops.
노트북 (noteubuk) means "laptop computer" in Korean — borrowed from the English word "notebook." This is a classic Konglish gotcha: in English, a "notebook" is paper; in Korean, 노트북 is exclusively the portable computer. If you mean a paper notebook, you say 공책 (gongchaek) or 노트 (note, without the 북). 노트북 is the standard everyday term — Korean tech ads, news, K-dramas, and conversations all use it. Younger speakers may also say 랩탑 (raeptap, "laptop"), but 노트북 is far more common.
Examples in context
Everyday use / carrying
Buying / specs
Cafe / study culture
카공 (kagong) = studying at a cafe; hugely common in Korea.
Problems / accessories
노트북in K-pop & K-drama
The false-friend trap
노트북 is the classic Konglish trap for English speakers: it looks like "notebook" but means laptop. Asking a Korean stationery shop for a 노트북 will get you blank looks — you actually want a 공책 or a 노트.
카공족 — cafe-study culture
Korea’s dense cafe culture spawned the 카공족 ("cafe-study tribe") who camp at cafes with a 노트북 for hours; cafes advertise outlets and Wi-Fi, and dedicated 스터디 카페 (study cafes) are built around laptop work.
Korean laptop pride
Korea makes some of the world’s best-known 노트북 — Samsung’s 갤럭시 북 and LG’s featherweight 그램 (gram) line — so the word also carries a quiet note of domestic-tech pride in everyday talk.
When to use 노트북
- Tech-product conversations — buying, recommending, troubleshooting
- Cafe-work and study-cafe contexts (extremely common in Korea)
- Office and school discussions of devices
- Online shopping and product reviews
When NOT to use 노트북
- When you mean a paper notebook — that is 공책 (gongchaek) or 노트 (note)
- Formal IT documentation — 휴대용 컴퓨터 ("portable computer") or 노트북 컴퓨터 may appear
- Distinguishing tablets from laptops — say 태블릿 (taebeullit) for tablet specifically
노트북 vs. similar terms
False-friend alert — ‘notebook’ words in Korean
| Korean word | Actually means | The paper kind? |
|---|---|---|
| 노트북 (noteubuk) | laptop computer | NO — never paper |
| 공책 (gongchaek) | paper notebook (school) | YES — the paper kind |
| 노트 (note) | paper notebook (everyday) / a note | YES — the paper kind |
| 랩탑 (raeptap) | laptop (direct loan of "laptop") | NO — same as 노트북 |
Related terms
More in Konglish & loanwords
Everyday Korean words coined from English roots — daily-life vocab that surprises learners.
"Cell phone" in Korean — Konglish "hand phone." The everyday word Koreans actually use, more common than the textbook term 휴대폰.
"Selfie" in Korean — short for 셀프카메라 ("self camera"). The default word for self-portrait photos.
"Iced americano" — Korea's most-consumed coffee drink, the cultural-meme staple even Koreans drink in the dead of winter.
"Mental breakdown" — Korean slang for being completely overwhelmed, frozen, or short-circuiting from shock.
Frequently asked questions
What does 노트북 mean in Korean?
노트북 (noteubuk) means "laptop computer" in Korean. The word is borrowed from English "notebook" but the meaning is narrower — in Korean, 노트북 refers ONLY to a laptop, never to a paper notebook. For a paper notebook, Koreans say 공책 (gongchaek) or just 노트 (note).
Why does 노트북 mean laptop, not notebook?
Korean borrowed the word from "notebook computer," a marketing term used by laptop makers in the 1990s. Korean kept the "notebook" portion and dropped "computer," and the meaning narrowed: 노트북 = laptop, exclusively. This is a classic Konglish gotcha — the borrowed word means something narrower or different from English.
What is the Korean word for paper notebook?
A paper notebook is 공책 (gongchaek, "empty book") or 노트 (note, without the 북). 공책 is the formal/childhood term — what students call school notebooks. 노트 is the everyday adult term. Both are completely separate from 노트북, which is always the laptop.
How is 노트북 pronounced?
노트북 is pronounced [no.tʰɯ.puk̚] — "no-tü-book," three syllables. The "노" rhymes with English "no"; "트" is a quick aspirated "tü"; "북" rhymes with "book" but ends in an unreleased -k stop. Romanization: noteubuk (Revised). Many English speakers spell it phonetically as "noh-tuh-book."
Does 노트북 mean a notebook?
No — and this trips up English speakers constantly. In Korean, 노트북 means a laptop computer, only. A paper notebook is 공책 (gongchaek) or 노트 (note). So "I wrote in my 노트북" would mean you typed on a laptop, not scribbled on paper.
What is the difference between 노트북 and 랩탑?
They mean the same thing — a laptop. 노트북 (from "notebook computer") is by far the more common everyday word, while 랩탑 (raeptap, a direct loan of "laptop") is understood but used much less. Koreans overwhelmingly say 노트북.
Further reading
External references for cross-checking the information on this page.
- Konglish — Wikipedia
How Korean borrowed "notebook" with a narrower meaning (laptop only).
- Laptop — Wikipedia
The device 노트북 refers to in Korean.
More Korean slang?
Browse the full Korean Slang Dictionary or read the deep-dive: Korean Slang Ultimate Guide.