10.1 Workplace Vocabulary, Synonyms, Antonyms, and Associative Words

10.1 Workplace Vocabulary, Synonyms, Antonyms, and Associative Words

Exam Skill: The 20-question Reading section lasts 25 minutes. Official categories include object and situation description plus vocabulary and grammar in context; HRD Korea does not promise that synonym, antonym, or category items occupy fixed item numbers. Learn the prompt language and solve short lexical items efficiently so more time remains for dense notices and passages.

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1. Flexible Pacing for Short Vocabulary Items

The 25-minute Reading section averages 75 seconds per question, but item complexity varies. Solve a short noun, synonym, antonym, or category item promptly and preserve time for passages, forms, and notices. Do not force a fixed four-minute block if the actual administration arranges categories differently.

The Lexical Processing Rule:

• Section scoring: Reading is worth 50 points across 20 questions. The official overview does not establish a universal five-points-per-item rule, so focus on answering every displayed item rather than assigning your own weights.
• Direct Association over Exhaustive Translation: Isolate the target word, recognize its semantic root and context, and retrieve the paired synonym, antonym, or category without translating every word.

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2. Workplace Synonyms (유의어: 의미가 비슷한 말)

Synonym items present a sentence with an underlined word or phrase and ask: 다음 밑줄 친 부분과 의미가 비슷한 것을 고르십시오 (Choose the one that is similar in meaning to the underlined part). The test developers frequently contrast native Korean verbs used in daily conversation with Sino-Korean verbs commonly printed on workplace signs, manuals, and formal contracts.

core Workplace Synonym Pairs

Authentic Question Demonstration (Synonym):

문항 예시: 다음 밑줄 친 부분과 의미가 비슷한 것을 고르십시오.

작업 중에 프레스 기계가 갑자기 멈췄습니다. 그래서 반장님이 기계를 <ins>수리했습니다</ins>.

① 청소했습니다 ② 고쳤습니다 ③ 버렸습니다 ④ 운전했습니다

Strategic Analysis: The underlined verb is 수리했습니다 (past tense of 수리하다, meaning to repair). The candidate scans the choices for its native Korean synonym: 고치다 (past tense 고쳤습니다). Choice ① means cleaned (청소하다), Choice ③ means threw away (버리다), and Choice ④ means operated/drove (운전하다). The correct selection is ②.

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3. Workplace Antonyms (반의어: 반대되는 말)

Antonym questions carry the prompt: 다음 밑줄 친 부분과 반대되는 것을 고르십시오 (Choose the one that has the opposite meaning to the underlined part). These questions test an examinee's operational clarity regarding factory safety states, machinery operation, shift scheduling, and physical adjectives.

core Workplace Antonym Pairs

Authentic Question Demonstration (Antonym):

문항 예시: 다음 밑줄 친 부분과 반대되는 것을 고르십시오.

공장 안에서 안전모와 안전화를 착용하면 사고가 나도 <ins>안전합니다</ins>.

① 편리합니다 ② 깨끗합니다 ③ 위험합니다 ④ 조용합니다

Strategic Analysis: The underlined adjective is 안전합니다 (safe). The opposite of safe in industrial health and safety is dangerous (위험하다 -> 위험합니다). Choice ① means convenient (편리하다), Choice ② means clean (깨끗하다), and Choice ④ means quiet (조용하다). The correct choice is ③.

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4. Associative Words & Category Deduction (관계있는 단어)

Associative items assess vocabulary categorization under the prompt: 다음 단어와 관계있는 것은 무엇입니까? (What is related to the following words?). The stimulus displays a box with three to four related items, and the choices provide broader category names (hypernyms) or a common verb/classifier shared by all items.

High-Yield Thematic Associative Sets

   [Stimulus Nouns]                             [Associated Hypernym]
   벼, 보리, 밀, 콩             ───>           곡식 (Grains) / 농업 (Agriculture)
   망치, 톱, 드라이버, 스패너     ───>           공구 (Tools) / 작업 도구 (Work Implements)
   안전모, 보안경, 안전화, 귀마개 ───>           보호구 (Protective Gear) / 안전 장비
   월급, 기본급, 잔업 수당, 보너스 ───>           임금 (Wages) / 급여 (Payroll)
   배추, 무, 고추, 오이         ───>           채소 (Vegetables) / 농작물 (Crops)
   그물, 통발, 낚싯바늘, 집어등   ───>           어구 (Fishing Tackle) / 어업 (Fisheries)
   돼지, 소, 닭, 오리           ───>           가축 (Livestock) / 축산업 (Animal Husbandry)
   붕대, 반창고, 소독약, 연고     ───>           구급약품 (First Aid Supplies) / 치료

Detailed Association Category Matrix

Authentic Question Demonstration (Associative Item):

문항 예시: 다음 단어와 관계있는 것은 무엇입니까?

[ 안전모,  보안경,  안전화,  귀마개 ]

① 공구 ② 가구 ③ 보호구 ④ 농기구

Strategic Analysis: The stimulus lists 안전모 (hard hat), 보안경 (safety goggles), 안전화 (safety boots), and 귀마개 (earplugs). These are all personal protective equipment (보호구). Choice ① is tools (공구), Choice ② is furniture (가구), and Choice ④ is farming implements (농기구). The correct answer is ③.

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5. Context Deduction Strategies for Unfamiliar Words

When examinees encounter an unfamiliar word in short vocabulary items, panicking or pausing for more than one minute results in incomplete tests. The following three analytical deduction methods allow candidates to isolate the correct answer using morphological and syntactical clues:

1. Sino-Korean Root Decomposition (한자어 어근 분석)

Many technical terms in Korean industry share common Sino-Korean character morphemes:

• 수 (修 - mend/repair): 수리 (repair machinery), 수선 (repair clothes/shoes), 보수 (maintain/patch up).
• 전 (電 - electricity): 전선 (electric wire), 전화 (telephone), 전등 (electric lamp), 전자 (electronics), 감전 (electric shock).
• 식 (食 - food/eat): 식사 (meal), 식당 (cafeteria), 식기 (tableware), 조식 (breakfast), 중식 (lunch), 석식 (dinner).
• 안 (安 - safety/peace): 안전 (safety), 안심 (peace of mind), 안정 (stability), 불안 (anxiety/insecurity).

2. Syntactic Object-Verb Collocations (목적어-동사 호응 관계)

In Korean, specific industrial nouns exclusively pair with particular vocational verbs. Identifying the direct object marked by 을/를 reveals the required verb even if the stem is unfamiliar:

• 못을 / 나사못을 + 박다 (to drive a nail) / 조이다 (to tighten a screw) / 풀다 (to loosen a screw).
• 기계를 + 작동하다 (to operate) / 점검하다 (to inspect) / 수리하다 (to repair).
• 불을 / 전원을 + 켜다 (to turn on) / 끄다 (to turn off) / 차단하다 (to cut off/disconnect).
• 신청서를 / 서류를 + 작성하다 (to fill out) / 제출하다 (to submit).

3. Binary Polar Elimination (양극 대립 소거법)

When asked for an antonym or synonym, test options often include two opposite poles and two completely unrelated words. If two choices form an antonymous pair themselves (e.g., 늘다 [increase] vs 줄다 [decrease]), one of those two is almost certainly the correct target.