국어순화 03 10 PDF

NIKL | 2010 - 04 - 01
GPRN | 11 - 1371028 - 000191 - 01
1 Hangugeo , the Language of Koreans

2 Sounds Everything You Wanted to Know about
3 Grammar
Wanted to Know about

Everything You
4 Word Order
5 Three Types of Words
6 Rich and Nuanced Expressions
7 Hangeul , The Written Alphabet
8 Literacy in Life – Yesterday and Today
9 Traces through History
10 Korean Dialects
11 Division of the Korean Language
12 Polite Korean Language
13 When Addressing Others
14 Promises for Communication
15 The Korean Language in the World
16 Future of the Korean Language
| Appendix | Websites for Hangeul and the Korean Language

NIKL | 2010 - 04 - 01
GPRN | 11 - 1371028 - 000191 - 01

2 Sounds Everything You Wanted to Know about
3 Grammar
Wanted to Know about

Everything You
4 Word Order
10 Korean Dialects
| Appendix | Websites for Hangeul and the Korean Language

Everything You Wanted to Know about
Everything You Wanted to Know about
Director Jung Heewon (The National Institute of the Korean Language)

Writer Park Dong - geun (Konkuk University)
Translator Kim Jongho (Seoul National University)
Colin Mouat(Seoul Selection)
Illustrator Kim Hyang - hee
Design design Vita
Editor Alex Kim (Glory)
Date of Publication July 10, 2010
Publisher Kwon Jae - il
Published by The National Institute of the Korean Language (www.korean.go.kr)

Copyright (c) 2010, The National Institute of the Korean Language
148, Geumnanghwa - gil, Gangseo - gu, Seoul 157-857, Korea
NIKL 2010 - 04 - 01
GPRN 11 - 1371028 - 000191 - 01
| Preface |
How many languages are there in the world? Scholars say that there are foreign readers who wish to learn about the Korean language. As indicated
between roughly 3,000 and 7,000 languages on the planet, though these by its title, Everything You Wanted to Know About the Korean Language, this
figures vary depending on the criteria used in counting them. Among book provides a comprehensive guide to the Korean language, including
these world languages, Korean is used by approximately 77 million people, information regarding who uses the language as well as an overview of its
making it the thirteenth most commonly spoken language in the world. systems of sound, grammar, and vocabulary. It also delves into the language’s
In addition, the Korean language is ranked the tenth most frequently used background, including an exploration of its invention and the fundamental
language on the Internet. In light of the number of its speakers, as well as its principles of Hangeul. In addition, it aims to help readers better understand
use as an international language for communication, the Korean language the distinctive characteristics of the Korean language by presenting
shares a global status similar to that of French or Italian. information on its regional dialects and the extensiveness of its honorific
The steadily increasing number of foreign learners of the Korean language system.
in recent years further illustrates its elevated status in the world. Foreigners’ The National Institute of the Korean Language has tried to present this
interest in and enthusiasm for learning the Korean language have greatly material in a format that is accessible to ordinary readers, while also seeking
increased thanks both to Korea’s economic growth and to the spread of to include research-based content where appropriate. As explained above,
Korean popular culture. one of our primary motivations in creating this book was the fact that
However, there are still many people who do not know much about the previous publications often contained misleading information or content
Korean language. In fact, even some native speakers of the language are that was simply too complex for the average reader to understand. We hope
unaware of its distinctive characteristics as compared to other languages. that many people will read this book, which has been designed to convey
Indeed, it is still difficult for many people to obtain accessible instructional accurate knowledge and information about the Korean language, and that,
and reference materials concerning the Korean language. Some have pointed as a result, our readers will come to have a well informed and enthusiastic
out that the material written by professional researchers is too complex appreciation of its unique features.
for the average reader to understand, and that, conversely, the content of
July 2010
guidebooks is too simple to satisfy readers’ needs.
Kwon Jae-il
Therefore, the National Institute of the Korean Language has designed Director General
of the National Institute of the Korean Language
a book that it hopes will serve as a complete guide for both Korean and
Table of Contents

9
2 Sounds
15
3 Grammar
21
4 Word Order
27
33
41
49
55
61
10 Korean Dialects
69
77
87
95
103
111
119
| Appendix | Websites for Hangeul and the Korean Language 127

ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅅ ㅇ ㅈ ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ ㅎ
1
Hangugeo , the Language of
Koreans
Hangugeo , the Official Language of the Republic of Korea

Hangugeo(the Korean language), the official language of the Republic
of Korea, refers to the language used by those who dwell on
both the Korean Peninsula and its associated islands, including
Jeju. Since the 19th century, immigrants and travelers have left
the peninsula for China(in particular, Yanbian Korean Autonomous
Prefecture), Japan, Russia(the Maritime Province and Sakhalin),
Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, the USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and
other countries as the political and social situation between Korea
and its neighboring countries has changed.
At the global scale, it is mainly Korean immigrants and their
offspring who use Korean as their mother tongue. While the
Korean language is used outside Korea by these people, the only
9
What language
do the Koreans
Korean, but also use other local languages such as Chinese, Japanese, or
speak?
of course!
English as their first language while living abroad. The majority
of these people are Korean immigrants and their children. The
third group learns Korean as a foreign language. This population,
which consists mostly of non-native speakers who are interested in
Korean culture and wish to learn the language, has been increasing
due to the country’s recent economic and cultural advancements.
two countries that use Korean as their official language are the
Republic of Korea(South Korea) and the Democratic People’s How Many People Speak Korean?
Republic of Korea(North Korea). Estimates of the number of languages spoken on Earth can vary
Korea has been undergoing a rapid transformation into a depending on how we draw the conceptual border between
multicultural society, with an increasing population of immigrants language and dialect; it could be argued that there are anywhere
recently due to international marriages and immigrant labor. Yet
Korea is a single-language society where an absolute majority of
people still speak Korean as their mother tongue.
Who Uses Korean?

There are three major groups of people who use the Korean
language. The first group speaks it as an official first language;
citizens of South and North Korea belong to this group. The
second group uses it as a second language. People who belong
to this group speak Korean at home or in their communities,
» World Language Ranking by Numbers of Native Speakers
10 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Hangugeo, the Language of Koreans 11
» Distribution of Korean
Speakers Outside of Korea
between 3,000 and 7,000 languages on the planet. According to somewhat depending on the source.
2008 reports, the population of South Korea was 48,607,000 while Additionally, the Korean Language was ranked the 10th most
that of North Korea was 23,298,000. Together, they are home to a frequently used language on the Internet in 2009. Both Korean
total of 71,905,000 people. That population is said to increase to and Portuguese were selected as international official languages
approximately 77 million if one adds in the Korean immigrants in the Patent Cooperation Treaty(PCT) during the 43rd World
and their children who live in China, the USA, Japan, Russia(the Intellectual Property Organization(WIPO) Congress in 2007.
former Soviet Union), Canada, Australia, Central and South America, Following that selection, the Korean language’s stature as an
and Europe, among other regions. The population of Korean- international language increased as people were now able both to
speaking people ranks 13th in the world, similar to the Italian- and apply for international patents and to read an international patent’s
French-speaking populations, though population statistics vary content in Korean.
12 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Hangugeo, the Language of Koreans 13
There is not much difference between the populations of those

who speak Korean as a mother tongue and those who speak it as
an official language. A small number of people exclusively use the
language outside of Korea, and most Korean speakers live in the
2
homeland, where relatively few other languages are utilized.
The number of Korean speakers is similar to that of French Sounds
speakers. However, the Korean Peninsula is the only place that has
adopted the Korean language as an official language at the country
level, while French is used in different countries such as Canada,
Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco.
Korea is the rare example of an entire country comprising a
single language community. Therefore, the Korean language holds What Does Korean Sound Like?
special historical, social, cultural, and emotional meanings for the Many Korean people feel that French sounds delicate, while
Korean people. In this respect, the Korean language not only is German sounds somewhat harsh and dry. So what does Korean
an important signifier distinguishing sound like to a foreign person? Some say that it sounds a bit stiff
Koreans from other nations and ethnic or unfriendly, and others say that it sounds dynamic, though the
groups, but also plays a significant role descriptions vary greatly depending upon who is asked and what
in binding the people together to form Korea,
their native language happens to be.
a community at home and abroad. I love you! I love the Korean
language!
Many Koreans regard the Korean
language not merely as a means of Vowels of Korean
communication, but as something that The Korean language includes 10 monophthongs(single vowel
needs to be preserved and developed sounds); among these, young people today tend to be unable to
with a sense of affection. distinguish ‘ㅔ[e]’ and ‘ㅐ[æ].’ In addition, they often pronounce
14 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language 15

that three consonants form sets in this way.
In contrast, Koreans have difficulty distinguishing voiceless
sounds from voiced sounds in English, such as [p] vs. [b], [t] vs.
[d], and [f] vs. [v]. When Korean people pronounce the word ‘바
보[pabo],’ the initial ㅂ is pronounced [p], and the second ㅂ is
pronounced [b]. However, they do not consciously distinguish
» Single Vowel Sounds of Korean between the two. They also pronounce the ㄹ[ɾ] in 보리[poɾi] and
the ㄹ[l] in 달[tal] differently, while they are unable to distinguish
‘위’ and ‘외’ either like the French [y] and the German [ø], between the two ㄹ sounds.
respectively, or as the diphthongs [wi] and [we].
불, 풀, 뿔! 풀, 풀, 풀!
[pul, phul, p’ul] [phul, phul, phul]
Consonants of Korean
In many cases, non-native speakers of Korean can barely
distinguish 불[pul], 풀[phul], and 뿔[p’ul], the words meaning “fire,”
“grass,” and “horn,” respectively, when they first learn the language.
If a native Korean speaker says “불, 풀, 뿔”([pul, phul, p’ul]), most
English speakers will repeat it as “풀, 풀, 풀”([phul, phul, phul]). Native
Korean speakers can immediately tell the difference among the
initial ㅂ, ㅍ, and ㅃ sounds ([p, ph, p’]), while it would not be easy
for English speakers to do so. The same situation applies to ㄷ, ㅌ, How to Combine Vowels with Consonants
and ㄸ([t, th, t’]) or ㅈ, ㅊ, and ㅉ([ʧ, ʧh, ʧ’]). These consonants Consonants are placed both in front of and after vowels in Korean.
correspond, respectively, to the categories of “lenis,” “aspirated,” There can only be one initial consonant in contemporary Korean
and “fortis,” and one of the characteristics of Korean consonants is words. That is, a single initial consonant such as ‘ㄴ[n],’ ‘ㅅ[s],’ or
16 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Sounds 17

밀크[milkhɨ]! Prosody of Korean
Milk! (two syllables)
(one syllable)
In many languages, the meaning of a word can change depending
on its pitch. This also applied to the Korean language in the past,
but today pitch differentiation is absent except in certain dialects.
At the same time, quite a few words in the contemporary
standard Korean language differ in meaning according to the
length of a vowel. For example, ‘눈[nun],’ when pronounced with a
short vowel sound, means eye, whereas ‘눈[nu:n]’ with a long vowel
‘ㅈ[ʧ],’ can occur in a Korean word – ‘나[na],’ ‘소[so],’ ‘자[ʧa]’ sound means snow. Also, ‘말[mal]’ means horse, and ‘말[ma:l]’
– but two or more initial consonants cannot be placed together. means language. However, another trend among young people is
Two initial consonants, such as the st in stop, or three, such as the not to distinguish between the lengths of vowel sounds.
spr in spring, are possible in English. However, Koreans adjust
and pronounce these words as ‘스톱[sɨthop]’ and ‘스프링[sɨphɨɾiŋ]’
by adding the vowel ‘ㅡ[ɨ]’ between each consonant in order to Consonants That Are Not Allowed in the Initial Position
conform to the rule of having no more than one initial consonant Two phonological characteristics of the Korean language are the
in a single syllable of a Korean word. “initial law” and “vowel harmony.” The initial law is defined as
The number of final consonants in a syllable cannot exceed one, a phenomenon whereby the initial consonant loses its original
either. Even though some words, such as ‘흙[hɨk]’ and ‘값[gap],’ are sound so that it is either pronounced as a different sound or simply
spelled as if they have two final consonants, these consonants are omitted. Because of
pronounced as a single sound: ‘흑[hɨk]’ and ‘갑[gap].’ Because of 로인(老人, the elderly ) → 노인(ㄹ initial law) this rule, it is hard to
[ɾoin] [noin]
this, an English word with two final consonants, such as milk, is find native Korean
리발(理髮, haircut ) → 이발(ㄹ initial law)
written as ‘밀크[milk ɨ]’ so that it suits the Korean structure, and is
h
[ɾibal] [ibal] words that begin
pronounced with an additional ‘ㅡ[ɨ]’ sound at the end. 녀자(女子, woman ) → 여자(ㄴ initial law) with an initial ‘ㄹ[ɾ]’
[nj∧ʤa] [j∧ʤa]
sound, or with an
18 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Sounds 19

initial ‘ㄴ[n]’ sound in front of some vowels. In some Sino-Korean

vocabulary, initial ㄹ and ㄴ have changed to ‘ㄴ[n]’ and ‘ㅇ[-],’
respectively.
However, this initial law does not affect loanwords from the
3
West such as ‘라디오[ɾadio]’(radio), ‘레이저[ɾeiʤ∧]’(laser), or ‘뉴스
[njusɨ]’(news). Grammar
Harmonious and Inharmonious Vowels

As can be seen below, there is a phenomenon in which, to the
Korean ear, vowel sounds such as ‘ㅏ[a]’ and ‘ㅗ[o]’ go well with
other ‘ㅏ’ and ‘ㅗ’ sounds, whereas ‘ㅓ[∧]’ and ‘ㅜ[u]’ sounds go What Does the Ending of a Predicate Do?
well with other ‘ㅓ’ and ‘ㅜ’ sounds. We call this “vowel harmony,” How do we distinguish declarative sentences from interrogatives in
and it appears mainly in the stem or endings of verbs, as well as in Korean? How do we express past, present, and future tenses?
onomatopoeia and mimetic words. In English, word order plays an important role both in
making declarative, interrogative, or imperative sentences and in
ㅏ-ㅏ ㅓ-ㅓ ㅗ-ㅗ ㅜ-ㅜ
[a] [a] [∧] [∧] [o] [o] [u] [u] converting declarative sentences into passive form.
깎-아 꺾-어 노릇 - 노릇 누릇 - 누릇
[k’ak’ - a] [k’∧k’ -∧] [noɾɨn - noɾɨt] [nuɾɨn - nuɾɨt]
This is a book. Declarative form
파랗다 퍼렇다 보글 - 보글 부글 - 부글
[phaɾatha] [ph∧ɾ∧tha] [pogɨl-bogɨl] [pugɨl - bugɨl]
반짝 - 반짝 번쩍 - 번쩍 동실 - 동실 둥실 - 둥실 Is this a book? Interrogative form

[panʧ’ak - p’anʧ’ak] [p∧nʧ’∧k- p’∧nʧ’∧k] [toŋʃil - doŋʃil] [tuŋʃil - duŋʃil]
As indicated above, the order of this and is is switched to convert

a declarative sentence into an interrogative. Korean sentences, in

contrast, are dependent upon predicate endings, regardless of word 나리 - 가 책-을 읽는다. Nari reads a book.
[naɾi - ga] [ʧhæk - ɨl] [iŋnɨnda]
order. subject object
수미는 학교에 간다. Sumi goes to school. Declarative form 민수 - 만 부산 - 까지 갔다. Only Minsu went to Busan.
[Sumi - nɨn hakk’jo - e kanda] [minsu - man] [pusan - k’aʤi
k’aʤi] [katt’a]
limit of subject destination
수미는 학교에 갈까? Does Sumi go to school? Interrogative form
[Sumi - nɨn hakk’jo - e kalk’a]
In the above example, ‘가[ga]’ indicates that ‘나리[naɾi]’ is the
수미야, 학교에 가자. Let’s go to school, Sumi. Suggestive form subject, and ‘을[ɨl]’ indicates that ‘책[ʧhæk]’ is the object of the
[Sumi - ja hakk’jo - e kaʤa]
sentence. Use of the particle ‘만[man]’ expresses that only ‘민
수미야, 학교에 가라. Go to school, Sumi. Imperative form 수[minsu]’ arrived in Busan, and ‘까지[k’aʤi]’ indicates that the
[Sumi - ja hakk’jo - e kaɾa]
destination is Busan.
As seen in the above example, attaching the ending ‘-ㄴ다[-nda]’ to

the stem ‘가-[ka-]’ makes a declarative sentence, and attaching the Separation of Ending and Particle
ending ‘-ㄹ까[-lk’a]’ converts it into an interrogative form. Also, Postpositional particles and endings can be separated from
the ending ‘-자[-ʤa]’ turns it into suggestive form, and ‘-라[-ɾa]’ uninflected words and predicate stems in Korean. A single particle
makes it imperative. or suffix morpheme has one function in a sentence.
The pronoun they in English is a plural form of he/she; them is an
accusative form as well as a plural form of he/she; and their is both
What Does a Postpositional Particle Do? a possessive and a plural form of
Meanwhile, uninflected words (nouns, pronouns, and numerals) are he/she 그[kɨ] he/she. In this example, them and
they 그 - 들[kɨ - tɨl] their have two or more functions in
followed by postpositional particles to indicate their function in a
them 그 - 들 - 을[kɨ - tɨl - ɨl]
sentence or to provide them with additional meaning. meaning, but cannot be morpholo-
their 그 - 들 - 의[kɨ - tɨl - e]
gically separated. On the other
22 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Grammar 23

hand, the Korean words ‘그들을[kɨdɨɾɨl]’ and ‘그들의[kɨdɨɾe]’ can be Ending as a Bridge Between Sentences
morphologically separated into a pronoun ‘그[kɨ],’ a plural particle Korean uses connective endings when joining two sentences
‘들[tɨl],’ an accusative particle ‘을[ɨl],’ and a possessive particle ‘의 together, whereas English uses conjunctions like and or but.
[e].’
민호는 학교에 간다. Minho goes to school.

[minhonɨn hakk’joe kanda]
The Power of the Ending 수미는 집에 간다. Sumi goes home.

[suminɨn ʧibe kanda]
Stems of Korean verbs are combined with a variety of endings to
convey different grammatical information. → 민호는 학교에 가 - 고 수미는 집에 간다.
Minho goes to school, and Sumi goes home.
[minhonɨn hakk’joe ka - go suminɨn ʧibe kanda]
입 - 는다 [ip - nɨnda] declarative
입 - 으시 - 다 [ip - ɨʃi - da] honorific → 민호는 학교에 가 - 지만 수미는 집에 간다.
Minho goes to school, but Sumi goes home.
입-었-다 [ip - ∧t - t’a] past
[minhonɨn hakk’joe ka - ʧiman suminɨn ʧibe kanda]
입-겠-다 [ip - k’ e t - t’a] presumptive
입-더-라 [ip - t’∧ - a] retrospective
Different kinds of connective endings are used depending on the
The ending ‘-으시-[-ɨʃi-]’ performs a honorific function, while the semantic relationship between the two sentences in Korean. When
ending ‘-았/었-[-at/∧t-]’ is used to form the past tense. Likewise, the two sentences ‘민호는 학교에 간다[minhonɨn hakk’joe kanda]’
the ending ‘-겠-[-ket-]’ performs an presumptive function, and ‘- and ‘수미는 집에 간다[suminɨn ʧibe kanda]’ are connected with
더-[-t∧-]’ performs an retrospective function.
In addition, it is possible to attach several endings to the stem of go and 가 고
[ka + go]
a verb, as you can see below:
입[ip] - 으시[ɨʃi] - 었[∧t] - 겠[k’et] - 더[t’∧] - 라[ɾa]
stem honorific past presumptive retrospective declarative

It seemed that you/he/she(formal) had probably worn.
24 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Grammar 25

‘-고[-go],’ it means that the two clauses are presented in parallel

without any sense of contradiction between them, whereas the use
of ‘-지만[-ʧiman]’ indicates that the two clauses are in conflict.
4
Word Order
Miscellaneous Matters
Person, gender, and number for uninflected words(nouns, etc), as
seen in the West, are not used in the Korean language. Of course,
Koreans do perceive them in concept, but they are understood
mainly through the context of the conversation at hand.
Basic Word Order
In many languages around the world, a sentence consists of three
components: subject, object, and verb. However, the word order of
these three components varies among the languages.
The basic order of Korean words is “subject-object-verb,” or
“SOV.” As you can see in the following example, the verb is placed
Verb, in front
of object!
Verb at the end!

at the end of a sentence, which is clearly distinct from English or 다[saraŋhanda]’(to love). Likewise, ‘읽을 만한[ilgɨl manhan]’(worth
Chinese, where the verb immediately follows the subject. reading) in Korean is placed prior to the modified word ‘책[ʧhæk],’
but worth reading in English comes after the modified book.
나는 너를 사랑한다 Korean
[nanɨn n∧ɾɨl saɾaŋhanda]
Modifier?
Either before or after Modifier?
(S) (O) (V) the modified! Always in front of the
modified!
I love you English
(S) (V) (O)
我愛你 Chinese
(S) (V) (O)
Modifier in Front of the Modified

A modifier should be placed before the modified in Korean.
Particles after Uninflected Words

나는 너를 매우 사랑한다. I love you so much.
Postpositional particles in Korean, which convey a relationship
[nanɨn n∧ɾɨl mæu saɾaŋhanda]
between words, are placed after nouns, whereas corresponding
prepositions in English are placed in front of nouns.
이것은 읽을 만한 책이다. This is a book worth reading.
[ig∧sɨn ilgɨl manhan ʧhægida]

나는 학교 - 에 간다. I go to school
[nanɨn hakk’jo - e kanda]
In the above example, the modifier so much in English comes 우리는 방안 - 에 있다. We are in the room
[uɾinɨn paŋan - e itt’a]
after the modified verb love. However, the Korean modifier ‘매
우[mæu]’(somuch) is situated in front of the modified verb ‘사랑한
28 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Word Order 29
As you see in the above example, the prepositions to and in are 수미 - 에게 그림 - 을 내 - 가 보여 주었다. I showed Sumi a picture.
[sumi - ege kɨɾim - ɨl næ - ga poj∧ ʧu∧tt’a]
located in front of the noun, but the particle ‘-에[-e]’(in), which
indicates location, is placed after the noun. In this respect, the
particle in Korean can be considered a postposition, which The positions of ‘내가[næga]’(I), ‘수미에게[sumiege]’(to Sumi),
corresponds to a preposition in English. and ‘그림을[kɨɾimɨl]’(picture) differ in the above sentences, but the
basic meaning of all three sentences is identical. Since the particles
attached to uninflected words display the word’s case, the word
Word Order Can Be Changed ‘내가[næga]’ is always interpreted as a subject no matter where it
A change in word order brings about a change in meaning in moves in a sentence thanks to the nominative particle ‘가[ga].’
English sentences because the components of a sentence are
In English, you have to
determined by the relative position of each word. speak in a set word order! Word order?
In Korean it doesn’t
really matter!
John loves Mary.
Mary loves John.
On the other hand, word components move relatively freely

within a sentence in the Korean language. The basic word order
of Korean is SOV, but this rule is not necessarily observed in
conversation.
내 - 가 수미- 에게 그림 - 을 보여 주었다. I showed Sumi a picture.

[næ - ga sumi - ege kɨɾim - ɨl poj∧ ʧu∧tt’a]
Sentence Focus Comes First
수미- 에게 내 - 가 그림 - 을 보여 주었다. I showed Sumi a picture. Though word order is relatively free in the Korean language, this
[sumi - ege næ - ga kɨɾim - ɨl poj∧ ʧu∧tt’a]
does not mean that there is no word order. It is most natural to
30 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Word Order 31
speak in SOV order. Therefore, when the order changes there

can be subtle differences in meaning or nuance even if the basic
meaning is identical.
5
민호는 수미에게 인형을 주었다. Minho gave a doll to Sumi.
[minhonɨn sumiege inhj∧ŋɨl ʧu∧tt’a]
Three Types of Words
수미에게 민호는 인형을 주었다. Minho gave a doll to Sumi.
[sumiege minhonɨn inhj∧ŋɨl ʧu∧tt’a]
In Korean, words that constitute the focus are usually located at the
beginning of a sentence. The locations of ‘민호는[minhonɨn]’ and
‘수미에게[sumiege]’ in the above sentences are transposed. There is Indigenous Words
no change in the basic meaning of the sentence. However, the first It is rare for a language to consist only of indigenous vocabulary.
sentence focuses on ‘민호[minho],’ and the second one focuses on English has many words derived from German, French, Greek, and
‘수미[sumi].’ many other languages. The Korean vocabulary can be categorized
into indigenous words, Sino-Korean words, and loanwords from
other origins.
Indigenous words are the basis of the Korean language. They
have been used on the peninsula throughout recorded history.
Some examples are words for body parts like ‘손[son]’(hand), ‘발
[pal]’(foot), ‘눈[nun]’(eye), ‘코[kho]’(nose), ‘입[ip]’(mouth), and ‘얼굴
[∧lgul]’(face); and numerical words such as ‘하나[hana]’(one), ‘둘[tul]’
(two), and ‘셋[set]’(three). In addition, words indicating objects in
nature such as ‘하늘[hanɨl]’(sky), ‘땅[t’aŋ]’(earth), and ‘바다[pada]’

(sea) are mostly of native origin. of writing Sino-Korean words, are not of native Korean origin,
Indigenous
Word The basic phrases used for their pronunciation in Korea is based on their Korean reading.
Sino-Korean Loanword general communication are mostly For example, ‘漢字’ is pronounced [hanzi] in Chinese, but Koreans
Word
comprised of indigenous words. pronounce it as ‘한자[h:anʧ’a].’
In addition, words that perform
a grammatical function, such
as the postpositions and suffixes Sino-Korean Words from Japan
» Korean Vocabulary
necessary to build a sentence in Quite a few Sino-Korean words have come from Japan as well.
Korean, are all indigenous vocabulary. Japanese-style Sino-Korean words were first used in Korea during
Most indigenous words have many meanings as they are the Japanese colonial era at the beginning of 20th century.
frequently used in daily life. For instance, the native verb ‘보다 Japanese-style Sino-Korean words were mostly adopted in the
[poda]’ has more than 20 meanings, including toread, toinvestigate, process of translating new concepts from the modern West into
to meet, to count, to examine, and so forth, as well as the basic Japanese. Such words as ‘야구(野球) [yagu]’(baseball), ‘사진(寫眞)
meaning of to see or to recognize an object with the eyes.
Oh, I see!
The train and the word
Sino-Korean Words from China ‘기차[kiʧha]’ (train ) both
came from Japan.
Sino-Korean words have been added to the Korean vocabulary
from words originally written with Chinese characters. Quite a
lot of words came from China long before the Korean alphabet
Hangeul was invented. Sino-Korean words have entered Korea in
the form of written communication, whereas Western loanwords
have been learned orally in Korea.
Though the Chinese characters, which were used as a means
34 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Three Types of Words 35
금일(今日)은……
[kɨmiɾɨn]
[saʤin]’(photograph), and ‘기차(汽車)[kiʧ a]’(train) were rapidly
h
English vocabulary, but (Today ……)
absorbed into the Korean language through the promotion of these words are rarely used in
오늘은……
language suppression policy during the Japanese colonial era. ordinary conversation today. [onɨɾɨn]
(Today ……)
An effort to weed out Japanese-style Sino-Korean words started In summary, indigenous words
among some Koreans following independence from Japan, and this are at the center of general
movement has been carried on in some circles. communication, and Sino-
Korean words are not used
as much as is indicated by
Sino-Korean Words Created in Korea Korean dictionaries. If the
Some Sino-Korean words have also been created in Korea. ‘감기 Sino-Korean word and indigenous word have the same meaning,
(感氣)[kamgi]’(common cold), ‘백일장(白日場)[pægilʧ’aŋ]’(essay contest), the Sino-Korean word is typically used in formal settings, while the
and ‘편지(便紙)[p j∧nʤi]’(letter) have been in use since long ago,
h
indigenous word is more often used in daily life. For example, the
whereas ‘노사(勞使)[nosa]’(labor and management), ‘면도(面刀) Sino-Korean word ‘금일[kɨmil]’ has the same meaning(today) as the
[mj∧ndo]’(shaving), and ‘자가용(自家用)[ʧagajoŋ]’(private car) are indigenous Korean word ‘오늘[onɨl]’; however, 금일 is not used in
relatively recent additions to the language. daily life, but only in written language or situations such as a formal
Some indigenous words are misunderstood to be Sino-Korean speech.
words due to their pronunciation. For instance, ‘구경[kugj∧ŋ]’
(sightseeing), ‘생각[sæŋgak]’(thought), and ‘서랍 [s∧ɾap]’(drawer) are all
indigenous words, but sometimes people incorrectly write them Loanwords from Foreign Languages Other than Chinese
with the Chinese characters ‘求景,’ ‘生覺,’ and ‘舌盒,’ respectively. Besides the Sino-Korean vocabulary, foreign words adopted
Sino-Korean words account for between 50% and 70% of from other countries(including recent addition from China) are called
Korean words, depending on the source cited. However, a loanwords. The majority of loanwords are from English. Words
considerable number of those words are no longer commonly used. such as ‘버스[p∧sɨ](bus), ‘택시[thæksi]’(taxi), ‘텔레비전[thellebiʤ∧n]’
Similarly, the percentage of Latin and French words is high in the (television), and ‘컴퓨터[kh∧mphjuth∧]’(computer) are examples of
English words with daily application in modern Korea. Besides a result of the effort to reject the Japanese language.
English words, the Korean language employs various loanwords
from several other languages.
Coexistence of Indigenous Words, Sino-Korean Words,
• German: 세미나[semina](seminar ), 이데올로기[ideologi] and Loanwords
(ideology ), 노이로제[noiroʤe](neurosis ) In some cases, all three types of words are used to refer to the same
• Latin: 스타디움[sthadium](stadium ), 테마[thema](theme ), 알리바 object. In counting, not only the indigenous words – ‘하나[hana]’
이[allibai](alibi ) (one), ‘둘[tul]’(two), and ‘셋[set]’(three) – are used, but also the Sino-
• Russian: 트로이카 [thɨɾoika] (troika ), 페치카 [pheʧhikha] (Russian Korean words ‘일(一)[il],’ ‘이(二)[i],’ and ‘삼(三)[sam].’ Some
h
brick stove ), 보드카 [podɨk a] (vodka ) additional examples are the indigenous word ‘동아리[toŋaɾi]’(club)
• Italian: 첼로[ʧhello](cello ), 오페라[opheɾa](opera ), 템포[thempho] and the loanword ‘서클[s∧khɨl]’(lit., circle); and the Sino-Korean
(tempo ) word ‘승강기(昇降機)[sɨŋgaŋgi] (elevator) and the loanword ‘엘리베
• French: 망토[maŋtho](cloak) , 콩트[khoŋthɨ](sketch ), 모델 이터[ellibeith∧]’(elevator).
[model] (model )
Some words are not recognized as loanwords by native Koreans

because they were adopted so long ago that their form has been
modified to fit the Korean style. Though ‘고무[komu]’(rubber), ‘붓
일, 이, 삼! [il, i, sam]
[put]’(brush), and ‘구두[kudu]’(shoe) come, respectively, from the One, two, three ! 하나, 둘, 셋! [hana, tul, set]
One, two, three !
Dutch, Chinese, and Japanese, these words are regarded as though
they were of indigenous origin.
There are quite a lot of Japanese loanwords alongside Japanese-
style Sino-Korean words. Some of these that had been in frequent
use in daily life came to be excluded from the Korean vocabulary as
There was a time when Sino-Korean words and Western

loanwords were regarded as learned vocabulary, but indigenous
words have been devalued in Korean society. Some Koreans
have claimed that overuse of loanwords leads to confusion in
6
the identity of the language. These people have been waging a
campaign to replace unnecessary loanwords and difficult Sino- Rich and Nuanced Expressions
Korean words with simple indigenous words.
Abundant and Nuanced Phonomimes and Phenomimes

The Korean language is rich in mimetic expressions(phonomimes
and phenomimes), and its sensory words are so well developed that it
is possible to easily express one’s myriad feelings. The abundance
of this specialized vocabulary is an important factor that makes it
possible to create rich and nuanced expressions.
A phonomime, also called onomatopoeia, is a word that imitates
the source of the sound, while a phenomime mimics non-auditory
senses. The number of phonomimes and phenomimes in the
Korean language is approximately 5,000. Most languages have
phonomimes, but Korean has more of them numerically, and the
Korean language’s abundance in phenomimes is extraordinary.
As the forms taken by mimetic words differ in each language,

it would be very difficult to guess what one means after hearing Difference in Sound Equals Difference in Feeling
Korean mimetic words. Korean mimetic words change their consonants or vowels to
create a nuance of expression. The positive vowels ‘ㅏ[a]’ and ‘ㅗ
[o]’ and the negative vowels ‘ㅓ[∧]’ and ‘ㅜ[u]’ are generally used in
pairs. Positive vowels create bright, light, clear, and small feelings,
반짝반짝! whereas negative vowels are thought to cause dark, heavy, stuffy, or
[panʧ’akp’anʧ’ak] キラキラ
twinkle, !
twinkle! [kiɾakiɾa]
big feelings.
반짝반짝 : 번쩍번쩍
[panʧ’ak-p’anʧ’ak] [p∧nʧ’∧k-p’∧nʧ’∧k]
퐁당퐁당 : 풍덩풍덩
[phoŋdaŋ-phoŋdaŋ] [phuŋd∧ŋ-phuŋd∧ŋ]
• Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are. The word ‘반짝반짝[panʧ’ak-p’anʧ’ak],’ using positive vowel
sounds, expresses the image of small stars shining, and ‘번쩍번쩍
• 반짝반짝 작은 별, 아름답게 비추네
[panʧ’akp’anʧ’ak ʧagɨn pj∧l, aɾɨmdapk’e piʧhune] [p∧nʧ’∧k-p’∧nʧ’∧k],’ using negative vowel sounds, imitates the image
of big stars shining. The positive vowels in ‘퐁당퐁당[phoŋdaŋ-
• キラキラ光る夜空の星よ。
[kiɾakiɾa hikaɾu, yozoɾano hoʃiyo]
“퐁당
[phoŋdaŋ]”
This song is popular all over the world, and its lyrics have been
translated into various languages. The English lyric “twinkle,
twinkle” imitates the image of the shining star, and this is rendered
as ‘반짝반짝[panʧ’akp’anʧ’ak]’ in Korean and ‘キラキラ[kiɾakiɾa]’
in Japanese. “풍덩
[phuŋd∧ŋ]”
42 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language

phoŋdaŋ]’ mimic the sound of small objects falling into water, weʤi]’(pig) comes from ‘꿀꿀[k’ulk’ul],’ which mimics the sound
whereas ‘풍덩풍덩[p uŋd∧ŋ-p uŋd∧ŋ] would indicate a big object
h h
of a pig’s squeal. Many names of animals or insects come from a
falling into water. phonomime that mimics their respective calls.
Nuance is also expressed through alternation in the lenis, fortis,
Phonomime Name
and aspirated consonants. Mimetic words starting with a fortis or (Sound Produced by Animal)
aspirated consonant give a stronger feeling than the corresponding 개굴개굴 개구리
frog
lenis. [kægul-gægul] [kæguɾi]
부엉부엉 부엉이
owl
[pu∧ŋ-bu∧ŋ] [pu∧ŋi]
감감 : 깜깜 : 캄캄
[kamgam] [k’amk’am] [khamkham]
귀뚤귀뚤 귀뚜라미
cricket
[kwit’ul-gwit’ul] [kwit’uɾami]
벌떡 : 뻘떡 : 펄떡
[p∧lt’∧k] [p’∧lt’∧k] [ph∧lt’∧k]
In many cases, Korean mimetic words are created by repeating a Mimetic Words Express Detailed Nuance
simple form. For example, ‘반짝[panʧ’ak]’ means “light appears Development of sensory words in Korean does not simply mean
for a second and disappears,” and its reduplicated form ‘반짝반짝 that there are a number of such words. There are only five basic
[panʧ’ak-panʧ’ak]’ expresses the idea of “light appearing in many words for distinguishing colors in Korean: ‘희다[hida]’(white), ‘검
places at one time or consecutively.” 다[k∧mt’a]’(black), ‘빨갛다[p’algatha]’(red), ‘노랗다[noɾatha]’(yellow),
and ‘파랗다[phaɾatha]’(blue). However, replacing the consonants and
vowels in these words, or attaching various suffixes to them, creates
Words That Come from Mimetic Vocabulary numerous forms to express nuance in detail. The word ‘검다[k∧mt’a]’
There are many words based on phonomimes and phenomimes. spawns more than 50 derivatives, which can not only express a hue
‘보슬비[posɨlbi]’(drizzle) comes from ‘보슬보슬[posɨl-bosɨl],’ which or tint but also distinguish one’s psychological attitude toward the
imitates the image of quiet and light rainfall, and ‘꿀돼지[k’ult’ color.
44 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Rich and Nuanced Expressions 45
Sensory words are sometimes used for metaphorical expression
검다! 까맣다 ! 새까맣다 ! of characteristics. ‘싱겁다[ʃiŋg∧pt’a]’(bland) means that one’s
[kʌmt’a] h
[k’amat a] h
[sæk’amat a]
words or behavior is insipid; ‘가볍다[kabj∧pt’a]’(light) means that
one’s behavior is rash; ‘거칠다[k∧ʧhilda]’(rough) means that one’s
character is violent.
• 검다[k∧mt’a] dark, black (vision):
껌다[k’∧mt’a] 가맣다[kamatha]
거멓다[k∧m∧tha] 까맣다[k’amatha]
꺼멓다[k’∧m∧tha] 새까맣다[sæk’amatha]
시꺼멓다[ʃik’∧m∧tha] 새카맣다[sækhamatha]
시커멓다[ʃikh∧m∧tha] 거무데데하다[k∧mudedehada]
거무뎅뎅하다[k∧mudeŋdeŋhada] 거무숙숙하다[k∧musuks’ukhada]
거무죽죽하다[k∧mujukʧ’ukhada] 가무잡잡하다[kamujapʧ’aphada]
h h
거무충충하다[k∧muʧ uŋʧ uŋhada] 거무칙칙하다[k∧muʧhikʧhikhada]
거무퇴퇴하다[k∧muthøthøhada]…
• 달다[talda] sweet (taste):
달달하다[taldalhada] 달콤하다[talkhomhada]
달큼하다[talkhɨmhada] 달콤새콤하다[talkhomsækhomhada]
달착지근하다[talʧhakʧ’igɨnhada] 달콤쌉쌀하다[talkhoms’aps’alhada]…
46 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Rich and Nuanced Expressions 47
7
Hangeul , the Written Alphabet
Principles behind the Invention of Hangeul

Long ago, Koreans had to make use of Chinese characters to retain
their records because they had no formal alphabet. However, it was
not easy to create sentences due to discrepancies in grammatical
structures between the two languages.
The fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty, King Sejong the Great,
felt pity for his people, who had difficulty using the Chinese
characters. In 1443, he invented an alphabet based on phonetic
symbols – Hangeul – so that anyone could easily learn and use it.
After the invention of Hangeul, Sejong continued experimenting
with potential phonetic devices for three years, before finally
publishing a book in 1446 called Hunminjeongeum, which
included an explanation of Hangeul.
49
Systematic and Easily Learned Alphabet
It is often said that Hangeul is one of the most scientific and unique
letter sets in the world. King Sejong the Great invented ideal letters
» Korean Consonants and Vocal Organs for writing Korean after a thorough observation of the vocal organs
and a study of the principles of pronunciation and characteristics
The basic principle of the letters is the “hieroglyph,” referring to a of sound. As noted previously, the letters look like the human vocal
“symbol in the form of pictures.” There are five basic consonants: organs, which makes forming the letters very simple but is unique
‘ㄱ[k,g],’ ‘ㄴ[n],’ ‘ㅅ[s],’ ‘ㅁ[m],’ and ‘ㅇ[ŋ].’ These are taken from compared with those of other countries.
the shape or position of the vocal organs, such as the tongue and The relationship among the letters of Hangeul is highly logical
lips, as in the above figures. and systematic. Letters in the Roman alphabet like ‘k’ and ‘g’ or ‘t’
Vowels were also created based on the hieroglyph. The three and ‘d’ have similar sounds, but the letters themselves have nothing
basic vowels – ‘ [ɐ],’ ‘ㅡ [ɨ],’ and ‘ㅣ[i]’ – were respectively taken
ヽ
in common morphologically. However, King Sejong the Great
from the shape of the circular sky, the flat earth, and the standing derived other letters from the five basic consonants and three basic
human being. vowels by adding strokes according to consistent rules. Therefore,
The other letters are created by either adding additional strokes when two sounds in Hangeul are similar and are produced in the
to the basic letters or combining two letters. For instance, ‘ㅋ[k ]’ is
h
same area of your mouth, they have similar written shapes. You can
produced by adding a stroke to ‘ㄱ[k, g]’; ‘ㄷ[t, d]’ comes from ‘ㄴ
Isn’t Hangeul Don’t you think it
[n]’; and ‘ㅌ[th]’ comes from ‘ㄷ[t, d].’ very distinctive? would be better to
say ‘ingenious’?
ㄱ[k, g] → ㅋ[kh]
ㄴ[n] → ㄷ[t, d] → ㅌ[th]
ㅁ[m] → ㅂ[p, b] → ㅍ[ph]
ㅅ[s] → ㅈ[ʧ, ʤ] → ㅊ[ʧh]
ㅇ[ŋ] → ᅙ[ʔ] → ㅎ[h]
50 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Hangeul, the Written Alphabet 51
see this in the following examples: ‘ㄱ[g, k]’ vs. ‘ㅋ[kh],’ and ‘ㄷ[d, understand their meaning.
t]’ vs. ‘ㅌ[t ].’ h
Hangeul is generally written horizontally from left to right, but
The ease with which one is able to learn Hangeul can be it is also possible to write it vertically, which make it possible to use
summarized by a statement from the Hunminjeongeum: “A wise margins effectively when taking notes.
person can understand the letters by noon, and even a stupid
person is able to learn them in 10 days.” Hangeul is very easy to
learn, but you will be able to learn it more easily if you understand Letters That Suit the Information Age
its principles and the background of its letters. Hangeul was once seen as an unfavorable alphabet for mechan-
ization because of its uniquely assembled style. This was because
there were difficulties in processing Hangeul using the typewriter
Assembled Writing and Vertical Writing or computer, which had been devised for the Roman alphabet.
Though Hangeul is a phonetic However, it is now being reevaluated thanks to recent advances
ㅅ + ㅗ + ㄴ → 손
[s] [o] [n] [son]
alphabet that distinguishes in information technology(IT). It is no longer a problem to type in
consonants and vowels, when Hangeul using a computer. Indeed, Hangeul allows for information
» Assembled writing written it adopts a unique method
of assembling consonants and vowels into syllabic units. This
» Korean Keypad on Mobile Phones
assembled writing in Hangeul makes it easy to read books and
» Horizontal writing » Vertical writing

대한민국
대한민국
52 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Hangeul, the Written Alphabet 53
processing that is quite fast and accurate, and it could be argued

that it is well suited to the information age.
Since all letters in Hangeul are derived from the eight basic
vowels and consonants, it is possible to make effective use of the
8
keypad of a mobile phone, which has ten buttons available. In
addition, it is possible to input letters quickly and easily utilizing
Literacy in Life – Yesterday and
the principle of stroke addition. Today
Borrowing from Chinese Characters

Though it is impossible to know exactly when Chinese characters
were introduced into Korea, it is assumed that they have been used
since the 6th or 7th century, when the era of the Three Kingdoms was
established.
People of that time period had to What does
it mean?
use Chinese characters because there
were no alternatives for transcribing
the language. However, it was difficult
to learn Chinese characters due to
their excessive number. Also, it was
not easy to write compositions using
Chinese characters because Chinese

Let’s call it Hangeul
grammar was so different from Korean. Consequently, phonetic from now on,
not eonmun !
transcription was used, borrowing either the sounds or meanings
of Chinese characters. The leading phonetic transcription methods
were Hayngchal, Idu, and Gugyeol. These methods mostly involved
arranging Chinese characters to fit the style of the Korean language
and then supplying particles, which varied according to the
transcription method. Idu was used until the 19th century after the
invention of Hangeul.
Birth of Hangeul
Transcribing Korean words using Chinese characters was an
imperfect method. Because of this, the fourth king of the Joseon
Dynasty, King Sejong the Great, invented the indigenous alphabet
Hangeul in 1443. That year was his 25th after people exchanged letters in Hangeul.
ascending to the throne. It became However, many yangban(noblemen) did not like the new alphabet
Wow,
possible for those who could not read I see what it since they valued Chinese characters at that time. In the Joseon
means!
Chinese characters to acquire literacy Dynasty, Hangeul was referred to as eonmun, and sometimes
easily. disparagingly called amkeul(“female letters”) because it was popular
Hangeul was widely used to among women. It was also called gungmun, meaning the letters
publish books on agriculture and used by a country in order to let anybody learn to read and write
etiquette, and Hangeul literature, easily during the modernization period. Eventually, the standard
including both poetry and prose, name became Hangeul.
began to be created. In addition, some
56 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Literacy in Life – Yesterday and Today 57
Literacy in Daily Life after the Birth of Hangeul of Hangeul and Chinese
Even after the invention of Hangeul, Chinese characters remained characters. Accordingly,
central to literacy in the yangban’s life. Personal records were Koreans still use a mixture
mostly written in Chinese characters, as were major official of Hangeul and Chinese
documents of the nation. Before the 20th century, village schools, characters today. Many
called Seodang or Seowon, were institutes for Chinese education. specialty publications and
The state examination, or Gwageo, designed to select outstanding daily newspapers are written in
individuals for government office, was also administered using Hangeul mixed with Chinese
Chinese characters. As a result, literacy in daily life took three characters. On the other hand,
» Mixture of Hangeul and Chinese
different forms by the 19th century, after the invention of Hangeul: the rate of exclusive use of Characters in the Book
pure Chinese characters, Idu, and Hangeul. Hangeul has been high in areas
Wide use of Hangeul in official areas began in late 19th century with large popular appeal.
when efforts at enlightenment of the nation were pursued. The
Dongnip Sinmun(meaning “the independent”), the first newspaper
written in Hangeul only, published its first edition in April 1886.
Gojong, the 26th King of the Joseon Dynasty, gave an imperial Let’s use Let’s also use
Hangeul only! Chinese characters!
order on November 21, 1894, stating that all official documents
were to be written in Hangeul, and at last Hangeul was recognized
as an official alphabet.
Hangeul Only or a Mixture with Chinese Characters?

There has been an ongoing conflict between those who insist
on using only Hangeul and those who want to use a mixture
58 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Literacy in Life – Yesterday and Today 59
Common Usage of Roman Alphabet
Recent trends reflect an increase in the use of Romanization,
including the English alphabet. It is easy to find billboard adver-
tisements written in the Roman alphabet on many urban streets.
In Korea, signposts on the road and direction boards located in
tourist attractions are written in both Hangeul and the Roman
alphabet. Romanized abbreviations such as TV, UN, PD, and MC
are more commonly used than Hangeul in daily life.
» Signboards with Roman Alphabet on the Street

in Korea

9
Traces Through History
Kinship of Korean
Would it be possible to talk to people without difficulty if we went

back several hundred years in a time machine?
Language undergoes gradual changes over time, for it is not
static. One famous Korean book in the 15th century, Yongbieo-
cheonga(“Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven”), includes the following
culturally significant sentence.
불휘 기픈 남 매 아니 뮐 곶 됴코 여름 하니
This phrase is interpreted as meaning, “Since a tree with deep
61
What are the
roots does not sway in the wind, it blossoms abundantly and ancestors of the Who knows?
Korean language?
bears plentiful fruit.” Contemporary Korean native speakers find
it difficult to understand this sentence upon first reading it. The
word ‘불휘[pulhwi]’ has since changed into ‘뿌리[p’uɾi]’(root); ‘곶
[kot]’ into ‘꽃[k’ot]’(flower); and ‘여름[j∧ɾɨm]’ into ‘열매[j∧lmæ]’
(fruit). However, the word ‘뮐[mwils’æ]’ is no longer used. The
vowel ‘ ,’ seen in ‘남[namgan]’ and ‘매[paɾamæ],’ is not used

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in contemporary Korean, either. As can be seen, this sentence

encompasses many differences from the contemporary Korean ments is that it is a philological relative of Mongolian, Manchu, or
language. the Turkic languages. There is also another argument that Korean is
So what language did the ancestors of Koreans use, if we go related to the Japanese language, which is not only geographically
back even farther? It would not be easy to guess what the language adjacent but also grammatically similar. There is, however, no
might have looked like in the real evidence to substantiate this claim. While Korea is adjacent
prehistoric era. In order to satisfy to China, there is no genealogical relationship between the two
our curiosity, we need to examine countries’ languages.
the kinship ties between Korean and
other languages.
Despite many studies and much The Korean Language: Changing over Time
research, the genealogy of the The languages of the Korean peninsula have been divided into the
Korean language is still controversial. northern Buyeo family and the southern Han family; these were
» Yongbieocheonga One of the most persuasive argu- followed in history by the Three Kingdoms era of Goguryeo, Baekje,
62 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Traces Through History 63
of Goryeo is thought to be a successor of that of Unified Silla.
Although the capital of the peninsula moved again to Hanyang
(modern Seoul) after the establishment of the Joseon Dynasty, there
were few differences between the languages in both regions,

Gaeseong and Hanyang, due to their geographical proximity.
and Silla. However, it is difficult to know precisely what form the

language took in those days due to a lack of historical records. Middle Korean
The capital city of the Silla Dynasty, Gyeongju, became the Middle Korean is the name given to the language from the 10th
center of the language after Silla unified the Three Kingdoms century, when Goyreo was established, to the late 16th century
of the Korean Peninsula in 668. The dual vocabulary system and the Imjin War. The proportion of Sino-Korean words in the
combining the indigenous Korean vocabulary rapidly increased during the Middle Korean
» The Shift in the Center of
language with Sino-Korean the Korean Language period. There had been no native writing system with which the
words started as trade with Korean language could be transcribed in the Early Middle Ages,
China increased during the and citizens had to perform double duty by speaking Korean but
Three Kingdoms era. writing with Chinese characters.
The center of the language Unlike in the contemporary Korean language spoken in Seoul,
moved to Gaeseong, the cap- tone was used to differentiate meanings in Middle Korean words.
ital of Goryeo, which was estab- In addition, vowel harmony, one of the distinctive characteristics of
lished after the collapse of the Korean language, was followed more strictly than it is today.
Unified Silla. The language A highly developed honorific system is also one of the char-
acteristics of the Korean language, and the honorific rules were The term Contemporary Korean refers to the Korean spoken
much more compli-cated during this period than those in from the late 19th century to today. During this relatively short
Contemporary Korean. Some loanwords from Mongolian and the period of approximately 100 years, the language has undergone
Yeojin language were adopted as it became common at the time to quite a few changes. The enlightenment period, from the 1880s
have contact with people from neighboring countries. to just before 1920, emphasized the unity of written and spoken
Korean. This not only helped people realize the importance of the
language and its letters, but also did away with the habit of using
Since Modern Korean Chinese characters, allowing for the exclusive use of Hangeul.
The Korean language underwent a big change around the 17th Use of the Korean language faced a challenge during the
century. The term Modern Korean refers to the Korean spoken Japanese colonial era from 1910 to 1945. A number of Japanese
from the early 17th to late 19th centuries, a period of approximately words arrived during this period, and the specter of the Japanese
300 years. Tonal contrasts and the vowel ‘ ’([ɐ]; [a] with additional
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language has lingered ever since. For political reasons, the
lip rounding) from Middle Korean were no longer used during this peninsula had to be divided into South and North following
period, and grammar became simplified when juxtaposed with independence, which has resulted in some differentiation between
Middle Korean. the forms of the language spoken in those areas.
Can you describe the Since the start of the Korean War in the year 1950, Seoul has
course of the Korean Full of ups
language in a single and downs! experienced a great influx of refugees from many places, and
phrase?
various dialects have influenced the standard Korean spoken there.
Additionally, the proportion of Western loanwords has increased
with greater contact in social, economic, cultural, and educational
interchange.
10
Korean Dialects
Branches Derived from a Root
Korea is one of the few countries where most people speak the
same language. The Korean Peninsula, including both South and
North Korea, totals 223,273 square kilometers in area, according
to figures from 2008. This area is not large, ranking 84th out of more
than 200 countries.
Then do all Koreans really speak the same language? The answer
can be found by examining the words for frog and the expressions
for I am all right in the different provinces.
Regardless of how the language began, its form changed when
cultural exchanges were cut off for lengthy periods of time due
69
» ‘Dialectal variants for » Dialectal variations on the
‘개구리[kæguɾi]’(frog ) expression ‘I am all right ’ » Dialects of ‘개구리[kæguri]’
Dialect Province Dialect Province

개구락지 괜찮습니다
Chungcheong Seoul
[kæguɾakʧ’i] [kønʧhans’ɨmnida]
먹저구리 일 없구만유
Gangwon Chungcheong
[m∧kʧ’∧guɾi] [ iɾ∧pk’umanju]
멱자귀 됐어라
Pyeongnam Jeolla
[mj∧kʧ’agwi] [twes’∧ɾa]
먹장구 개안타
Hwanghae Gyeongsang
[m∧kʧ’aŋgu] [kæantha]
개굴테기
Jeonbuk
[kægultegi]
개고레기
Jeonnam
[kægoɾegi]
가개비[kagæbi] Jeju
to natural barriers like mountains and rivers. These forms that

take shape and begin to differ within the same communicative
range are called dialects. The Korean language includes all dialects
of the Korean Peninsula and its islands. These Korean dialects Characteristics of Korean Dialects
exhibit differences not only in their word meanings but also in the Korean dialects can be divided into Hamgyeong-do, Pyeongan-do,
expressions they use. Jungbu, Jeolla-do, Gyeongsang-do, and Jeju-do forms based on their
phonology, grammar, and vocabulary.
Jungbu dialects are used in Gyeonggi-do, including Seoul, as well
70 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Korean Dialects 71
» Six Dialectal Zone of Korea
나야[naja] 나여[naj∧:] 내다[næda]
(This is I.) (This is I.) (This is I.)
as the Hwanghae-do, Gangwon-do, and Chungcheong-do regions.

The Chungcheong-do dialect is not very different from that of
Seoul, due to the two regions’ geographic proximity. One of its
characteristics is to add the prolonged endings ‘-유[ju:],’ ‘-슈[ʃu:],’
‘-여[j∧:],’ and ‘-야[ja:]’ to the end of predicates. The rate of speech
is somewhat slow and relaxed, which makes it sound gentle and
refined.
The Jeolla-do dialect is characterized by brevity, giving a crude
but pleasantly earthy impression through the use of the suffix
‘-잉[iŋ]’ at the end of predicates. This ‘-잉[iŋ]’ ending corresponds
to the ‘-응[ɨŋ]’ ending used in Seoul, though its usage is broader
than is the case for ‘-응[ɨŋ].’ In Jeolla-do, there is also a tendency
to pronounce the first syllable emphatically: compare the Seoul
pronunciation of ‘가죽[kaʤuk]’(leather) to ‘까죽[k’aʤuk]’ in Jeolla-
do; ‘두부[tubu]’(tofu) in Seoul vs. ‘뚜부[t’ubu]’ in Jeolla-do; or ‘도 릇[ʧilgɨɾɨt]’ and ‘치다[ʧhida]’ in Seoul), and the consonant ‘ㄴ[n]’
랑[toɾaŋ]’(ditch) vs. ‘또랑[t’oɾaŋ].’ The quality of vowels is generally is used before the vowel ‘ㅣ[i]’ in the first syllable(e.g., ‘닐굽[nilgup]’
similar to that seen in Seoul. (seven), which is pronounced ‘일곱[ilgop]’ in Seoul).
The Gyeongsang-do dialect is relatively fast-paced and has clear The Hamgyeong-do dialect distinguishes words by their tones as
inflective sounds. It can sound somewhat unfriendly to people in Gyeongsang-do, but it is not exactly the same. It is fast-paced, and
from other provinces. It has the fewest vowels among all the in many cases a sentence can end with ‘-둥[tuŋ],’ ‘-지비[ʧibi],’ or ‘-
dialects, which can make it difficult to distinguish ‘ㅐ[æ]’ from ‘ㅔ 꾸마[k’uma].’
[e],’ or ‘ㅓ[∧]’ from ‘ㅡ[ɨ],’ and it does not have the diphthongs ‘ㅢ The Jeju-do dialect is unique because it formed far away from
[ɨj],’ ‘ㅙ[wæ],’ or ‘ㅞ[we]’. People in certain regions are unable to Seoul, but is also separated from other forms of Korean due to the
pronounce ‘ㅆ[s’],’ so they pronounce it as ‘ㅅ[s].’ island location. It is generally fast-paced and brief. It still uses the
The Pyeongan-do dialect has strong intonation, which results vowel ‘ [ɐ],’ which no longer appears in contemporary Korean.
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in an unfriendly image for the speaker. In contrast with the Seoul Some examples are the words ‘다리[taɾi]’(bridge), ‘나물[namul]’
dialect, alveolar sounds are not usually palatalized(e.g., ‘딜그릇 (vegetable), and ‘쌀[s’al]’(rice). This dialect also has a number of
[tilgɨɾɨt]’(pottery) and ‘티다[thida]’(tohit), which are pronounced ‘질그 unique words reflecting local color, such as ‘비바리[pibaɾi]’(virgin),
‘구덕[kud∧k]’(basket), and ‘오름[oɾɨm]’(mountain).
경해도 무신 거옌?
[kj∧ŋhædo muʃin k∧
jen] - Jejudo dialect
Communication Between Dialects
The dialectical tweaks to the Korean language do not prevent

communication between members of two regions. These slight
differences have been greatly reduced due to nationwide broadcasts
Ideas like that are
and similarities in public Dialects are vulgar! much more vulgar!
education, as well as the de-
velopment of transportation
and telecommunications sur-
11
mounting geographic barriers. Division of the Korean
At the same time, standard Language
Korean is mainly spoken in
official situations such as in broadcasts and education, while local
dialects are more likely to be spoken among locals. The dialects are
also frequently used in literature, films, or drama in order to express
situations with localized imagery. Why Have the Languages of South and North Korea Become
Different?
It has been more than 60 years since the Korean Peninsula was
Value of Dialect divided into North and South in 1945 due to discrepancies in
There was once a time when dialects were regarded as something political views. North and South Korea have a strong spirit of
inferior and vulgar. However, a dialect has quite a few positive community because they are not only composed of people who
aspects, in that it not only maintains the purity of the language share a single ethnicity but also populations that communicate
as well as the inherent emotions and cultural diversity of a region with the same language. However, people have been unable to
for a long time, but also enriches the vocabulary of Korean on the freely visit others in the opposing country since the division of the
whole. There have even been movements to preserve endangered peninsula. There was almost no opportunity for communication
dialects, including the Jeju-do dialect. among ordinary people because any kind of exchange via

newspaper, broadcast, telephone, or Internet was completely fundamental dialectal differences. Not only the regional difference
blocked. The lack of communication between North and South but also a difference in attitudes toward the languages has
Korea resulted in differences in their languages. contributed to a widening of the gap between the South and North
Korean varieties of the Korean language.
In South Korea, there was no political involvement in the
‘Standard Korean’ and ‘Cultural Korean’ nation’s language use. The country has continuously undertaken
For official purposes, South Korea currently uses “Standard a campaign to purify the Korean language, but the use of the
Korean,” which is mainly based on the Seoul dialect. On the other language was mostly up to the speaker. On the other hand, North
hand, North Korea has been Korea has defined the language as “a strong weapon for revolution
using “Cultural Korean,” and the construction of communism” and regarded it as a means
based on the Pyeongyang to realize the Juche(“self-reliance”) idea. The North showed a much
dialect. In the early stages of more aggressive attitude than the South with regard to language
division, North Korea also policy.
accepted the Seoul variety as
a standard language, but it
independently began to use North Korea Emphasizes Use of Indigenous Words
Cultural Korean based on One of the representative language policies undertaken by North
the Pyeongyang dialect in the Korea is the “Vocabulary Cleansing Project.” The main purpose
1960s. of this project is to convert Sino-Korean words or loanwords into
Because of geographical indigenously based words in order to help establish independence,
» South and North Korea distance, the languages have as well as to promote development of the nation’s language.
78 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Division of the Korean Language 79
As a result, the government has devoted considerable energy to Difference in Adopting Loanwords
purifying words, from general terms to jargon in every area, and it Even though North Korea is less accepting of loanwords than the
has been very active in distribution as well. For instance, in the area South, loanwords are not completely excluded from the Northern
of sports South Korea uses loanwords like ‘레드카드[ɾedɨkhadɨ]’(red dictionary. Most North Korean loanwords come from politically
card in soccer), ‘케이오[kheio]’(KO in boxing), and ‘드리블[tɨɾibɨl]’(dribbling allied Russia, while South Korea has adopted most of its loanwords
in volleyball), while North Korea has changed them, respectively, from English following independence from Japan. Terms for
to ‘빨간딱지[p’algant’akʧ’i],’ ‘완전넘어뜨리기[wanʤ∧nn∧m∧t’ɨɾigi],’ referring to certain objects and the names of foreign places are
and ‘두번치기[tub∧nʧhigi].’ This language policy is one of the pronounced in the English style in the South, but in the Russian
reasons why the languages of both countries have developed along style in the North.
dissimilar lines. South Korean Loanwords North Korean Loanwords
트랙터[thɨɾækth∧] tractor 뜨락또르[t’ɨɾakt’oɾɨ] трактор
Awful 레드카드 캠페인[khæmphein] campaign 깜빠니야[k’amp'aniya] кампания

[ɾedɨkadɨ]!
불도저[puldoʤ∧] bulldozer 불도젤[puldoʤel] бульдозер
Lucky 빨간딱지
[p’algant’akʧ’i]! 그룹[kɨɾup] group 그루빠[kɨɾup’a] группа
러시아[ɾ∧sia] Russia 로씨야[ɾos’ija] Россия
Same Word, Different Meaning
Meanwhile, some words with the same form have different usages
or meanings in South and North Korea. For example, the word
division of the peninsula. The North has created such words as
Whatisa밥공장 What is a 새내기
[papk’oŋʤaŋ]? [sænægi]? ‘밥공장[papk’oŋʤaŋ]’(a factory producing meals for laborers), ‘인민배우
[inminbæu]’(a movie star who made a special contribution to building up the
socialist state), and ‘평양속도[phj∧ŋjaŋsokt’o]’(a very rapid speed – this term
was coined during the construction of Pyeongyang, the capital of North Korea),
while the South has coined ‘새내기[sænægi]’ (freshman), ‘가사도

우미[kasadoumi]’(housemaid), and ‘교통체증[kjothoŋʧheʤɨŋ]’(traffic
congestion).
‘어버이[∧b∧i]’ means parents in the South, but in the North it is

a symbolic word referring to “Kim Il-sung, the national founder Difference in Ways of Speaking and Attitudes
of North Korea.” Another word, ‘궁전[kuŋʤ∧n],’ means palace The languages of North and South Korea differ not only in their
of a king in the South, whereas in the North it means “a building vocabulary but in their pronunciation, pitch, and writing style.
equipped with athletic and cultural facilities for children or Many North Koreans speak with a higher pitch, at a somewhat
workers for political and cultural purposes.” General terms in
Because…
the South such as ‘여사[j∧sa]’(Madam), ‘선물[s∧nmul]’(gift), ‘자제 What I mean to say If you don’t like me,
say so!
is… I’ve been busy
recently……
[ʧaʤe]’(child), and ‘댁[tæk]’(residence) are regarded in North Korea as
special terms that are supposed to be used only toward relatives of

Kim Il-sung or toward party members.
South and North Korea have each coined new terms to describe
new phenomena appearing in different areas of society since the
faster speed, and with a louder voice than South Koreans. The nicable range. In addition, interchange between the two countries
writing style of the North gives a combatant and inflammatory is becoming more active. They are making constant joint efforts
impression, mainly due to the use of short sentences. to overcome differences in their language varieties. One example
Attitudes in speaking also differ between North and South. of this is a recent joint project of publishing a North and South
South Koreans generally use euphemisms as a polite way of Korean dictionary.
refusing something. On the other hand, North Koreans have the
habit of using clear and direct expressions so that the counterpart
does not get confused.
Efforts to Overcome Differences
The languages of North and South

Let’s make That’s
Korea have developed separately, a dictionary a good idea.
together.
which has both resulted in differ-
ences in words, expressions, and
styles of writing and caused dialectal
divergences ever since the peninsula
was divided. However, both countries
remain within a single language
community, as their languages
have evolved within a commu-
12
Polite Korean Language
Honorifics
Courtesy is one of the most essential aspects of Korean culture.

Because of this, Korea has been called “the country of courteous
people in the East” since long ago. This has been reflected in
language use, which has led to development of the language’s
honorific system.
Most speakers distinguish honorific expressions from general
vocabulary when they speak Korean. The nouns ‘댁[tæk],’ ‘진지
[ʧinʤi],’ ‘생신[sæŋʃin],’ and ‘성함[s∧ŋham]’ are honorific forms of
the words ‘집[ʧip]’(house), ‘밥[pap]’(meal), ‘생일[sæŋil]’(birthday),

and ‘이름[iɾɨm]’(name), respectively. The verbs ‘잡수시다[ʧaps’u
87
Meaning Ordinary Word Honorific Form
‘저[ʧ∧]’(I) and ‘저희[ʧ∧hi]’(we) are humble forms of ‘나[na]’ and ‘우
house 집[ʧip] 댁[tæk] 리[uɾi],’ respectively. The verb ‘여쭈다[j∧ʧ’uda]’(toask) is used when
meal 밥[pap] 진지[ʧinʤi]

humbly speaking to a listener superior in status. Another verb, ‘뵙
다[pøpt’a]’(tomeet) is a humble expression used when the speaker
birthday 생일[sæŋil] 생신[sæŋʃin]
meets someone superior in status. There are still other words used
name 이름[iɾɨm] 성함[s∧ŋham]
to address or refer to someone superior in status.
to eat 먹다[m∧kt’a] 잡수시다[ʧaps’uʃida]
to sleep 자다[ʧada] 주무시다[ʧumuʃida]
to exist 있다[itt’a] 계시다[kjeʃida] Honorific Rules in Grammar

to die 죽다[ʧukt’a] 돌아가시다[toɾagaʃida]
We cannot say that the honorific system is unique to the Korean
language, since most languages have some form or another of
ʃida],’ ‘주무시다[ʧumuʃida],’ ‘계시다[kjeʃida],’ and ‘돌아가시 respectful language. The high degree of development in the
다[toɾagaʃida]’ are honorific forms of ‘먹다[m∧kt’a]’(to eat), ‘자 honorific system of the Korean language is reflected not only in the
다[ʧada]’(to sleep), ‘있다[itt’a]’(to exist), and ‘죽다[ʧukt’a]’(to die), use of honorific words but also in the application of honorific rules
respectively. These honorifics are not used with younger people, in grammar.
but with older people. For instance, if you say ‘밥을 먹다[pabɨl m∧ The methods used to indicate the listener’s superior status and
kt’a]’(tohaveameal), this is a general expression, whereas it becomes the subject’s superior status are different. In order to indicate the
an honorific form meaning the same things when you say ‘진지를 superior status of the subject of the sentence, the suffix ‘-(으)시-[(ɨ)
잡수시다[ʧinʤiɾɨl ʧaps’uʃida].’ ʃi]’ needs to be added to the predicate, while the endings ‘-습니
In order to indicate the listener’s superior status, the speaker 다[sɨmnida]’ and ‘-요[jo]’ are added to the predicate to reflect the
sometimes uses special humble forms. The first person pronouns listener’s superior status. For example, if you add ‘-으시-[ɨʃi]’ to the
88 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Polite Korean Language 89
verb ‘잡다[ʧapt’a]’(tohold) to form ‘잡-으시-다[ʧap-ɨʃi-da]’ in the expression that can be used with close friends.
sentence ‘선생님이 손을 잡다[s∧nsæŋnimi sonɨl ʧapt’a]’(The teacher
holdsmyhand), it serves to mark the superior status of the subject ‘선
생님[s∧nsæŋnim]’(teacher). And if you add ‘-습니다[sɨmnida]’ to the Use of Honorifics When the Listener Is Older
verb ‘잡다[ʧapt’a]’ to form ‘잡습니다[ʧaps’ɨmnida],’ it indicates the The honorific system is usually used when someone is talking to
superior status of the listener or counterpart. an older person. Age is an important criterion in determining
use of the honorific system. A younger person generally uses
honorifics when speaking to an older person. However, an older
Different Ways of Indicating the Listener’s Superior Status person cannot always use informal expressions when talking to a
Of the two methods, the use of expressions to show respect for the younger person. You should not speak informally when you first
listener or audience is especially highly developed in the Korean meet a younger person unless you are close to him or her. Adults of
language. There are four to five speech levels, depending on the similar ages usually use honorifics when they first meet each other,
degree of respect shown to the audience, ranging from the highest and they start speaking informally upon mutual agreement after
level to the lowest level. becoming closer.
The speech levels are grouped into two categories: formal
speech(in official situations) and informal speech(with the same age How old do I look?
Who are you? Why are you using
group in unofficial situations). The former involves use of the ending casual forms with me?
‘-습니다[sɨmnida]’ at the end of the predicate, while the latter

is characterized by use of the ending ‘-요[jo].’ For instance, the
form ‘먹습니다[m∧ks’ɨmnida],’ from the verb ‘먹다[m∧kt’a](to eat),
is a formal expression, whereas ‘먹어요[m∧g∧jo]’ is an informal
Relationship Between Age and Position at Work How are you,
my little uncle?
- honorific form How are you,
Relative status at work is usually important in certain commu- my old nephew?
- honorific form
nities, such as the military or civil offices, where the hierarchy is
very rigidly defined, but a young person in a higher position is not
expected to use informal speech with a subordinate who is far older
than him or her. One’s position at work or relationship with school
classmates also influences the speech level used. People of lower
position are supposed to use honorific forms with those superior in
status. It is general practice to use honorifics mutually when relative on the difference in Hangnyeol as awareness of the concept of
status conflicts with age differences. Hangnyeol has been diluted.
Honorifics and the Age of Relatives Context Is Important
The hierarchy among relatives is an important criterion in Proper speech levels are also determined by whether the situation
determining appropriate use of speech levels. Hangnyeol is an is official or not. Honorific speech is always expected in formal
indicator that shows how many generations have passed since a situations such as media broadcasts and lectures, or in public
shared ancestor. Koreans have traditionally regarded the order of speaking, regardless of the aforementioned factors. Primary school
Hangnyeol as significant in family relationships. It is traditional teachers are supposed to use honorific forms with students during
etiquette not to speak informally to young person if his or her class. Even close friends should not use informal speech in official
Hangnyeol is higher than the speaker’s. However, there has been a settings such as seminars and broadcasts.
recent tendency for people not to obey the honorific rules based Korean honorific expressions are to be used even toward family
members of those who are superior in status. The wife of a teacher
or older person is referred to as ‘사모님[samonim]’ in honorific
mode, and their son and daughter become ‘아드님[adɨnim]’ and ‘따
님[t’anim],’ respectively. The terms used for wife, son, and daughter
13
in casual conversation are ‘부인[puin],’ ‘아들[adɨl],’ and ‘딸[t’al].’
However, a person’s possessions should not be referred to in the
When Addressing Others
honorific form.
The honorific system has become simplified compared to the
way it was in the past, but it is still so complicated that following
rules can seem challenging. This is one of the biggest difficulties for
non-native speakers who wish to learn Korean. How to Address Others
There is a rich variety of Korean expressions used when addressing

내일이무슨날이죠?
[næiɾi musɨn naɾiʤjo] or referring to someone. The English pronoun you corresponds to
What day is it tomorrow?
- honorific form 어린이날이요!
[∧ɾininaɾijo] two different forms in French: tu, the general form, and vous, the
It’s Children’s Day!
- honorific form honorific form. However, in English the pronoun you can be used
to address not only your friend, but also your teacher, parent, or
even the President. However, the Korean language specifies proper
words to be used depending on the listener’s position at work,
gender, family relationship, or degree of closeness. Therefore, it
can be offensive to the listener, or your parents may be blamed for
not providing you with a proper education, if you fail to use the
95
expressions properly. [kimʧinho s’i]’) when one is addressing someone distant or when a
service employee is calling a customer.

When a parent addresses his or her child, only the first name
How to Call Someone by Name is used, as in “Jinho!” If the parent uses the family names as well
Koreans generally do not call people by their names unless the –“Kim Jinho!”– this indicates that the parent wishes to assert
speaker is a friend, colleague, or superior of the listener. A person of his or her authority. Conversely, it can also mean that the parent
inferior status is expected not to refer to a person of superior status is treating the child as a friend without conveying any sense of
by name without his or her title. The second person pronoun can authority.
be used when addressing one’s counterpart, but different words
should be used based on the speech level.
The order of a person’s full name in English is the given name Titles
followed by the family name, but Koreans write the family name At work or school, people with titles such as ‘선생[s∧nsæŋ]’
before the given name, as in ‘김[kim]–진호[ʧinho].’ Close friends (teacher), ‘사장[saʤaŋ]’(president), ‘과장[kwaʤaŋ]’(manager),’ and ‘감
call each other by given names only. If 독[kamdok]’(director) can be addressed by attaching the honorific
someone says his or her friend’s Kim Jinho, Jinho, say sorry to suffix ‘-님[nim]’ to their titles without their names: ‘선생님[s∧
come here! your dad.
full name, the friend will feel a nsæŋnim],’ ‘사장님[saʤaŋnim],’ ‘과장님 [kwaʤaŋnim],’ and ‘감독님
sense of distance or formality. [kamdoŋnim].’ Their family name or full name can be placed prior
The honorific nouns ‘씨[s’i]’ or to the titles. For instance, either ‘김 선생님[kim s∧nsæŋnim]’(Teacher
‘님[nim]’(Mr./Mrs./Ms.) need to Kim) or ‘김진호 선생님[kimʧinho s∧nsæŋnim]’(Teacher Kim Jinho) is
come after the full name(‘김진 possible.

호 님[kimʧinho nim]’ or ‘김진호 씨 People who entered a school or company earlier or who are
96 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language When Addressing Others 97
과장님, 헤헤. 김
‘ 진호씨아부
’, 그만하세요. refer to blood ties and relatives through marriage is particularly
[kwaʤaŋnim, hehe] [kimʧinho s’i, abu kɨman hasejo]
Mr. Manager, heh heh. Mr. Kim Jinho, please stop with
the flattery.
well developed. There are various words related to family
relationships, such as ‘부모[pumo]’(parents), ‘자식[ʧaʃik]’(child), ‘며
느리[mj∧nɨɾi]’(daughter-in-law), ‘사위[sawi]’(son-in-law), ‘부부[pubu]’
(married couple), ‘형제[hj∧ŋʤe]’(brother), ‘자매[ʧamæ]’(sister), ‘남매
[nammæ]’(brother and sister), and ‘시댁[ʃidæk]’(husband’s family). The
English word aunt is translated as ‘큰어머니[khɨn∧m∧ni]’(father’s

older brother’s wife), ‘작은어머니[ʧagɨn∧m∧ni]’(father’s younger brother’s
superior in academic or technical attainments are often called ‘선 wife), ‘이모[imo]’(mother’s sister), ‘고모[komo]’(father’s sister), and so on,
배님[s∧nbænim].’ The suffix ‘-씨[s’i]’ has a similar meaning to ‘-님 depending on the family relationship.
[nim],’ but cannot be added to a title; it is attached to a person’s The words used to address brothers and sisters also differ
name, as in ‘김진호 씨[kimʧinho s’i].’ If you say ‘진호 씨[ʧinho s’i]’ depending on age and gender. The English words brother and
without the family name, the expression becomes less formal. On sister indicate nothing about the gender of the speaker. In Korean,
the other hand, if you use it with only the family name, as in ‘김 씨 Korean English
however, a younger brother calls his older
[kim s’i],’ it can be interpreted as indicating that the listener’s social 형[hj∧ŋ] brother ‘형[hj∧ŋ],’ while a younger sister
brother
position is somewhat low. calls her older brother ‘오빠[op’a].’ A
오빠[op’a]
younger brother calls his older sister ‘누
누나[nuna]
sister 나[nuna],’ but a younger sister calls her
언니[∧nni]
How to Address Your Relatives older sister ‘언니[∧nni].’
Traditionally, Korean families were large, with several generations Father is translated as ‘아버지[ab∧ʤi],’ and mother as ‘어머니[∧
living in a single household. As a result, the terminology used to m∧ni].’ You call your own father and mother ‘아빠[ap’a]’(dad) and
‘엄마[∧mma]’(mom) when you are young, but you do not use these to others, you do not spell it outright, but add ‘자[ʧa]’ after each
when you become an adult. The honorific suffix ‘-님[nim]’ can be syllable of the given name. For instance, if your father’s name is ‘김
attached to these nouns(‘아버님[ab∧nim]’ and ‘어머님[∧m∧nim]’), and 철호[kimʧh∧lho],’ you have to spell it “김, 철 자, 호 자[kim ʧh∧l ʧ’a
this form is frequently used when you are referring to another ho ʧ’a].”
person’s parents or your own parents after they have passed away.
Husbands and wives frequently call each other ‘여보[j∧bo],’
regardless of gender. When they have a child, they can use the Are Koreans All Relatives?
name of their child, plus “father” or “mother,” as in ‘(child’s name) In many cases, the words used to refer to family members are also
아버지[ab∧ʤi]’ or ‘(child’s name) 어머니[∧m∧ni],’ to refer to their used toward other people in daily life. The noun ‘아주머니[aʤum
spouse. When they get older, the husband can call his wife ‘임자 ∧ni]’(aunt) originally refers to a woman who is a sibling of one’s
[imʤa],’ and the wife can call her husband ‘영감[j∧ŋgam].’ parents, but the same word is used generally to address a married
Great value has traditionally been placed on a person’s name in woman. Likewise, the noun ‘아저씨[aʤ∧s’i]’ technically refers to
Korea, and this is why people do not usually call someone by his a man who is a sibling of one’s parents, but it is generally used to
or her given name. When spelling your parent’s or teacher’s name address an adult male.
The nouns ‘할아버지[haɾab∧ʤi]’ and ‘할머니[halm∧ni]’ origin-
You are not supposed
to call me “daddy.” ally mean grandfather and grandmother, but both words are widely
You’re a grown-up.
Daddy! used to address senior citizens. The nouns ‘형[hj∧ŋ],’ ‘오빠[op’a],’
‘언니[∧nni],’ and ‘누나[nuna]’ also have original uses within the
family, but have come to be used to anybody who is a close friend
and near the speaker’s age.
Young women sometimes call their boyfriend ‘오빠[op’a]’ if he is
older. An older waitress is often called ‘아주머니[aʤum∧ni],’ and a
close friend’s parents can be called ‘아버님[ab∧nim]’ and ‘어머님[∧
m∧nim].’
Other expressions, such as ‘학생[haks’æŋ]’(student) and ‘사장

14
님[saʤaŋnim]’(president) are also frequently used in daily life. 학생
is used by an adult talking to a student he or she does not know
Promises for Communication
when, for example, asking for directions, and 사장님 is used not
only for any kind of owner of a shop or company but also for male
customers in a restaurant or a pub.
It is not easy even for Koreans to use the proper expressions
for addressing and referring to others, since the rules are so What Led to ‘Basic Act on the Korean Language’?
complicated. However, misunderstandings can sometimes cause Language is social in its nature. One cannot arbitrarily change
arguments between people. language, since it is a social promise made among those who use it.
When such a social promise has been naturally established over a
I don’t have
아저씨[aʤ∧s’i]! a niece! long period of time, people follow rules by unspoken agreement.
(uncle!)
People also avoid difficulties in communication without much in

the way of regulation. This reinforces use of the language.
However, frequent contact with other languages stemming
from developments in transportation and telecommunication,
coupled with rapid social changes, can give rise to communication
problems. The Korean nation must establish reasonable policies
We have to establish its promulgation in January 2005; its goal is to facilitate the
an act in order to
develop the Korean correct use of the Korean language, to lay the foundation for the
language!
language’s development, and eventually to make contributions to
development of the culture.
We agree!
What Does the Basic Act on the Korean Language Say?
Above all else, the Basic Act on the Korean Language defines
the status of the Korean language as the official language of the
Republic of Korea, and defines Hangeul as the native writing
in order to handle this crisis effectively. The Korean government system of the Korean language. In addition, it demands that
has enacted the “Basic Act on the Korean Language” in order to Koreans speak the Korean language in their daily lives; that the
provide effective support to these policies. language conform to Korean orthography; and that foreign
Although Hangeul and the Korean language are two of the vocabulary items be converted into simple Korean words. It
most vital factors identifying Koreans, corresponding stipulated also insists that official documents and instruments, as well as
rules have been regarded as insignificant. The “Regulation on other documents, be written in Hangeul. Finally, the nation
the Exclusive Use of Hangeul” was proclaimed in 1948, but has been carrying out various projects necessary to support the
was practically invalid after only a few years. Other regulations dissemination of the Korean language overseas, which includes
related to Hangeul and the Korean language have been scattered support for Korean language textbooks aimed at overseas Koreans
throughout different pieces of legislation. The Basic Act on and non-native speakers, as well as the training of Korean language
the Korean Language has been in effect since July following experts.
104 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Promises for Communication 105
That’s a ‘홍합 No, it’s a task to identify which words and written forms were correct. The
[honghap].’(mussel ) ‘담치[tamʧhi].’
(mussel ) morpheme-based spelling tradition from the invention of Hangeul
had not been maintained. Toward the end of the 19th century,
the degree of confusion in the language’s spelling became severe.
Fortunately enough, however, Hangeul was recognized by the end
of the 19th century as an appropriate formula to meet the needs of
the new era. The demand had begun for a standardized spelling
system for the purpose of publishing textbooks and Korean
dictionaries.
What is Korean Language Standard for?
Certain regulations on words and writing do exist in the Korean

language, although these have not all been made as official as the What Are the Elements of the Korean Language Standard?
Basic Act on the Korean Language. Korea was under the rule The Korean language standard on words and writing is divided
of Japan in the 1930s. During this period, a spelling system was into one system for the language and another for the characters
created by a private organization in order to overcome confusions (or spelling). The system for the language is called “Standard
related to words and writing. This system became the foundation Language Rules” and includes rules on standard vocabulary and
for the rules governing Korean words and writing. pronunciation. The system for characters is called the “Rules
From the time of the invention of Hangeul to the end of the 19th of Korean Orthography.” The standard for loanwords is called
century, no written rules for Korean spelling existed. Use of the “Loanword Orthography,” and the system for Romanization of the
idiom among ordinary citizens became voluntary and subject to Korean language is governed by the “System for Romanization.”
modification. Due to the lack of guidance, it became an arduous The regulations do not share the same dates of implementation.
The currently operating Rules of Korean Orthography and
It’s pronounced It’s written
Standard Language Rules were promulgated in 1988 and have ‘물꼬기[mulk’ogi]’! ‘물고기(mulgogi )’!
been in effect since 1989. Loanword Orthography was revised in

1986 for the sake of convenient use for Koreans. The System for
Romanization was implemented in 2000.
Korean Language Standard

• Rules of Korean Orthography (legislated in 1933, revised in 1989)
• Standard Language Rules (first provided in 1936, legislated in 1989) each word.
• Loanword Orthography (legislated in 1940, last revision in 1984)
• The System for Romanization (legislated in 1948, last revision in 2000) Standard Language Rules explains, “Standard Korean refers
to the contemporary Seoul variation widely spoken among the
educated population.” This criterion is used to determine which
words are part of the standard vocabulary, and multiple standard
What Is the Content of the Korean Language Standard? vocabulary items are accepted if two or more forms are widely used
The Rules of Korean Orthography defines precise guidelines to refer to the same object.
for writing standard Korean, and accuracy rules dictate written Loanword Orthography prescribes the method for writing
forms. For instance, Koreans pronounce the word ‘물고기’(fish) loanwords in Hangeul. Several ways of spelling the same loanword
as ‘물꼬기’([mulk’ogi]). The word derives from ‘물[mul]’(water) and have been in competition with one another, since the Korean
‘고기[kogi]’(meat), but the spelling does not reflect the change in language has a variety of syllables, but this system allows only the
pronunciation. The Rules of Korean Orthography include not 24 letters currently used in the Korean language. The Hangeul
only rules for spelling, but also for spacing and punctuation in their spelling of a loanword is based on the original sound of the word,
appendix. Hangeul should be written with a space placed between but exceptions are allowed when a certain way of spelling has
become standard practice.
The System for Romanization stipulates how to write Korean
words using Roman characters. The rule is that Hangeul characters
are converted into corresponding Roman characters, based on
15
standard pronunciation, so that they can be clearly understood. The Korean Language in the
However, sometimes a single Korean sound requires the com- World
bination of two or more Roman characters. For instance, the
Korean vowel ‘ㅏ’ is Romanized as ‘a,’ and ‘ㅗ’ as ‘o,’ but ‘ㅓ’ does
not have any corresponding single vowel in Roman characters.
Therefore, ‘ㅓ’ is written as ‘eo’ in Romanized Korean.
People Who Wish to Learn Korean
Why on Earth does the Traditionally, the Korean language has only been spoken by native
Roman alphabet not have
any letter corresponding
to ‘ㅓ[∧]’? speakers residing on the peninsula or living abroad. However,
the population of Korean-speaking people ranks highly in the
You’re
telling me.
world, and the number of non-native speakers who wish to learn
the language has been steadily increasing as Korea’s political,
economic, and cultural status has risen.
An increasing number of people have developed the desire to
study the Korean language as they have become acquainted with
the country through Korean movies and soap operas or as they
have gotten accustomed to Korean culture while enjoying the
singing of Korean songs. Initially, immigrant workers studied the Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, some 286 middle and
language in an effort to gain employment in Korea. However, the high schools teach Korean as a foreign language. More than 15
purposes of study have since diversified – people are studying in universities have Korean language departments, and the number of
order to attend Korean schools or get a job at the overseas office of Korean majors in Mongolian has risen to approximately 3,000.
a Korean company, or because of their attraction to Korean culture, The number of learners from Asian countries besides China
as well as a host of other reasons. and Japan that are geographically close to Korea has increased.
Meanwhile, a number of colleges and universities have been
establishing Korean language departments in the Middle East,
Where the Korean Language Is Taught Africa, and Eastern Europe.
In 2004, there were 20 Chinese universities that had established The University of Warsaw, one of the best universities in Poland,
Korean language departments, but by 2009 the numbers were up established a Korean language department in 1983, the first
to around 70. A Korean language program has been appearing on university in Eastern Europe to do so. In 1995, Bulgaria’s Sofia
NHK, the national broadcasting station of Japan. There are more University established its own Korean language department, and
than 3,000 Korean language institutes in Japan, including private Ain Shams University in Egypt followed suit in 2005. Currently,
institutes. According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, ten universities in nine countries in the Middle East and Africa,
including Morocco, Tunisia, and Jordan, are offering Korean
We have to learn
Korean! Of course! classes. A total of 742 universities in 64 countries offer Korean
classes or have a Korean language department, and there are more
than 2,000 Korean language education institutes around the world.
112 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language The Korean Language in the World 113
Status of the Korean Language in the World the World Register in 1997, and the World Intellectual Property
Since 1990, UNESCO has Organization (WIPO) congress held on September 28, 2007,
been conducting an annual adopted Korean as an official language in the Patent Cooperation
selection of individuals or Treaty(PCT). As a result, the Korean language has finally entered
groups that have contributed to the line of international off-icial languages.
the eradication of illiteracy and, The high degree of interest in the Korean language can be
especially, the development and confirmed if we look at the rapidly increasing number of people
Award Ceremony for the King
dissemination of a developing Sejong Literacy Prize(UNESCO) taking the Test of Proficiency in Korean(TOPIK). The Institute for
country’s native language, and awarding them the “King Sejong Curriculum and Evaluation offers this examination twice a year to
Literacy Prize” in honor of the king’s contributions to literacy. non-native speakers of Korean and to Koreans living abroad. The
The name was proposed by the Korean government in June 1989, number of examinees was 2,274 when the program began in 1997
and the prize has been awarded on September 8 – International and had risen to over 180,000 by 2009.
Literacy Day – of every year since 1990. Many high school students in the US take a college entrance
UNESCO designated the Hunminjeongeum as a Memory of exam called the SAT. In 1997, an SAT Subject Test for the Korean
You may enter this

university if you speak
Korean well enough. Really?
» The number of TOPIK examinees
language was added as demand for the language increased. It was promoting the Sejong Hakdang as a unified brand of individual
the ninth foreign language to be adopted by the SAT. The number Korean language education centers in order to disseminate
of examinees has consistently increased, and in 2008 the number and promote the Korean language both domestically and
of students taking the Korean Subject Test ranked 4th after Spanish, internationally. It has been planning to expand the number of these
French, and Chinese. At the same time, Korean guidebooks are schools in Europe, America, and Africa by 2015. Currently, most
available now in some of the most famous museums and galleries in are centered in Asia. The Korea Fellowship Program sponsored by
the USA and Europe. the Korea Foundation, which dispatches fellows overseas for the
promotion of Korean studies, has also been increasing every year.
Efforts to Disseminate the Korean Language Let’s spread the Korean language by
establishing Sejong Hakdang !
Despite South Korea having diplomatic relations with more
than 180 countries in all, only 64 countries have held university
courses in Korean. Additionally, only one or two Korean classes are
available in such large countries as Spain, Italy, and Brazil.
People’s interest in the Korean language has developed out of
factors such as positive feelings toward the country and a trust in
Korean products. As a consequence, the nation has been making
concrete efforts toward the dissemination of the Korean language.
One good example is the establishment of the International
Korean Language Foundation for the purpose of dissemination
and education for non-native speakers. The government has been
16
Future of the Korean Language
The Crisis Once Faced by the Korean Language
The Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages and the

National Geographic Society of the USA, which has been making
efforts to preserve the endangered languages of the world, reported
that one language disappears from the world every couple of weeks.
The Worldwatch Institute, a private environmental organization,
predicted in its 2008 report on the “extinction of the world’s
languages” that around 6,100 of the languages currently existing in
the world would disappear by 2100. The reasons given for language
extinction included war, large-scale massacres, deadly natural
disasters, and language policies concentrated on specific languages
119
and law in Japanese. The Korean language, deprived of status as an
official language, was only used in daily life.
In 1938, Japan changed its colonial language policy from
coexistence of Korean and Japanese to the exclusive use of
Japanese. The very status of Korean as a language of everyday life
was also in danger due to measures such as the abolishment of
Hangeul newspaper in 1940. Despite the harsh ordeal of Japanese
vulnerable definitely endangered severely endangered critically endangered extinct
suppression, Koreans made continuous efforts to preserve Hangeul
» Atlas of Endangered Languages (UNESCO)

and spoken Korean by carrying on the publication of Korean
dictionaries and other materials. As a result, the language was
such as English and Chinese. preserved for use again after independence from Japan.
According to the UNESCO Atlas of Endangered Languages,
You will be in
which was published in order to raise awareness among policy- trouble if you keep
speaking Korean!
makers, speaker communities, and the general public about
language threats and the need to safeguard the world’s linguistic
That’s so mean!
diversity, the Korean language is fortunately not among those in
danger of extinction within the near future.
However, there was a time in the fact when the Korean language
was in jeopardy. During the Japanese colonial period, Korea was
required to publish all textbooks except for Korean language texts
in Japanese, and to write all documents regarding administration
120 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Future of the Korean Language 121
The Crisis Now Faced by the Korean Language This trend has had a major impact on everyday language as well.
An excessive emphasis on English has recently become a threat to The street is filled with English signboards, and the names of TV
the Korean language. More than ever, English is viewed as a bridge programs and companies tend to be in English. Korean pop songs
toward globalization, and it has gained in importance in Korea also contain quite a lot of English lyrics.
as a means of communication in the global society. Many local One extreme example of English worship is the debate over the
governments are scrambling to build English villages, and most official use of English for communication. Proponents of this insist
parents are encouraging their children to learn English in their that English be used officially alongside Korean. Some colleges
primary school years, or even in preschool, due to an early English and companies have been implementing the official use of English
education boom. within the community.
Numerous universities are offering classes in English, and many
college students have been traveling to English-speaking countries
to participate in English study programs. It is now a requirement The Future of Hangeul and Korean
to have a high score on the TOEIC or TOEFL to get the job one is Words and writing play an important role in enhancing economic
interested in. effects as well as improving the image of a country. In this respect,
Hangeul is a precious gift that the Koreans of the 21st century
In the past, the order Now, it’s
of importance at school
was 1) Korean, 2) English,
1) English, 2) math,
3) Korean.
have embraced. Hangeul will perform a major role in the era of
3) math.
knowledge and information in the 21st century.
Many countries have been competing to be the best in
producing convenient and fast information devices. Hangeul
is one of the reasons that Korea has been able to lead the way
in developing small devices that can process large amounts of
information in short periods of time. Hangeul is more than seven are assembled to make a single syllable. The way it uses its inherent
times as effective in computer-based tasks than Japanese kana or qualities to create unconventional beauty is also one of the
Chinese characters. Because of this, the Presidential Council on visual strengths of Hangeul. You will have more opportunities
Nation Branding has named Hangeul as one of the most important to appreciate costumes, accessories, and ornaments made with
nationally branded products in the culture industry. In addition, Hangeul designs everywhere you go in the future.
it has been making continued efforts to promote the standing of In order to help people understand the Korean language and
Hangeul by developing related cultural products. Hangeul and shed new light on their significance lives of Korean
Hangeul has emerged as a new motif in culture and the arts. people, the Korean government is planning the construction of a
The unique and sophisticated qualities of the various design Hangeul museum. With a target opening date set for 2012, efforts
products using Hangeul have attracted attention not only from are currently under way to design the building and assemble items
Koreans but from a worldwide audience. Hangeul characters are for display.
usually rectangular in shape because the vowels and consonants
» Design Products Using Hangeul » Aerial Diagram of the Hangeul Museum
| Appendix |
Websites for Hangeul and

the Korean Language
1. Hangeul and the Korean Language
Digital Hangeul Museum(디지털 한글 박물관)

www.hangeulmuseum.or.kr
Foundation for Korean Language & Culture in USA(한국어진흥재단)

www.klacusa.org
International Korean Language Foundation(한국어세계화재단)

www.glokorean.org
The National Institute of the Korean Language(국립국어원)

www.korean.go.kr
Nuri-Sejonghakdang(누리 세종 학당)
www.sejonghakdang.org
Standard Korean Dictionary(표준국어대사전)

stdweb2.korean.go.kr
21st Century Sejong Project(21세기 세종 계획)

www.sejong.or.kr
127
2. Korean Language Education Centers
Catholic University(가톨릭대학교 한국어교육센터) Korean Language & Culture Foundation(한국언어문화연구원)

klec.cuk.ac.kr www.kolang.or.kr
Chungbuk National University(충북대학교 국제교육원) Kyunghee University(경희대학교 국제교육원)

cie.chungbuk.ac.kr www.iie.ac.kr
Ewha Womans University(이화여자대학교 언어교육원) Paichai University(배재대학교 한국어교육원)

ile.ewha.ac.kr koreanclass.pcu.ac.kr
Hallym University(한림대학교 한국어교육센터) Pusan National University(부산대학교 국제언어교육원)

www.klec.or.kr pnuls.pusan.ac.kr
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies(한국외국어대학교 한국어문화교육원) Sangmyung University(상명대학교 한국언어문화교육원)

www.hufs.ac.kr/hufskorean cklc.smu.ac.kr
Hongik University(홍익대학교 국제언어교육원) Seoul National University(서울대학교 언어교육원)

huniv.hongik.ac.kr/~korean lei.snu.ac.kr
Hoseo University(호서대학교 국제교육원) Sunmoon University(선문대학교 한국어교육원)

ieec.hoseo.edu kli.sunmoon.ac.kr
Information & Communication University(한국정보통신대학교 국제교육센터) Yonsei University(연세대학교 언어교육원)

cie.icu.ac.kr ilre.yonsei.ac.kr
KBS(KBS 한국어진흥원)
www.kbsas.com
Keimyung University(계명대학교 국제교육센터)

intlcenter.kmu.ac.kr
Konkuk University(건국대학교 언어교육원)

kfli.konkuk.ac.kr
Korea University(고려대학교 한국어문화센터)

klcc.korea.ac.kr
128 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Websites for Hangeul and the Korean Language 129
3. Korean Language Societies and Research Institutes
Association for Korean Linguistics(한국어학회)

www.koling.org
Hangeul Society(한글학회)
www.hangeul .or.kr
International Association for Korean Language Education

(국제한국어교육학회)
www.iakle.com
Korean Association for Lexicography(한국사전학회)

korealex.org/sobis/korealex.jsp
Korean Language Research Circle(한말연구학회)

www.hanmal.or.kr
Society of Korean Dialect(한국방언학회)

www.sokodia.or.kr
Society of Korean Language & Literature(국어국문학회)

www.korlanlit.or.kr
Society of Korean Language Education(한국어교육학회)

www.koredu.org
Society of Korean Linguistics(국어학회)

www.skl.or.kr
Society of Korean Semantics(한국어의미학회)

www.semantics.or.kr

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NIKL | 2010 - 04 - 01

GPRN | 11 - 1371028 - 000191 - 01

1 Hangugeo , the Language of Koreans

Wanted to Know about

| Appendix | Websites for Hangeul and the Korean Language

1 Hangugeo , the Language of Koreans

Wanted to Know about

| Appendix | Websites for Hangeul and the Korean Language

Director Jung Heewon (The National Institute of the Korean Language)

Published by The National Institute of the Korean Language (www.korean.go.kr)

1 Hangugeo , the Language of Koreans

| Appendix | Websites for Hangeul and the Korean Language 127

Hangugeo , the Official Language of the Republic of Korea

Who Uses Korean?

There is not much difference between the populations of those

14 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language 15

16 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Sounds 17

18 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Sounds 19

initial ‘ㄴ[n]’ sound in front of some vowels. In some Sino-Korean

Harmonious and Inharmonious Vowels

반짝 - 반짝 번쩍 - 번쩍 동실 - 동실 둥실 - 둥실 Is this a book? Interrogative form

As indicated above, the order of this and is is switched to convert

20 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language 21

As seen in the above example, attaching the ending ‘-ㄴ다[-nda]’ to

22 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Grammar 23

민호는 학교에 간다. Minho goes to school.

The Power of the Ending 수미는 집에 간다. Sumi goes home.

입[ip] - 으시[ɨʃi] - 었[∧t] - 겠[k’et] - 더[t’∧] - 라[ɾa]

stem honoriﬁc past presumptive retrospective declarative

24 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language Grammar 25

‘-고[-go],’ it means that the two clauses are presented in parallel

26 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language 27

Modifier in Front of the Modified

Particles after Uninflected Words

[ig∧sɨn ilgɨl manhan ʧhægida]

Mary loves John.

On the other hand, word components move relatively freely

내 - 가 수미- 에게 그림 - 을 보여 주었다. I showed Sumi a picture.

speak in SOV order. Therefore, when the order changes there

32 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language 33

Some words are not recognized as loanwords by native Koreans

There was a time when Sino-Korean words and Western

Abundant and Nuanced Phonomimes and Phenomimes

40 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language 41

42 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language

• 검다[k∧mt’a] dark, black (vision):

• 달다[talda] sweet (taste):

Principles behind the Invention of Hangeul

» Horizontal writing » Vertical writing

processing that is quite fast and accurate, and it could be argued

Borrowing from Chinese Characters

54 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language 55

Hangeul Only or a Mixture with Chinese Characters?

» Signboards with Roman Alphabet on the Street

60 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Korean Language

Would it be possible to talk to people without difficulty if we went

This phrase is interpreted as meaning, “Since a tree with deep

(fruit). However, the word ‘뮐[mwils’æ]’ is no longer used. The

vowel ‘ ,’ seen in ‘남[namgan]’ and ‘매[paɾamæ],’ is not used