Sino-Korean vocabulary

Sino-Korean vocabulary or Hanjaeo () refers to Korean words of Chinese origin. Sino-Korean vocabulary includes words borrowed directly from Chinese, as well as new Korean words created from Chinese characters, and words borrowed from Sino-Japanese vocabulary. Many of these terms were borrowed during the height of Chinese-language literature on Korean culture. Subsequently, many of these words have also been truncated or altered for the Korean language.

Estimates of the percentage of Sino-Korean ranges from as low as 30% to as high as 70%. According to the Standard Korean Language Dictionary published by the National Institute of Korean Language (NIKL), Sino-Korean represents approximately 57% of the Korean vocabulary.

History

The use of Classical and Literary Chinese and Chinese characters in Korea dates back to at least 194 BCE. While Sino-Korean words were widely used during the Three Kingdoms period, they became even more popular during the Silla period. During this time, male aristocrats changed their given names to Sino-Korean names. Additionally, the government changed all official titles and place names in the country to Sino-Korean.

Sino-Korean words remained popular during the Goryeo and Joseon periods.

Usage

Sino-Korean words constitute a large portion of South Korean vocabulary, the remainder being native Korean words and loanwords from other languages, such as Japanese and English to a lesser extent. Sino-Korean words are typically used in formal or literary contexts, and to express abstract or complex ideas.

All Korean surnames and most Korean given names are Sino-Korean.

Examples

Words borrowed from Chinese

Sino-Korean words borrowed directly from Chinese come mainly from Chinese classics, literature, and colloquial Chinese.

| Colloquially often used as a form of greeting. For example, annyeonghaseyo () from annyeong () + haseyo ().

|birthday

|생일 (saengil)

|生日

|"birth day"

|happiness; good fortune

|행복 (haengbok)

|幸福

|"happiness blessing"

|parents

|부모 (bumo)

|父母

|"father mother"

|student

|학생 (haksaeng)

|學生

|"study student"

|sun

|태양 (taeyang)

|太陽

|"great light"

|question

|질문 (jilmun)

|質問

|"background ask"

|perfume

|향수 (hyangsu)

|香水

|"fragrant water"

Words created in Korea using Chinese characters

These words below were created in Korea using Chinese characters. They are not used in China, Japan, nor Vietnam.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Definition

!Korean

!Revised Romanization

!Hanja

!Remark

|shame

|미안

|mian

|未安

| Colloquially often used to express shame, sorrow or as a form of apology. For example, mianhamnida () from mian () + hamnida ().

|false; rumor; canard

|낭설

|nangseol

|浪說

|marital compatibility; well-suited; well-matched

|궁합

|gunghap

|宮合

|common cold

|감기

|gamgi

|感氣

|deceptive; trickster

|고단수

|godansu

|高段數

|hardship; trouble; suffering

|고생

|gosaeng

|苦生

|notebook

|공책

|gongchaek

|空冊

|amazing

|굉장

|goengjang

|宏壯

|determiner (grammar); prenoun

|관형사

|gwanhyeongsa

|冠形詞

|prison; penitentiary

|교도소

|gyodoso

|矯導所

|assortment (of goods)

|구색

|gusaek

|具色

|a joke

|농담

|nongdam

|弄談

|unity; join; combine

|단합

|danhap

|團合

|reply; response; answer

|답장

|dapjang

|答狀

|fortune; lucky

|다행

|dahaeng

|多幸

|cod(fish)

|대구

|daegu

|大口

|mass transportation; public transit

|대중교통

|daejung-gyotong

|大衆交通

|site; land mass

|대지

|daeji

|垈地

|indebtedness

|덕분

|deokbun

|德分

|subcontract

|도급

|dogeup

|都給

|unmarried young man; bachelor; youngster

|도령

|doryeong

|道令

|flu; influenza

|독감

|dokgam

|毒感

|same age

|동갑

|donggap

|同甲

|sense of kinship

|동질감

|dongjilgam

|同質感

|beer

|맥주

|maekju

|麥酒

|pollock

|명태

|myeongtae

|明太

|(national) holiday

|명절

|myeongjeol

|名節

|business card containing name

|명함

|myeongham

|名銜

|carpenter

|목수

|moksu

|木手

|extinction; annihilation

|몰사

|molsa

|沒死

|massacre; slaughter; extermination

|몰살

|molsal

|沒殺

|hibiscus

|무궁화

|mugunghwa

|無窮花

|visit to sick person

|문병

|munbyeong

|問病

|questioning; interrogating

|문초

|muncho

|問招

|uneasy; uncomfortable; to be apologetic

|미안

|mian

|未安

|public harm

|민폐

|minpye

|民弊

|just

|방금

|banggeum

|方今

|sitting cushion; sitting mat

|방석

|bangseok

|方席

|lottery ticket

|복권

|bokgwon

|福券

|real estate agency

|복덕방

|bokdeokbang

|福德房

|off-season; slow season

|비수기

|bisugi

|非需期

|ice rink

|빙상장

|bingsangjang

|氷上場

|subscribe

|구독

|gudog

|購讀

|cemetery; grave; tomb

|산소

|sanso

|山所

|fish (specifically prepared as food)

|생선

|saengseon

|生鮮

|stonemason

|석수

|seoksu

|石手

|present; gift

|선물

|seonmul

|膳物

|peak season; busy season

|성수기

|seongsugi

|盛需期

|(your) name

|성함

|seongham

|姓銜

|effort

|수고

|sugo

|受苦

|sexual harassment

|성희롱

|seonghuirong

|性戲弄

|duty; responsibility; task

|소임

|soim

|所任

|precious; valuable

|소중

|sojung

|所重

|trip; picnic; excursion

|소풍

|sopung

|逍風

|cheque

|수표

|supyo

|手票

|beginning of; start of; embark upon

|시작

|sijak

|始作

|earnestly request

|신신당부

|sinsindangbu

|申申當付

|child actor or actress

|아역

|ayeok

|兒役

|seize; distrainment; sequestration

|압류

|amnyu (apryu)

|押留

|bad term; grudge

|앙숙

|angsuk

|怏宿

|uproar; clamor; commotion

|야단

|yadan

|惹端

|socks

|양말

|yangmal

|洋襪

|heartlessness; mercilessness

|야박

|yabak

|野薄

|as expected; also

|역시

|yeoksi

|亦是

|yellow-green; light green

|연두

|yeondu

|軟豆

|alien; extraterrestrial

|외계인

|oegyein

|外界人

|native speaker

|원어민

|woneomin

|原語民

|exclave

|월경지

|wolgyeongji

|越境地

|beginning; commencing

|위시

|wisi

|爲始

|lean on; depend on; rely on

|의지

|uiji

|依支

|move; relocate

|이사

|isa

|移徙

|rice-planting machine

|이앙기

|ianggi

|移秧機

|behalf

|자기편

|jagipyeon

|自己便

|determination; decision; plan

|작정

|jakjeong

|作定

|gloves; mittens

|장갑

|janggap

|掌匣 / 掌甲

|lease; charter

|전세

|jeonse

|專貰

|procedure (for); process (of); steps; proceedings

|절차

|jeolcha

|節次

|lovers' talk

|정담

|jeongdam

|情談

|identity

|정체성

|jeongcheseong

|正體性

|bakery; bakeshop

|제과점

|jegwajeom

|製菓店

|gas station

|주유소

|juyuso

|注油所

|kettle

|주전자

|jujeonja

|酒煎子

|sorry; pardon; regrettable

|죄송

|joesong

|罪悚

|purse; wallet

|지갑

|jigap

|紙匣

|order; turn; table of contents

|차례

|charye

|次例

|bookstore

|책방

|chaekbang

|冊房

|window

|창문

|changmun

|窓門

|ceiling

|천장

|cheonjang

|天障

|wedding invitation

|청첩장

|cheongcheopjang

|請牒狀

|elementary school

|초등학교

|chodeung-hakgyo

|初等學校

|elementary school student

|초등학생

|chodeung-haksaeng

|初等學生

|spring fatigue

|춘곤증

|chungonjeung

|春困症

|release; launch

|출시

|chulsi

|出市

|stairs; stairway; staircase

|층계

|cheunggye

|層階

|friend

|친구

|chingu

|親舊

|release

|출시

|chulsi

|出市

|video game related

|block

|차단

|chadang

|遮斷

|spring of clock; clockwork

|태엽

|taeyeop

|胎葉

|consilience

|통섭

|tongseop

|統攝

|convenience store

|편의점

|pyeoneuijeom

|便宜店

|letter; epistle

|편지

|pyeonji

|便紙

|a visit; a trip; travelling

|행차

|haengcha

|行次

|brag; bluff; boast

|허풍

|heopung

|虛風

|cash

|현찰

|hyeonchal

|現札

|circumstances; conditions

|형편

|hyeongpyeon

|形便

|go crazy; be out of one's mind

|환장

|hwanjang

|換腸

|change of seasons; in-between seasons

|환절기

|hwanjeolgi

|換節期

|Hyeonchungil

|현충일

|hyeonchungil

|顯忠日

|device

|기기

|gigi

|機器/器機

|Does not share the same meaning in Chinese, which means machine.

|name card

|명함

|myeongham

|名銜

Words borrowed from Sino-Japanese

Sino-Korean words borrowed from Sino-Japanese are used only in Korean and Japanese, not in Chinese.

|movie

|영화 (yeonghwa)

|映畵

|"shine picture"

|item of personal preference

|기호품 (gihopum)

|嗜好品

|"like items"

|actor

|배우 (baeu)

|俳優

|"show actor"

|broadcast

|방송 (bangsong)

|放送

|"put send"

|passport

|여권 (yeogwon)

|旅券

|"travel certificate"

|station

|역 (yeok)

|驛

|"station"

|photo

|사진 (sajin)

|寫眞

|"write real"

Phonetic correspondences

Initial consonants

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"

! Middle Chinese

!Sino-Korean

! rowspan="4" |Labials

| p

| rowspan="3" |p/pʰ

| pʰ

| b

| m

! rowspan="5" |Dentals

| t

| rowspan="3" |t/tʰ

| tʰ

| d

| n

| l

! rowspan="3" |Retroflex stops

| ʈ

| rowspan="3" |t/tʰ

| ʈʰ

| ɖ

! rowspan="5" |Dental sibilants

| ts

| rowspan="3" |tɕ/tɕʰ

| tsʰ

| dz

| s

| rowspan="2" |s

| z

! rowspan="4" |Retroflex sibilants

| ʈʂ

| rowspan="2" |tɕ/tɕʰ

| ʈʂʰ

| ɖʐ

|s/tɕ/tɕʰ

| ʂ

! rowspan="6" |Palatals

| tɕ

| rowspan="2" |tɕ/tɕʰ

| tɕʰ

| dʑ

| rowspan="3" |s

| ɕ

| ʑ

| ɲ

|z > ∅

! rowspan="4" |Velars

| k

| rowspan="2" |k/h

| kʰ

| ɡ

| ŋ

|ŋ > ∅

! rowspan="3" |Laryngeals

| ʔ

|ʔ > ∅

| x

| rowspan="2" |h

| ɣ

Final consonants

The Middle Chinese final consonants were semivowels (or glides) /j/ and /w/, nasals /m/, /n/ and /ŋ/, and stops /p/, /t/ and /k/. Sino-Korean preserves all the distinctions between final nasals and stops. Although Old Korean had a /t/ coda, words with the Middle Chinese coda /t/ have /l/ in Sino-Korean, reflecting a northern variety of Late Middle Chinese in which final /t/ had weakened to /r/.

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"

!Middle Chinese

!Sino-Korean

| -m

| -n

| -ng

|ŋ

| -p

| -t

| -k