The Principle of Korean Characters (2)

Wow! It's the second time about the principle of Korean characters! How much did you understand? I think there are only few people reading my blogs. haha.


In this time, you will realize how korean components sound. Did you remember how many components in Korean? Exactly, there are 24 components! U SO SMART!

I will put all of components distinguished vowels and consonants. As I wrote before, there are 10 vowels and 14 consonants. First, you will get sounds from 10 vowels.

(1) Vowels

• ㅏ [a]
• ㅑ [ya]
• ㅓ [eo]
• ㅕ [yeo] -
• ㅗ [o] - Not [ou] sound. Not [au] sound.
• ㅛ [yo]
• ㅜ [wu]
• ㅠ [yu]
• ㅡ [eu] - Not easy for Western people.
• ㅣ [i] or [yi]

(2) Consonants

• ㄱ [g] or [K]
• ㄴ [n]
• ㄷ [d]
• ㄹ [l] or [r]
• ㅁ [m]
• ㅂ [b]
• ㅅ [s]
• ㅇ [ng] - soundlessness
• ㅈ [j]
• ㅊ [ch] - stronger than ㅈ sound, not a double [J] sound like Chinese or Spanish
• ㅌ [t] - stronger than ㄷ sound
• ㅋ [c] or [k] - stronger than ㄱ sound
• ㅍ [p] - stronger than ㅂ sound
• ㅎ [h] - not a German 'ch' sound. not a Chinese 'he'. Should houl your voices.

Components can be combined. The order of combination is basically

(1) one consonant + one vowel

ex> 비 = ㅂ + ㅣ

비 sounds [bi] and stands for rain. You may know a famous Korean singer whose name is 'Rain.' His name in Korean is '비'[bi].

(2) one consonant + one vowel + another consoant

ex> 공 = ㄱ + ㅗ + ㅇ

공 sounds [gong] and means 'a ball.'

(3) one consonant + one vowel + another vowel

ex> 과 and 와

과 sounds [gwa] and 와 sounds [wa]. They are conjunction to be located between two nouns.

While it is kind of 'AND' of conjunctions, the usage is a littel different. '과' and '와' should be only in nouns.

When 'ㅇ' is put on the first consonant place, it doesn't have sound. It's silent. So you can say [wa].

(4) one consonant + one vowel + another two consonants

ex> 닭

it means 'a chicken' and sounds [dak]. Originally, you may have to say [dark], but [r] sound is omitted when you speak it fast. Thus, 'ㄹ' sound on below is soundless. In some internationaly languages, perhaps, don't have the 'r' sound when 'r' comes to the first place on a word. It's kinda similar principle.

(4) Two consonants + one vowel (+ another consonant)

ex> 또한 and 오빠

또한 is sounded [ddo han] and 오빠 is sounded [obba] or [oppa]. '또한' stands for 'AND' or 'ALSO' as conjunction or adverb. It depends on where it put.

오빠 is used in the situation when young girls call their own older brother or older male acquintances. It's like "BROTHER" for women.

Two of consonants can be put. But, it's limited. Only 'ㄱ', 'ㄷ', 'ㅂ', 'ㅅ', 'ㅈ' are able to be doubled with the same component. I mean if 'ㄱ' is put twice, it should be like 'ㄲ'. Doubled consonants are pronunced in similarity of Japanese, Spanish or Italian's [k], [t], [p], [c] and [j] sounds.

Thus,

• ㄱ+ㄱ = ㄲ [gg]
• ㄷ+ㄷ = ㄸ [dd]
• ㅂ+ㅂ = ㅃ [bb] or [pp]
• ㅅ+ㅅ = ㅆ [ss]
• ㅈ+ㅈ = ㅉ [jj]

(5) Two consonants + two vowels (+ another consonant)

Ex> 뛰다

뛰다 means 'run' as a verb. Its pronunciation is [ddui da]

Two vowels have a limited usage like in two consonants. There are 'ㅐ', 'ㅔ', 'ㅚ', 'ㅙ', 'ㅟ', 'ㅞ', and ''ㅢ'[ui]. 'ㅐ' and 'ㅔ', 'ㅚ' and 'ㅙ' and 'ㅙ' are similar to pronunciate.

I will give some words. You can practice yourself. I am sorry not to give you some sound files for you.

Fill in the blanks and guess how they are sounded and can should do below.

• 안녕? [ ]?
• 배고파 [ ]
• 밥 [ ]
• 돈 [ ]
• 졸려 [ ]