The Hangeul alphabet (한글)

Korean consonants

The double consonants marked with * are pronounced fortis.

Korean vowels



http://www.collegeoftao.com/images/wu-tao-meditation-retreat-lrg.jpgPlease take care of yourself = 잘 지내세요.
(literally please spend your time well)
쫓다chot da,1. to chase, to run after 2. to drive away, to repel
독수리dok soo ri, eagle
유성yoo sung, shooting star
일식il sik, solar eclipse
은하수woon ha soo, Milky Way, galaxy
행성heng sung, planet
태양te yang, sun
해he, 1. year 2. sun
땅dang, land, earth, soil
지구ji goo, the globe, the earth
행복 heng bok, happiness, bliss
송아지 song a ji, calf
소 so, 1. cow, cattle, bull, ox 2. small, little
낳다 nat da, to give birth to, to bear, to produce
버팔로 buh pal loh, buffalo
늑대 nook de, wolf
까마귀 ka ma gwi, crow, raven
나비 na bi, butterfly
멧돼지 met dwe ji, wild boar
돼지 dwe ji, pig
뱀 bem, snake
사슴 sa soom, deer
암탉 am tak, hen
호랑이 ho rang i, tiger
무리 moo ri, group, herd
토끼 to ki, rabbit
용 yong, 1. dragon 2. for (the use of)
벌 bul, 1. bee, wasp 2. punishment, penalty 3. set, pair
사자 sa ja, lion
코끼리 ko ki ri, elephant
고양이 go yang i, cat
둥지 doong ji, a nest
독수리 dok soo ri, eagle
거북이 guh boo gi, turtle, tortoise
수사슴 soo sa soom, stag, male deer
물고기 mool go gi, fish (species not food)
비둘기 bi dool gi, pigeon, dove
매 me, 1. every, each 2. hawk
양 yang, 1. sheep, lamb 2. amount, quantity 3. positive
곰 gom, bear (animal)
새 se, 1. bird 2. new
서다 suh da, 1. to stand 2. to stop

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Friday, February 19, 2010

Sentence and Words of the Day

Sentence of the Day:

이 케이크 만드는 방법을 알려주시겠습니까?

Can you give me the recipe for this cake?



Words of the Day:


Basic



yong

= dragon


Intermediate

교육

gyo yook

= education


Advanced

만원

man wun

= full house, no vacancy



  Yesterday's Words:

다섯

da sut

= five, 5


비록

bi rok

= even though, even if


탄산

tan san

= carbonated, carbonic acid (chemistry)



Random Words of your Loop:

  sik = 1. ceremony 2. cuisine, food, eating

내용   ne yong = content

보넷   bo net = bonnet, hood (of a car)

작다   jak da = small

조모   jo mo = grandmother (formal tone)

Origin of Writing in Korea

Korean   한글자모 / 조선글

Origin of writing in Korea

Chinese writing has been known in Korea for over 2,000 years. It was used widely during the Chinese occupation of northern Korea from 108 BC to 313 AD. By the 5th century AD, the Koreans were starting to write in Classical Chinese - the earliest known example of this dates from 414 AD. They later devised three different systems for writing Korean with Chinese characters: Hyangchal (향찰/鄕札), Gukyeol (구결/口訣) and Idu (이두/吏讀). These systems were similar to those developed in Japan and were probably used as models by the Japanese.

The Idu system used a combination of Chinese characters together with special symbols to indicate Korean verb endings and other grammatical markers, and was used to in official and private documents for many centuries. The Hyangchal system used Chinese characters to represent all the sounds of Korean and was used mainly to write poetry.

The Koreans borrowed a huge number of Chinese words, gave Korean readings and/or meanings to some of the Chinese characters and also invented about 150 new characters, most of which are rare or used mainly for personal or place names.


The Korean alphabet was invented in 1444 and promulgated it in 1446 during the reign of King Sejong (r.1418-1450), the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty. The alphabet was originally called Hunmin jeongeum, or "The correct sounds for the instruction of the people", but has also been known as Eonmeun (vulgar script) and Gukmeun (national writing). The modern name for the alphabet, Hangeul, was coined by a Korean linguist called Ju Si-gyeong (1876-1914). In North Korea the alphabet is known as 조선글 (josoen guel).
The shapes of the consonants are based on the shape the mouth made when the corresponding sound is made, and the traditional direction of writing (vertically from right to left) most likely came from Chinese, as did the practice of writing syllables in blocks.

Even after the invention of the Korean alphabet, most Koreans who could write continued to write either in Classical Chinese or in Korean using the Gukyeol or Idu systems. The Korean alphabet was associated with people of low status, i.e. women, children and the uneducated. During the 19th and 20th centuries a mixed writing system combining Chinese characters (Hanja) and Hangeul became increasingly popular. Since 1945 however, the importance of Chinese characters in Korean writing has diminished significantly.


Since 1949 hanja have not been used at all in any North Korean publications, with the exception of a few textbooks and specialized books. In the late 1960s the teaching of hanja was reintroduced in North Korean schools however and school children are expected to learn 2,000 characters by the end of high school.
In South Korea school children are expected to learn 1,800 hanja by the end of high school. The proportion of hanja used in Korean texts varies greatly from writer to writer and there is considerable public debate about the role of hanja in Korean writing.

Most modern Korean literature and informal writing is written entirely in hangeul, however academic papers and official documents tend to be written in a mixture of hangeul and hanja.

Notable features of Hangeul

  • There are 24 letters (jamo) in the Korean alphabet: 14 consonants and 10 vowels. The letters are combined together into syllable blocks.
For example, Hangeul is written: 한(han) ᄒ(h) + ᅡ(a) + ᄂ(n)
 글(geul) ᄀ(g) + ᅳ(eu) + ᄅ(l)
  • The shapes of the the consontants g/k, n, s, m and ng are graphical representations of the speech organs used to pronounce them. Other consonsants were created by adding extra lines to the basic shapes.
  • The shapes of the the vowels are based on three elements: man (a vertical line), earth (a horizontal line) and heaven (a dot). In modern Hangeul the heavenly dot has mutated into a short line.
  • Spaces are placed between words, which can be made up of one or more syllables.
  • The sounds of some consonants change depending on whether they appear at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a syllable.
  • A number of Korean scholars have proposed an alternative method of writing Hangeul involving writing each letter in a line like in English, rather than grouping them into syllable blocks, but their efforts have been met with little interest or enthusiasm.
  • In South Korea hanja are used to some extent in Korean texts.
  • Korean can be written in vertical columns running from top to bottom and right to left, or in horizontal lines running from left to right. 
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/korean.htm

note:  Omniglot also carries data on many languages, and this is a sample of how this website shares with the world, thank you Omniglot.

Phrases Feb 18, 2010

Korean alphabet

Wisdom 
Bless you! 신의 축복이 있기를! (상대방이 제채기했을 때 하는 말)

What is learned in the cradle is carried to the grave.
세살 적버릇 여든까지 간다.

Try a horse by riding him; try a man by associating with him
말은 타 보아서 시험하고, 인간은 사귀어 보고 시험하라

It is an honor to have this opportunity to be with you.
선생님과 자리를 같이 할 수 있는 기회를 갖게되어 영광으로 생각합니다.

Do good and don't look back.
선을 행하고 뒤를 돌아보지 말아라.

Writing
Have you ever done any composing?
작곡해 본 적 있어요?

How do you spell it?
그것의 철자는 어떻게 됩니까?

He seems to be getting on very well at school.
그는 학교 성적이 매우 좋아진 것 같아요.

Music
Do you know how to play the song on the guitar?
그 노래 기타로 연주할 줄 아세요?

She looks blue.
그 여자는 우울해 보여요.


Courtesy
The pleasure is all mine.
천만의 말씀입니다.

None for me, thank you.
나는 괜찮아요.

Congratulations on your success.
성공을 축하드립니다.

May I show you?
제가 안내해 드릴까요?

His success is well assured.
그가 성공할 가능성은 충분히 있읍니다

I'm feeling off today.
오늘은 어쩐지 기분이 이상해요.
 
What is this concerning?
무슨 일로 그러시죠?

What's holding you up?
뭘 그렇게 꾸물거리고 계세요?


Please Knock On the Door.
노크해 주시오.


Please let me go, won't you?
제발 저 좀 보내 주세요.

I'm only too glad to be able to help you.
당신을 도울 수 있다는 것은 너무나 기쁜 일이죠.

You may have what's left.
남은 것을 갖고 가셔도 좋습니다.

We have talked of you often.
우린 여러 번 당신 이야길 했었지요.


Traveling
This leaflet tells you about various hotel services.
호텔의 여러 가지 서비스에 대해 알고 싶으시면 이 팜플렛을 보세요.

Could you cut the price a little, please?
조금만 깎아 주시겠읍니까?

Come to think of it, I don't have enough money today.
그러고 보니, 오늘은 돈이 모자라는데요.

Can I pay with traveler's check?
여행자 수표로 지불해도 됩니까?

I'd like to exchange this blouse for a smaller size.
이 블라우스를 작은 것으로 바꾸고 싶습니다.

Directions
Which way is south?
어느 쪽이 남쪽이죠?


Small Talk
He turned over his company to his son last year.
그는 작년에 그의 회사를 아들에게 넘겨 주었죠.

Do you belong to a tennis club?
테니스 클럽에 가입이 되어 있나요?

He ended up in jail.
그는 결국 감옥신세를 지게 됐어요.


I'd like to have the phone number of Mr.Kim.
미스터 김의 전화번호를 알고 싶습니다.

The problem is that I have not enough time to do it.
그것을 할 시간이 없다는 것이 문제죠.

What do you usually have for lunch?
평소에 점심으로 무엇을 드십니까?

He's in the pink.
그 사람은 건강하게 잘 지냅니다.


We need a man who knows the ropes.
우리는 경험 있는 사람을 원합니다.

Rainbow Colors in Korean