Important 한자

Introduction

Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation. Since a lot of Korean words are derived from Chinese, learning 한자 can be like learning prefixes, suffixes and root words. This section will introduce to you important 한자 characters, some of them which are not beginner level characters.

Please note: - means there is no Hanja character for it, i.e. 동네 <洞->. There is no Hanja character for 네, - is not to be confused for 일 (一).

Also note that some chinese characters have two ways to pronounce it. For example, '女', whch means 'female' can be pronounced as both '여' and '녀' in Korean. But as you can see from the examples, 여 is only used when it comes as the first syllable of a word, while 녀 is only used in the middle of a word or at the end. This is a special grammatical rule called '두음법칙' or '머리소리 법칙' and North Korea doesn't follow this rule (nor do they use 한자 anymore).

Days of the week

Let's start with the days of the week, since it's basic. Just focus on the characters 日, 月, 火, 水, 木, 金, and 土.

Sunday 일요일 Sun day 日 (일) - the sun

Monday 월요일 Moon day 月 (월) - the moon

Tuesday 화요일 Fire day 火 (화) - fire

Wednesday 수요일 Water day 水 (수) - water

Thursday 목요일 Tree day 木 (목) - tree

Friday 금요일 Metal/gold day 金 (금) - gold, metal

Saturday 토요일 Earth day 土 (토) - soil, earth

Important 한자 1

Part 1 contains 한자 characters from ㄱ to ㅁ.

강 <江> - River

강 <江> - River 한강 <漢江> - Han River 강남 <江南> - South of the river 강북 <江北> - North of the river 강가 - Riverside,Riverbank 강변 <江邊> - Riverside,Riverbank 강변도로 <江邊道路> - Riverside road 강둑 - River embankment 강물 - River water 강줄기 - River course For more examples see: 江

고 <高> - High, Tall

고속 <高速> - High speed 고속버스 - Express bus 고층 <高層> - Upper floors 고층빌딩 <高層--> - Skyscraper 고급 <高級> - High rank, High grade/class, Seniority 최고 <最高> - Maximum, Best, Supremacy 고등 <高等> - High level (grade) 고등학교 <高等學校> - High school 고등학생 <高等學生> - High school student 고혈압 <高血壓> - High blood pressure For more examples see: 高

과 <科> - Section, Department, Science

치과 <齒科> - Dentist office, Dentistry 안과 <眼科> - Ophthalmology 정형외과 <整形外科> - Orthopedics 과목 <科目> - Subject, Lesson 학과 <學科> - School subject, Lesson 교과서 <敎科書> - Textbook, Schoolbook 영문학과 <英文學科> - The English literature department 컴퓨터공학과 <---工學科> - The computer engineering department 과학 <科學> - Science 과학자 <科學者> - Scientist For more examples see: 科

교 <敎> - Teach, faith, religion

교육 <敎育> - Education 교수 <敎授> - Professor 교사 <敎師> - Teacher 교과 <敎科> - Subject 교과서 <敎科書> - Textbook (school) 교무실 <敎務室> - Teacher's office 종교 <宗敎> - Religion 기독교 <基督敎> - Christianity 천주교 <天主敎> - Catholicism 불교 <佛敎> - Buddhism For more examples see: 敎

교 <校> - School

학교 <學校> - School 초등학교 <初等學校> - Elementary school 모교 <母校> - Alma mater 등교 <登校> - Attending school 교문 <校門> - School gate 교가 <校歌> - School song 교정 <校庭> - The campus 교복 <校服> - School uniform 교훈 <校訓> - Motto for school discipline 교장 <校長> - Principal, Head a school For more examples see: 校

구 <區> - District, ward , area

강남구 <江南區> - Gangnam district 성북구 <城北區> - Sungbuk district 구청 <區廳> - District office 구민 <區民> - The inhabitants of a district 구분 <區分> - A division, A section 구역 <區域> - A zone, A district 구획 <區劃> - A section, A division 구별 <區別> - Distinction, Classification 구간 <區間> - A section, A block 지역구 <地域區> - Local constituencies(electorates) For more examples see: 區

구 <口> - Entrance, gate, mouth, open end

입구 <入口> - Entrance, way in 출구 <出口> - Exit, way out 구강암 <口腔癌> - Cancer of the mouth 은행창구 <銀行窓口> - Bank windows 출납구 <出納口> - (Bank) Teller window 항구 <港口> - Port,Harbor 구호 <口號> - Slogan, Motto 구두시험 <口頭試驗> - Oral test 인구 <人口> - Population 식구 <食口> - Members of a family For more examples see: 口

국 <國> - Nation, country

국민 <國民> - A nation, the nation, a people the people 외국 <外國> - A foreign country 한국 <韓國> - Korea 미국 <美國> - The United States 중국 <中國> - China 국화 <國花> - National Flower 국회 <國會> - The National Assembly 국민 연금 <國民年金> - National pension 국가 <國歌> - National anthem 국보 <國寶> - National treasure(heirloom) For more examples see: 國

남 <南> - South

강남 <江南> - south of the river 경상남도 <慶尙南道> - south 경상 province 전라남도<全羅南道> - south 전라 province 충청남도 <忠淸南道> - south 충청 province 남한 <南韓> - south Korea 남대문 <南大門> - the South Gate of Seoul (Namdaemoon) 남산 <南山> - the South Mountain of Seoul (Namsan) 남극 <南極> - the South Pole 남해 <南海> - the southern sea 남향 <南向> - a southern exposure 남풍 <南風> - the south wind 남미 <南美> - South America For more examples see: 南

남 <男> - Male

남자 <男子> - Man, Male 남편 <男便> - Husband 장남 <長男> - The oldest son 차남 <次男> - One´s second son 처남 <妻男> - A one's brother-in-law 남동생 <男同生> - A younger brother 남학생 <男學生> - A boy student 남성호르몬 <男性-> - Male hormone(testosterone) 득남 <得男> - Begetting a son 남성미 <男性美> - Masculine beauty For more examples see: 男

녀 <女> - Female (also 여)

여자 <女子> - Woman, Female 장녀 <長女> - The oldest daughter 여학생 <女學生> - A girl student 여군 <女軍> - A woman soldier 남녀평등 <男女平等> - The equality of the sexes 여동생 <女同生> - A younger sister 해녀 <海女> - A woman diver for gathering seafoods 소녀 <少女> - A young girl 득녀 <得女> - Begetting a daughter 여성미 <女性美> - The feminine beauty For more examples see: 女

년 <年> - Year (also 연)

2009년<年> - 2009 작년 <昨年> - Last year 내년 <來年> - Next year 매년 <每年> - Every year 금년 <今年> - This year 신년 <新年> - New year 3학년 <學年> - 3rd grade 미성년자 <未成年者> - A minor, A person under age 10주년 <十週年> - 10th anniversary 광년 <光年> - A light-year For more examples see: 年

대 <大> - Big, large

대문자 <大文字> - Capital letter(ABCD) ↔ 소문자 <小文字> - Small letter(abcd) 대한민국 <大韓民國> - The Republic of Korea 대통령 <大統領> - President 대학교 <大學校> - University 대기업 <大企業> - A large enterprise 대가족 <大家族> - A large family 대문 <大門> - The main gate 대도시 <大都市> - A big city, A metropolis 대량 <大量> - A large quantity 확대 <擴大> - Magnification For more examples see: 大

도 <道> - Road, Morality

도로 <道路> - Road, Way 철도 <鐵道> - Railroad, Railway 횡단보도 <橫斷步道> - Crosswalk 인도 <人道> - Sidewalk, Footpath 복도 <複道> - Hallway 도덕 <道德> - Morality, Ethics 효도 <孝道> - Filial piety 태권도 <跆拳道> - Taekwondo (the Korean art of self-defense) 도리 <道理> - Truth, Justice 불도 <佛道> - Buddhism, The teachings of Buddha For more examples see: 道

동 <同> - The same

동일 <同一> - Sameness, Oneness 동료 <同僚> - A co-worker, A colleague 동호회 <同好會> - A club 동감(하다) <同感> - The same feeling, To feel the same way 동의하다 <同意> - To agree with a person 동의어 <同義語> - A synonym 동시 <同時> - The same time 동생 <同生> - A younger brother/sister 공동 <共同> - Association 동고동락(하다) <同苦同樂> - To share one´s joys and sorrows with someone For more examples see: 同

동 <動> - Be moving, be in motion

활동 <活動> - Activity, Action 운동 <運動> - Exercise 자동차 <自動車> - Car 동물 <動物> - Animal 행동 <行動> - Action 동작 <動作> - Movement 동사 <動詞> - Verb 진동 <振動> - Vibration 감동 <感動> - Strong impression 변동 <變動> - Change For more examples see: 動

동 <洞> - Village, division of a 구(區), cave

동사무소 <洞事務所> - The office of a dong, village office 동장 <洞長> - The chief of a dong office 동네 <洞-> - One's neighborhood, a village 명동 <明洞> - Myeongdong (famous area in Seoul) 압구정동 <狎鷗亭洞> - Apgujeong-dong (famous area in Seoul) For more examples see: 洞

동 <東> - East

동쪽 <東쪽> - The east 동해 <東海> - The East Sea 동남아시아 <東南-> - Southeast Asia 중동 <中東> - The Middle East 동양 <東洋> - The Orient, The east 동양인 <東洋人> - The Oriental people 동양화 <東洋畵> - An Oriental painting 동방예의지국 <東方禮儀之國> - The country of courteous people in the East;Korea 동문서답 <東問西答> - An irrelevant answer, An incoherent reply 동대문 <東大門> - The East Gate of Seoul (Dongdaemoon) For more examples see: 東

력 <力> - Power, strength, ability (also 역)

노력 <努力> - effort, hard work 능력 <能力> - ability 압력 <壓力> - pressure 폭력 <暴力> - violence 활력 <活力> - vitality 체력 <體力> - physical strength, stamina 사고력 <思考力> - thinking power 잠재력 <潛在力> - potential energy 경제력 <經濟力> - economic power 동력 <動力> - motive power, Dynamic force 마력 <馬力> - horsepower For more examples see: 力

모 <母> - Mother

부모 <父母> - Parents 모국 <母國> - One's native country 모국어 <母國語> - One's native language 모자 <母子> - Mother and Son 모녀 <母女> - Mother and Daughter 산모 <産母> - A woman delivered of a child 미혼모 <未婚母> - An unmarried mother 모음 <母音> - A vowel 모유 <母乳> - Mother´s milk, Breast milk 계모 <繼母> - A stepmother For more examples see: 母

모 <毛> - Hair, fur, wool

모발 <毛髮> - Hair 모공 <毛孔> - The skin pores 체모 <體毛> - Body hair 모근 <毛根> - The root of hair 탈모 <脫毛> - Falling out of hair 모피 <毛皮> - Fur 장모종 <長毛種> - A dog or cat which has a long hair ( terrier, golden retriever ... ) 단모종 <短毛種> - A dog or cat which has a short hair ( chihuahua, beagle, pug ...) 양모 <羊毛> - Wool 모직 <毛織> - Woolen fabric For more examples see: 毛

문 <文> - Writings, sentence, literature

문장 <文章> - Sentence 문법 <文法> - Grammar 작문 <作文> - Composition 문화 <文化> - Culture 논문 <論文> - Thesis, Paper 한문 <漢文> - Chinese writing 문맹 <文盲> - An illiterate person 문서 <文書> - A document 문자 <文字> - Letters 문학 <文學> - Literature For more examples see: 文

문 <門> - Door, Family, Specialty

창문 <窓門> - Window 정문 <正門> - Front gate 남대문 <南大門> - The South Gate of Seoul 문단속 <門團束> - Locking a door 교문 <校門> - A school gate 출입문 <出入門> - Entrance, Exit 철문 <鐵門> - An iron door 입문 <入門> - An introduction 명문 <名門> - A distinguished family (명문대학교: A university of high reputation) 전문 <專門> - A specialty For more examples see: 門

문 <問> - To ask

질문 <質問> - A question 문제 <問題> - A question, A problem, Trouble 문답 <問答> - Questions and Answers 설문지 <設問紙> - Questionnaire 의문 <疑問> - A doubt, A question 의문사 <疑問死> - A mysterious death 의문사 <疑問詞> - An interrogative 고문 <拷問> - Torture 반문(하다) <反問> - To ask in return 문병 <問病> - A visit to a sick person For more examples see: 問

미 <美> - Beauty, America

미술 <美術> - Art 미인 <美人> - A beautiful woman 미남 <美男> - A hansome man 각선미 <脚線美> - The beauty of leg lines 미용실 <美容室> - A beauty salon 미적감각 <美的感覺> - A sense of beauty 미국 <美國> - America 미군 <美軍> - The U.S. Armed Forces 재미교포 <在美僑胞> - Korean residents in America 한미 <韓美> - Korea and America For more examples see: 美