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% The dictionary mentioned is 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. Ultimately, the majority of Sino-Korean words were introduced before 1945, including Sino-Japanese words themselves that were introduced to Korea during Japanese Occupation. Right after the occupation ended, many South Korean intellectuals made suggestions for native Korean replacements of borrowed terms, especially those of Japanese origin, but also some of Sino-Korean origin too. Similarly, the North Korean government called for many Sino-Korean words to be replaced by native Korean terms. In the 21st century, Sino-Korean vocabulary has continued to grow in South Korea, where the meanings of Chinese characters are used to coin new words in Korean that did not exist in Classical and Literary Chinese and do not exist in modern Sinitic languages.
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. Additionally, Korean numerals can be expressed with Sino-Korean and native Korean words, though each set of numerals has different purposes.
Sino-Korean words may be written either in the Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, or in Chinese characters, known as Hanja.
Examples
Words borrowed from Chinese Sino-Korean words borrowed directly from Chinese come mainly from Chinese classics, literature, and colloquial Chinese. WordKorean (RR)HanjaHanja meaningRef Remarkspeace; tranquility; wellness안녕 (annyeong)安寧"tranquil peace" Colloquially often used as a form of greeting. For example, annyeonghaseyo () from annyeong () + haseyo ().birthday생일 (saengil)生日"birth day"happiness; good fortune행복 (haengbok)幸福"happiness blessing"parents부모 (bumo)父母"father mother"student학생 (haksaeng)學生"study student"sun태양 (taeyang)太陽"great light"question질문 (jilmun)質問"background ask"perfume향수 (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. DefinitionKoreanRevised RomanizationHanjaRemarkshame미안mian未安 Colloquially often used to express shame, sorrow or as a form of apology. For example, mianhamnida () from mian () + hamnida ().false; rumor; canard낭설nangseol浪說marital compatibility; well-suited; well-matched궁합gunghap宮合common cold감기 gamgi感氣deceptive; trickster고단수godansu高段數hardship; trouble; suffering고생gosaeng苦生notebook공책gongchaek空冊amazing굉장goengjang宏壯determiner (grammar); prenoun관형사gwanhyeongsa冠形詞prison; penitentiary교도소gyodoso矯導所assortment (of goods)구색gusaek具色a joke농담nongdam弄談unity; join; combine단합danhap團合reply; response; answer답장dapjang答狀fortune; lucky다행dahaeng多幸cod(fish)대구daegu大口mass transportation; public transit대중교통daejung-gyotong大衆交通site; land mass대지daeji垈地indebtedness덕분deokbun德分subcontract도급dogeup都給unmarried young man; bachelor; youngster도령doryeong道令flu; influenza독감dokgam毒感same age동갑donggap同甲sense of kinship동질감dongjilgam同質感beer맥주maekju麥酒pollock명태myeongtae明太(national) holiday명절myeongjeol名節business card containing name명함myeongham名銜carpenter목수moksu木手extinction; annihilation몰사molsa沒死massacre; slaughter; extermination몰살molsal沒殺hibiscus무궁화mugunghwa無窮花visit to sick person문병munbyeong問病questioning; interrogating문초muncho問招uneasy; uncomfortable; to be apologetic미안mian未安public harm민폐minpye民弊just방금banggeum方今sitting cushion; sitting mat방석bangseok方席lottery ticket복권bokgwon福券real estate agency복덕방bokdeokbang福德房off-season; slow season비수기bisugi非需期ice rink빙상장bingsangjang氷上場subscribe구독gudog購讀cemetery; grave; tomb산소sanso山所fish (specifically prepared as food)생선saengseon生鮮stonemason석수seoksu石手present; gift선물seonmul膳物peak season; busy season성수기seongsugi盛需期(your) name성함seongham姓銜effort수고sugo受苦sexual harassment성희롱seonghuirong性戲弄duty; responsibility; task소임soim所任precious; valuable소중sojung所重trip; picnic; excursion소풍sopung逍風cheque수표supyo手票beginning of; start of; embark upon시작sijak始作earnestly request신신당부sinsindangbu申申當付child actor or actress아역ayeok兒役seize; distrainment; sequestration압류amnyu (apryu)押留bad term; grudge앙숙angsuk怏宿uproar; clamor; commotion야단yadan惹端socks양말yangmal洋襪heartlessness; mercilessness야박yabak野薄as expected; also역시yeoksi亦是yellow-green; light green연두yeondu軟豆alien; extraterrestrial외계인oegyein外界人native speaker원어민woneomin原語民exclave월경지wolgyeongji越境地beginning; commencing위시wisi爲始lean on; depend on; rely on의지uiji依支move; relocate이사isa移徙rice-planting machine이앙기ianggi移秧機behalf자기편jagipyeon自己便determination; decision; plan작정jakjeong作定gloves; mittens장갑janggap掌匣 / 掌甲lease; charter전세jeonse專貰procedure (for); process (of); steps; proceedings절차jeolcha節次lovers' talk정담jeongdam情談identity정체성jeongcheseong正體性bakery; bakeshop제과점jegwajeom製菓店gas station주유소juyuso注油所kettle주전자jujeonja酒煎子sorry; pardon; regrettable죄송joesong罪悚purse; wallet지갑jigap紙匣order; turn; table of contents차례charye次例bookstore책방chaekbang冊房window창문changmun窓門ceiling천장cheonjang天障wedding invitation청첩장cheongcheopjang請牒狀elementary school초등학교chodeung-hakgyo初等學校elementary school student초등학생chodeung-haksaeng初等學生spring fatigue춘곤증chungonjeung春困症release; launch출시chulsi出市stairs; stairway; staircase층계cheunggye層階friend친구chingu親舊release출시chulsi出市video game relatedblock차단chadang遮斷spring of clock; clockwork태엽taeyeop胎葉consilience 통섭tongseop統攝convenience store편의점pyeoneuijeom便宜店letter; epistle편지pyeonji便紙a visit; a trip; travelling행차haengcha行次brag; bluff; boast허풍heopung虛風cash현찰hyeonchal現札circumstances; conditions형편hyeongpyeon形便go crazy; be out of one's mind환장hwanjang換腸change of seasons; in-between seasons환절기hwanjeolgi換節期Hyeonchungil현충일hyeonchungil顯忠日device기기gigi機器/器機Does not share the same meaning in Chinese, which means machine.name card명함myeongham名銜
Words borrowed from Sino-Japanese Sino-Korean words borrowed from Sino-Japanese are used only in Korean and Japanese, not in Chinese. WordHangul (RR)HanjaHanja meaningRef airplane비행기 (bihaenggi)飛行機"fly go machine"movie영화 (yeonghwa)映畵"shine picture"item of personal preference기호품 (gihopum)嗜好品"like items"actor배우 (baeu)俳優"show actor"broadcast방송 (bangsong)放送"put send"passport여권 (yeogwon)旅券"travel certificate"station역 (yeok)驛"station"photo사진 (sajin)寫眞"write real"
Phonetic correspondences Initial consonants + Middle ChineseSino-KoreanLabials pp/pʰ pʰ b mmDentals tt/tʰ tʰ d nn llRetroflex stops ʈt/tʰ ʈʰ ɖDental sibilants tstɕ/tɕʰ tsʰ dz ss zRetroflex sibilants ʈʂtɕ/tɕʰ ʈʂʰ ɖʐs/tɕ/tɕʰ ʂsPalatals tɕtɕ/tɕʰ tɕʰ dʑs ɕ ʑ ɲz > ∅Velars kk/h kʰ ɡk ŋŋ > ∅Laryngeals ʔʔ > ∅ xh 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/. +Middle ChineseSino-Korean -mm -nn -ngŋ -pp -tl -kk
See also Chinese influence on Korean culture Korean language Hanja Korean mixed script Sino-Japanese vocabulary Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary
References