Sino-Korean Words
Korean Grammar 4
Course 4 Β· Chapter 5 Β· Sino-Korean and Native Vocabulary
𧩠Sino-Korean and Native Vocabulary β νμμ΄μ κ³ μ μ΄
Korean vocabulary has two big layers. κ³ μ μ΄ (native words) are the everyday, home-grown words. νμμ΄ (Sino-Korean words) were built from Chinese-character roots and make up a large share of the dictionary, especially in formal, academic and technical language. Once you know a few dozen roots, you can read and even guess hundreds of words. Each root below is shown with the word it appears in; the characters are not needed, only the sound and meaning.
Native and Sino-Korean pairs
Many ideas have both a native and a Sino-Korean word. The Sino-Korean one is usually the more formal or written choice.
| Native (everyday) | Sino-Korean (formal) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| μ΄λ¦ | μ±λͺ | name |
| λμ΄ | μ°λ Ή | age |
| λͺΈ | μ 체 | body |
| κΈΈ | λλ‘ | road, way |
| λ°₯ | μμ¬ | meal |
| ν΄ | νμ | the sun |
Two number systems
The same split runs through numbers. Sino-Korean numbers (μΌ, μ΄, μΌβ¦) are used for dates, minutes, money, floors and phone numbers. Native numbers (νλ, λ, μ β¦) are used for counting items, people and hours.
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Date, money (Sino) | μΌμ μ€μΌ, μ΄μ² μ |
| Counting people, things (native) | μΈ λͺ , λ κ° |
| Clock time (both) | μΈ μ μ΄μ λΆ (hour native, minute Sino) |
Common roots
Learn the root from words you already know, then spot it in new ones.
| Root | Meaning | Words |
|---|---|---|
| ν | learning | νκ΅, νμ, νμ΅, νλ¬Έ |
| μΈ | person | νκ΅μΈ, μΈκ΅μΈ, μΈκ° |
| κ΅ | country | νκ΅, μΈκ΅, κ΅κ° |
| μ | electricity | μ κΈ°, μ ν, μ μ |
| ν | speech | μ ν, λν, νν |
| μ°¨ | vehicle | μλμ°¨, κΈ°μ°¨, μ£Όμ°¨ |
Suffixes: -μ , -ν, -μ±
| Suffix | Effect | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -μ | "-ic", "-al"; makes a noun describe something | κ²½μ μ , κ°μΈμ , μΌλ°μ |
| -ν | "-ization", becoming | μΈκ³ν, νλν, λμν |
| -μ± | "-ness", "-ity"; a quality | κ°λ₯μ±, μ€μμ±, νμμ± |
| -μ | a person who does | νμ, κΈ°μ, μλΉμ |
A -μ word attaches to a following noun with -μΈ (κ²½μ μ μΈ λ¬Έμ , "an economic problem") or to a verb with -μΌλ‘ (κ²½μ μ μΌλ‘ μ΄λ ΅λ€, "economically difficult").
Prefixes: λΆ-, 무-, λΉ-, λ―Έ-
| Prefix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| λΆ- | not, un- | λΆκ°λ₯, λΆνΈ, λΆν, λΆλ§ |
| 무- | without, lacking | 무κ΄μ¬, λ¬΄μ± μ, λ¬΄λ£ |
| λΉ- | non- | λΉκ³΅μ, λΉμ μ |
| λ―Έ- | not yet | λ―Έμμ±, λ―ΈνμΈ |
Before the sounds γ· and γ , λΆ- becomes λΆ-: λΆμ‘± ("shortage"), λΆμ ("denial").
Noun + νλ€ / λλ€ / μν€λ€
A Sino-Korean noun becomes a verb by adding one of three endings. Choose by the direction of the action.
| Ending | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -νλ€ | do it (active) | νμ¬κ° κ³νμ κ²°μ νλ€. The company decided the plan. |
| -λλ€ | it happens / is done (passive, intransitive) | κ³νμ΄ κ²°μ λμλ€. The plan was decided. |
| -μν€λ€ | make someone or something do it (causative) | μ μλμ΄ νμμ μ΄ν΄μμΌ°λ€. The teacher made the student understand. |
The same noun can take all three: μμνλ€ ("start", with an object), μμλλ€ ("begin", on its own).
π£οΈ In Use β μ€μ μλ¬Έ
Three short examples.
β Suffix -μ±
β‘ Suffix -ν
β’ Prefix λΆ-
π Quick Reference β μμ½ν
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -μ | -al, -ic | κ²½μ μ |
| -ν | -ization | μΈκ³ν |
| -μ± | -ness, -ity | μ€μμ± |
| λΆ- (λΆ-) | not, un- | λΆνΈ, λΆμ‘± |
| 무- | without | 무κ΄μ¬ |
| -νλ€ / -λλ€ / -μν€λ€ | do / be done / make do | κ²°μ νλ€ / κ²°μ λλ€ |
βοΈ Try It Yourself β μ°μ΅
Work out the answer first, then click to check.
1. What is the formal (Sino-Korean) word for μ΄λ¦?
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μ±λͺ .
2. Which number system for "two thousand won": Sino or native?
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Sino: μ΄μ² μ.
3. Say "three people" with the correct number system.
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Native: μΈ λͺ .
4. What does the root ν mean, and what is one word containing it?
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"Learning"; for example νκ΅ (school) or νμ (student).
5. Make a noun meaning "possibility" from κ°λ₯.
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κ°λ₯μ±.
6. Add λΆ- to νΈ to say "inconvenient".
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λΆνΈ (so λΆνΈνλ€ = to be inconvenient).
7. Why is it λΆμ‘± and not λΆμ‘±?
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Before γ , λΆ- changes to λΆ-.
8. Choose: κ²°μ νλ€ or κ²°μ λμλ€ β "The plan was decided."
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κ³νμ΄ κ²°μ λμλ€. -λλ€ gives the passive.
9. Say "She made her child understand" using μ΄ν΄ and the causative.
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κ·Έλ λ μμ΄λ₯Ό μ΄ν΄μμΌ°λ€.