Sino-Korean vocabulary

This article is about the set of Korean words that had its roots in the hanja. For the Korean use of Sino-ideogram, see hanja.

Sino-Korean or Hanja-eo (Hangul: 한자어; hanja: 漢字語) refers to the set of words in the Korean language vocabulary that originated from or were influenced by hanja. The Sino-Korean lexicon consists of both words loaned from Chinese and words coined in the Korean language using hanja.

Sino-Korean words are one of the three main types of vocabulary in Korean. The other two are native Korean words and foreign words imported from other languages, mostly from English.

Sino-Korean words today make up about 60% of the Korean vocabulary, though in actual speech (especially informally) native words are more common.

Terms Differences

Sino-Korean words are derived mainly from literary Chinese, and many from modern Sino-Japanese.

The formulae of (日/月/火/水/木/金/土)+曜日 in Korean and Japanese stem from an ancient Chinese usage in its horoscope, which is now considered obsolete in Modern Chinese.

English	Korean (Hangul)	Korean (Hanja)	Japanese (Shinjitai / Kyūjitai)	Mandarin (Traditional / Simplified)	Note
Hello / Goodbye	안녕 (annyeong)	安寧	お早う (ohayō) 左様なら (sayōnara)	你好 (nǐhǎo) 再見 (zàijiàn)
Gunpowder	화약 (hwayak)	火藥	火薬 (kayaku)	火藥 / 火药 (huǒyào)
Tofu	두부 (dubu)	豆腐	豆腐 (tōfu)	豆腐 (dòufu)
Milk	우유 (uyu)	牛乳	牛乳 (gyūnyū)	牛奶 (niúnăi)
Automobile	자동차 (jadongcha)	自動車	自動車 (jidōsha)	汽車 / 汽车 qìchē	(汽車 / 汽车 means "automatic, moving on its own in Mandarin.")
President	대통령 (daetongnyeong)	大統領	大統領 (daitōryō)	總統 / 总统 (zǒngtǒng)
Letter	편지 (pyeonji)	便紙 片紙	手紙 (tegami)	信 (xìn) 信函 (xìnhán)	(紙/纸 means paper. 函, means "letter" in Classical Chinese.)
Tissue	휴지 (hyuji)	休紙	塵紙 (chirigami, chirishi)	衛生紙 (wèishēngzhǐ)
Gift	선물 (seonmul)	膳物	土産 / 土產 (miyage)	禮物 / 礼物 (lǐwù)	(土產 / 土产 (tǔchǎn) means "domestic products" in Chinese, often used as gifts.)
Newspaper	신문 (sinmun)	新聞	新聞 (shinbun)	報紙 / 报纸 (bàozhǐ) 報 / 报 (bào)	(新聞 / 新闻 (xīnwén) means simply "news" in modern Chinese.)
Tab / bill (in a restaurant or bar)	외상 (oesang)	外上	勘定 (kanjō)	賬單 / 账单 (zhàngdān)
Dining table	식탁 (siktak)	食卓	食卓 (shokutaku)	餐桌 (cānzhuō)	(食 (shí) only means "food" in Mandarin, in most other dialects which still retains the meaning from Middle Chinese, it still means "eat". 餐 (cān) means "meal(s)" in Modern Chinese. 卓 (zhuō, means "outstanding") and 桌 (zhuō, means "table") are two different words of different meanings in Modern Chinese.)
Check / cheque	수표 (supyo)	手票	小切手 (kogitte)	支票 (zhīpiào)
Name card, business card	명함 (myeongham)	名銜 名啣	名刺 (meishi)	名片 (míngpiàn)
Doctor	의사 (uisa)	醫師	医師/醫師 (ishi) 医者/醫者 (isha)	醫生 / 医生 (yīshēng) 西醫 / 西医 (xīyī) 大夫 (dàfū) 醫師 / 医师 (yīshī) 中醫師 / 中医师 (zhōngyī shī)	(西醫 / 西医 This is an alternate term for "doctor" which literally means "a doctor who practices Western medicine"), 大夫 (This is the term used for doctors who practiced Traditional Chinese medicine, and the meaning is transferred into "doctor", for anyone who practices medicine), and 醫師 / 医师 is alternately used in some formal circumstances, stemming from 中醫師 / 中医师, a doctor that practices Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Maid	식모 (singmo < sik-mo) 하녀 (hanyeo)	食母 下女	女中 (jochū)	女傭 / 女佣 (nǚyōng) 女僕 / 女仆 (nǚpū)	(下女 (xiànǚ) is the word used in Classical Chinese.)
Prohibit, cancel	휴지 (hyuji) 해지 (haeji) 취소 (chwiso)	休止 解止 取消	禁止 (kinshi) 取消 (torikeshi)	禁止 (jìnzhǐ) 阻止 (zǔzhǐ) 取消 (qǔxiāo)
Study	공부 (Gongbu)	工夫	勉強 (benkyō) 学習 / 學習 (gak(u)shuu)	學習 / 学习 (xuéxí)	(勉強 (miǎnqiáng) means "To force someone / oneself do something they're not willing to do" in Chinese)
Airport	공항 (gonghang)	空港	空港 (kūkō)	機場 / 机场 (jīchǎng) 空港 (kōnggǎng)
Airplane	비행기 (bihaenggi)	飛行機	飛行機 (hikōki)	飛機 / 飞机 (fēijī)
Prisoner	수인 (suin)	囚人	囚人 (shuujin)	囚犯 (qiúfàn) 犯人 (fànrén)
Computer	전산기 (jeonsangi) (←Rarely used)	電算機	電算機 (densanki)	電腦 / 电脑 (diànnǎo) 計算機 / 计算机 (jìsuànjī)	(only 计算机 is only used in Mainland China to mean "computer": 计算 is a direct translation of French "computer" meaning "To calculate", whereas in Hong Kong, Taiwan and all over the world, 電腦 is used to mean "computer":電 means "Electricity"/ "Power" needed to turn on the computer, and 腦, meaning "brain" is used because the way a computer calculates and memorizes is somewhat similar in function to the human brain.)
Introduction	소개 (sogae)	紹介	紹介(shōkai)	介紹 / 介绍 (jièshào)
Case, Situation	경우 (gyeong-u)	境遇	場合 (baai) 境遇 (kyōguu) 状況 / 狀況 (joukyou) 情況 (joukyou)	情形,境遇,場合 / 场合
(One's) Whereabouts	행방 (haengbang)	行方	行方 (yukue)	行踪,去向
Foreign currency	외환 (oehwan)	外換	為替 / 爲替 (kawase)	兌換 / 兑换
Currency exchange	환전 (hwanjeon)	換錢	両替 / 兩替 (ryōgae)	換錢 / 换钱
Promise	약속 (yaksok) 언약 (eonyak)	約束 言約	約束 (yakusoku)	約定 / 约定,承諾 / 承诺	(約束 in modern Chinese means "restriction" and when used carries a negative connotation.)
Bomber (aircraft)	폭격기 (pokgyeokki)	爆擊機	爆撃機 / 爆擊機 (bakugek(i)ki)	轟炸機 / 轰炸机
Company, firm	회사 (hoesa)	會社	会社/會社 (kaisha)	公司
faction	파벌 (pabeol)	派閥	派閥 (habatsu)	派系
Sunday	일요일 (iryoil)	日曜日	日曜日 / 日曜日 (nichiyōbi)	星期日 週日	（日 means "Day" in Chinese. 太陽, literally translated as "Sun", is the Chinese/Japanese name of Sun.)
Monday	월요일 (woryoil)	月曜日	月曜日 / 月曜日 (getsuyōbi)	星期一, 週一	(月 means "Moon" in Chinese.)
Tuesday	화요일 (hwayoil)	火曜日	火曜日 / 火曜日 (kayōbi)	星期二, 週二	(火 means "Fire" in Chinese. 火星, literally translated as "Fire star", is the Chinese/Japanese name of Mars.)
Wednesday	수요일 (suyoil)	水曜日	水曜日 / 水曜日 (suiyōbi)	星期三, 週三	(水 means "Water" in Chinese. 水星, literally translated as "Water star", is the Chinese/Japanese name of Mercury.)
Thursday	목요일 (mogyoil)	木曜日	木曜日 / 木曜日 (mokuyōbi)	星期四, 週四	(木 means "Wood" in Chinese. 木星, literally translated as "Wood star", is the Chinese/Japanese name of Jupiter.)
Friday	금요일 (geumyoil)	金曜日	金曜日 / 金曜日 (kin'yōbi)	星期五,週五	(金 means "Gold" in Chinese. 金星, literally translated as "Gold star", is the Chinese name of Venus. As a last name, 金 is romanized as "Kim" from 김 in Korean pronunciation via whereas 金 for Friday undergoes vowel centralization, as is the case in Cantonese.)
Saturday	토요일 (toyoil)	土曜日	土曜日 / 土曜日 (doyōbi)	星期六, 週六	(土 means "earth" or "soil" in Chinese. 土星, literally translated as "Soil star", is the Chinese name of Saturn.)
The person in charge (of)	담당자 (damdangja)	担當者	担当者 / 担當者 (tantōsha)	負責人 / 负责人	(担當/担当 is a synonym to 負責 / 负责 in modern Chinese.)
Movie, film, cinema	영화 (yeonghwa)	映畵	映画/映畫 (eiga)	電影 / 电影	(Movie in Chinese used to be called 映畵戲 / 映画戏, probably a borrowing from the Japanese term + 戲 / 戏 meaning "theater / theatre" )
Support	지원 (jiweon)	支援	支援 (shien)	支援,支持
Drive	운전 (unjeon)	運轉	運転/運轉 (unten)	駕駛 / 驾驶 (jiàshǐ) 運行 / 运行 (yùnxíng)
Constitution	헌법 (heonpeop)	憲法	憲法 (kenpō)	憲法 / 宪法 (xiànfǎ)
Pacific Ocean	태평양 (taepyungyang)	太平洋	太平洋 (taihēyō)	太平洋 (tàipíngyáng)

Native Japanese Words in Sino-Korean Vocabulary

Some Sino-Korean words derive from Japanese kun'yomi words, that is, native Japanese words written in Chinese characters. When borrowed into Korean, the characters are given Sino-Korean pronunciations. (Note that in Japanese, these words are not considered to belong to the Sino-Japanese part of the vocabulary as they are native Japanese words.)

English	Japanese (Kanji)	Korean (Hanja)	Korean (Hangul)	Chinese term (Cantonese Jyutping / Mandarin Pinyin)
assemble	組立 組み立て	組立	조립	組合 组合
	kumi-tate	jo.rip		zou2hap6 / zǔhé
building	建物	建物	건물	建築物 建筑物 樓宇 楼宇
	tate-mono	geon.mul		gin3zuk1mat6 / jiànzhùwù, lau4jyu5 / lóuyǔ
discount	割引 割り引き	割引	할인
	wari-biki	hal.in
estimate	見積 見積り	見積	견적	估計 估计
	mi-tsumori	gyeon.jeok		gu2gai3 / gūjì
handling	取扱 取り扱い	取扱	취급
	tori-atsukai	chwi.geup
package	小包	小包	소포
	ko-dutsumi	so.po
match	試合	試合	시합	比賽 比赛
	shi-ai	si.hap		bei2coi3 / bǐsǎi
share of stock	株式	株式	주식	股份
	kabu-shiki	ju.sik		gu2fan6 / gǔfèn
wharf	船着場	船着場	선착장
	funa.tsuki.ba	seon.chak.jang

See also

• Sino-Japanese vocabulary
• List of Korea-related topics
• Thousand Character Classic
• Hanja
• Korean mixed script
• Sinoxenic
• Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary