Language/Korean/Grammar/Nouns

Korean Grammar - Nouns

Hi Korean learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on Korean Nouns.

Nouns are a fundamental part of any sentence in every language. A Noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing or idea. They are usually used as subjects, objects or the complement of a sentence. In Korean, the subject always comes before the object.

For example: - In the sentence "The cat is chasing the mouse", "cat" and "mouse" are the nouns.

   - Korean: 고양이가 쥐를 쫓고 있어요. (Goyang-i ga jwi-reul jjoch-go iss-eoyo.)
   - Breakdown: 고양이 (cat) + 가 (subject particle) + 쥐 (mouse) + 를 (object particle) + 쫓고 있어요 (is chasing)

Let's dive deeper into the different types of Korean Nouns, their grammatical rules and their role in sentences! Don't forget, whenever you get stuck, you can always find help from Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sino-Korean Nouns

Sino-Korean nouns are derived from Chinese and make up a significant portion of Korean vocabulary. They are comprised of two or more Chinese characters that were adopted into the Korean language. These words can be easily recognized due to their "어" sound at the end of the word. Sino-Korean nouns are usually used in academic, professional, and formal settings.

Here are some examples of Sino-Korean Nouns:

Korean	Pronunciation	English
대학교	daehaggyo	University
전화번호	jeonhwabeonho	Telephone Number
상사	sangsa	Boss/Supervisor

Native Korean Nouns

Native Korean nouns, also known as pure Korean nouns, are words that are not derived from Chinese characters. Native Korean nouns are usually shorter and simpler than Sino-Korean nouns. They are more casual and informal in nature and are used in everyday conversations.

Some examples of Native Korean Nouns:

Korean	Pronunciation	English
개	gae	Dog
밥	bap	Rice/Food
미래	mirae	Future

Korean Counting System

When you are counting objects in Korean, you will need to know the Korean counting system. Korean has two counting systems, one for Sino-Korean numbers and one for Native Korean numbers.

__Sino-Korean Counting System__ The Sino-Korean counting system uses Chinese characters and is used for most numbers, especially larger numbers. Here are the numbers from 1 to 10 in the Sino-Korean counting system: 일 (il), 이 (ee), 삼 (sam), 사 (sa), 오 (oh), 육 (yuk), 칠 (chil), 팔 (pal), 구 (gu), 십 (ship).

__Native Korean Counting System__ The Native Korean counting system is used for counting objects and telling the time. It is used only for numbers up to 99. Here are the numbers from 1 to 10 in the Native Korean counting system: 하나 (hana), 둘 (dul), 셋 (set), 넷 (net), 다섯 (daseot), 여섯 (yeoseot), 일곱 (ilgob), 여덟 (yeodeolb), 아홉 (ahob), 열 (yeol).

Here's an example conversation using both counting systems:

• Person 1: 이 책이 몇 개 있어요? (I chaegi myeot gae iss-eoyo?) (How many of these books do you have?)
• Person 2: 한 권 있어요. (Han gwon iss-eoyo.) (I have one book.)

Gender in Korean Nouns

Unlike many languages, Korean does not have gendered pronouns or articles like "he" or "she". However, there are gender-specific nouns that are used to indicate gender.

- __Male Gender specific nouns__: 누님 (nunim), 오라버니 (ora-boni) - __Female Gender specific nouns__: 언니 (eonni), 누나 (nuna)

Here is an example conversation that illustrates gender-specific nouns:

• Person 1: 언니, 여기 있어요! (Eonni, yeogi iss-eoyo!) (Sister, I'm here!)
• Person 2: 오라버니, 뭐 하고 계세요? (Ora-boni, mwo hago gyeseyo?) (Brother-in-law, what are you doing?)

Plural Nouns

Making a noun plural in Korean is simple. The only thing you need to do is add the suffix "들" (deul) to the noun.

Here's an example using a plural noun:

• Person 1: 사과 하나 가져올게요. (Sagwa hana gajyeo-olgeyo.) (I will bring one apple.)
• Person 2: 사과 한 개 말고 사과 여러 개 가져와요. (Sagwa han gae malgo sagwa yeoreo gae gajyeo-wayo.) (Bring multiple apples, not just one.)

Sources

• Wikipedia - Korean Grammar
• Wikipedia - Korean Language

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