Explore seamless Hangeul-Hanja conversions with our advanced online dictionary. Master Korean characters and Hanja with user-friendly features designed for all skill levels. Enter Hangeul or Hanja below and click Look Up.
Hangeul | Hanja | Explanation |
---|---|---|
경선의 | 經線儀 | |
민선의원 | 民選議員 | |
방사선의학 | 放射線醫學 | |
선의 | 善意 | |
선의 | 船醫 | |
선의 | 鮮衣 | |
선의 | 禪衣 | |
선의 | 善醫 | |
선의권 | 先議權 | |
선의랑 | 宣議郞 | |
선의점유 | 善意占有 | |
선의지 | 善意志 | |
선의취득 | 善意取得 | |
예산선의권 | 豫算先議權 | |
직선의원 | 直選議員 |
Hanja (한자, 漢字) refers to Chinese characters adapted into the Korean language, historically serving as the primary writing system in Korea for over a millennium before the invention of Hangeul in the 15th century. Rooted in classical Chinese, Hanja played a foundational role in shaping Korean vocabulary, particularly in academic, legal, religious, and literary contexts. Approximately 60% of modern Korean words derive from Sino-Korean roots, making Hanja essential for understanding nuanced meanings, homonyms, and specialized terminology in fields like law, medicine, or history.
Although Hangeul, Korea’s phonetic alphabet, replaced Hanja as the everyday script, Hanja remains culturally and linguistically significant. It is still used in official documents, personal names, historical texts, and newspaper headlines to clarify meaning or convey formality. For learners, studying Hanja enhances vocabulary retention, deepens comprehension of compound words (e.g., “학교” [學校, school] or “의사” [醫師, doctor]), and bridges connections with other East Asian languages like Chinese and Japanese.
Today, Hanja is taught selectively in South Korean schools, often as an elective, but its legacy persists as a key to unlocking Korea’s literary heritage and linguistic precision. Whether deciphering ancient texts or modern jargon, Hanja remains a vital thread in the tapestry of Korean language and culture.