Hangeul-Hanja/Hanja-Hangeul Dictionary


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.

선의 Search Result

Hangeul Hanja Explanation
선의 經線儀
선의 民選議員
방사선의 放射線醫學
선의 善意
선의 船醫
선의 鮮衣
선의 禪衣
선의 善醫
선의 先議權
선의 宣議郞
선의점유 善意占有
선의 善意志
선의취득 善意取得
예산선의 豫算先議權
선의 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.