SinoKorean

Sino-Korean refers to the portion of Korean vocabulary that originates from Chinese and has entered Korean through historical contact. These words are typically formed from Chinese morphemes and are used alongside native Korean words. The Sino-Korean lexicon covers a large share of common terms, especially in formal, academic, administrative, and technical contexts.

The borrowing began in ancient Korea through early Chinese influence and intensified during the Goryeo and Joseon periods. In modern Korean, Sino-Korean words remain prevalent in education, government, media, science, and law. Historically written with Chinese characters (hanja), these terms are now predominantly written in Hangul, with hanja usage declining in everyday life though still encountered in literature, dictionaries, and academic writing.

Orthography and readings: Sino-Korean words are typically read using Sino-Korean pronunciations, which approximate the sounds of Chinese morphemes but adapt them to Korean phonology. This contrasts with Pure Korean (native) vocabulary, which evolved separately. Some terms retain optional hanja spellings in formal or historical contexts.

Examples of Sino-Korean vocabulary include 문화 (culture), 경제 (economy), 과학 (science), 교육 (education), 정부 (government), 학생 (student), 인구 (population). These words are common across newspapers, textbooks, and official documents, and they often form multi-syllable compounds that convey more abstract or technical meanings than their native Korean equivalents.

Contemporary status: While Hangul is the standard script and hanja use has diminished in daily life, Sino-Korean words remain a dominant component of Korean vocabulary, especially in formal registers and specialized discourse. Learners typically encounter a substantial core of Sino-Korean terms early, reflecting their enduring role in Korean writing and communication.