[Vocab] 자 (字): Letters

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This Hanja is 자.

It means “letter,” “character,” or “script.” You’ll find this character used in so many different parts of daily life in Korea! If you see any words you need, make sure to take a note and try using them.

  • 한자 (漢字) – hanja, Chinese characters
  • 숫자 (數字) – numbers, figures
  • 십자가 (十字架) – cross
  • 정자 (正字) – neat and clear handwriting 
  • 자막 (字幕) – subtitles
  • 로마자 (Roma字) – Roman characters, Latin alphabet
  • 글자 (글字) – letter (a hybrid word of native Korean and Hanja)
  • 문자 (文字) – letters, characters, (often used as text message)

Let’s look at the difference between 문자 and 글자.

문자 refers to all written symbols and scripts in the world—it’s a broad term for any writing system.

On the other hand, 글자 is a unique hybrid word. It combines the native Korean “글” (writing) with the Sino-Korean “자 (字)”. In Korea, we usually use this word to refer specifically to Korean characters or when counting individual syllables.

For example, if someone asks you: “나 사랑해? 한 글자로 말해 줘! (Do you love me? Answer in just ONE syllable!)” In this case, you can just say “응! (yes!)”, which is exactly one 글자.

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