Korean lessons: Lesson 3

Phonological notes

1. Syllable-final Consonants (받침):

1) Theoretically, any consonant can be in the 받침 (syllable final) position. In reality, ㄸ, ㅉ, and ㅃ are not used as 받침.

2) Some of the consonants merge into one sound when they are in the syllable-final position. Orthographically, however, they remain different. Summarized as follows:

consonant endings 받침	sound	examples
ㄱ, ㅋ	[k]	각, 부엌
ㄴ	[n]	눈
ㄷ, ㅅ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅌ, ㅎ	[t]	낟, 낫, 낮, 낯, 낱, 낳 all pronounced as [ 낟]
ㄹ	[l]	쌀
ㅁ	[m]	봄
ㅂ, ㅍ	[p]	입, 잎 both pronounced as [입]
ㅇ	[ng]	영

3) These merged sounds regain their original values when they are followed by a zero-initial syllable (i.e. vowel).

각	+	이 (topic/subject marker)	=	[가기 kagi]
부엌	+	에 (place marker)	=	[부어케 puo^k`e]
낮	+	에 (temporal marker)	=	[나제 naje]
낯	+	에 (place marker)	=	[나체 nach`e]
입	+	이 (top./sub. marker)	=	[이비 ibi]
잎	+	이 (top./sub. maeker)	=	[이피 ip`i]

2. Rules of Pronunciation

2.1. Liason (받침 carry-over)

1) A 받침 is carried over by the following syllable when the following syllable starts with a zero-initial.

ex)

국이	→	[구기]		문이	→	[무니]
밥을	→	[바블]		옷이	→	[오시 ]
잎이	→	[이피]		밖에	→	[바께]

2) The second part of a double 받침 is carried over by the folowing syllable when the following syllable starts with a zero-syllable.

ex)

앉아요	→	[안자요]		읽어요	→	[일거요]
밟아요	→	[발바요]		핥아요	→	[할타요]
읊어요	→	[을퍼요]		없어요	→	[업서요]

2.2. Nasalization

When a final (non-nasal) consonant is followed by a nasal initial (ㄴ,ㅁ), the non-nasal consonant absorbs the nasality, keeping its place of articulation. Remember, ‘ㅇ‘ in the initial position is not a nasal consonant but a zero.

ㄱ, ㅋ	→	ㅇ
ㄷ, ㅅ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅌ, ㅎ	→	ㄴ	/ before ㄴ or ㅁ
ㅂ, ㅍ	→	ㅁ

ex)

갑니다 → [감니다]

낱말 → [난말]

먹는다→ [멍는다]

2.3. Aspiration

When ㅎ [h] is adjacent, a consonant is influenced and aspirated.

ㄱ	→	ㅋ
ㄷ	→	ㅌ	/ before or after ㅎ
ㅂ	→	ㅍ
ㅈ	→	ㅊ

ex)

좋다 → [조타]	노랗다 → [노라타]
생각하다 → [생가카다]	입히다 →[이피다]

 

2.4. Palatalization

When ㄷ or ㅌ is followed by 이 [i], a paplatalization occurs.

ㄷ[t]	→	ㅈ [ch]
ㅌ[t`]	→	ㅊ [ch`]	/ before 이

ex)

미닫이→[미다지]

굳이 →[구지]

같이 →[가치]

2.5. Liquidation

ㄴ

→

ㄹ

/before another ㄹ

ex)

전라북도

→

[절라북도]

신라

→

[실라]