Hanja facts for kids
| Hanja | |
.svg) |
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Quick facts for kids Korean name |
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|---|---|
| Hangul |
한자/한문한자
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| Hanja |
漢字/韓文漢字
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| Revised Romanization | Hanja |
| McCune–Reischauer | Hancha |
Hanja is the Korean word for Chinese characters. These are Chinese characters that were borrowed and used in the Korean language. They are spoken with a Korean pronunciation.
Words that can be written with hanja are called Hanja-mal or hanja-eo. Hanmun (한문) refers to old Chinese Classical writing. Sometimes, hanja can also mean hanmun in a general way.
Hanja characters have not changed much over time. Most of them are the same as traditional Chinese characters. Only a few hanja characters are unique to Korea.
In the 1440s, a new Korean alphabet was created. This alphabet, called hangul, was based on sounds. It was made by a group of smart people led by King Sejong the Great. At first, not many people used hangul.
However, by the early 1900s, hangul became much more popular than hanja. Today, hangul is the official writing system of Korea.
The History of Hanja in Korea
Before hangul became popular, most people read and wrote using hanja. This means many old Korean books are written in hanja. People who study Korean history learn hanja. This helps them read old historical documents.
In South Korea, children still learn hanja today. This is because many South Korean words come from hanja. Learning hanja helps them understand these words better.
Hanja in North Korea
In North Korea, the use of hanja has been stopped. Many Chinese words that were borrowed have also been removed. North Koreans now only use hangul to write in Korean.
Related pages
Images for kids
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A packet of Shin Ramyun. The Chinese character 辛, meaning "spicy", is clearly seen.
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The Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty. This annual record of the Joseon Dynasty was written in Classical Chinese.
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This Korean War leaflet was made by the US Army. It uses a mix of Hangul and Hanja.
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See also
In Spanish: Hanja para niños
