In this lesson, you will learn five Hanja characters relating to school.
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學 = 학 = Learn/School
(Korean name: 배울 학)
Although fairly complicated, this is one of the characters all Korean people are expected to know. As such, it is not uncommon to find the 漢字 version of this character used in place of the 한글 version.
A lot of the words where this character can be found are very common.
Common words using this character:
學年 = one’s grade (year) in school
學생 = student
入學 = to enter a school (admission)
學父母 = parents of students in school
學교 = school
學자 = scholar
學원 = Hakwon (study academy)
장學金 = scholarship
과學 = science
수學 = mathematics
고등學교 = high school
中學교 = middle school
초등學교 = elementary school
大學생 = university student
방學 = a break from school (vacation)
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生 = 생 = Life/Born
(Korean name: 날 생)
I included this character in this lesson because of its use in the word 學生. However, this character can be found all over Korea, and is another example of a character that Koreans are expected to know. It is often used to indicate freshness at restaurants, or is used in words to have the meaning of “life” (or something related).
Common words using this character:
生활 = life/living
學生 = student
大學生 = university student
男동生 = younger brother
女동生 = younger sister
一生 = one’s entire life
男學生 = male student
女學生 = female student
生日 = birthday
발生 = to occur/arise
生물 = biology
生맥주 = draft beer
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校 = 교 = School
(Korean name: 학교 교)
This character is common and I highly suggest you memorize it but not all Korean people would be able to recognize/reproduce this character. It has a similar meaning, and is often found in words with 學. However, this character more relates to the school than the learner.
Common words using this character:
學校 = school
女學校 = girls school
男學校 = boys school
大學校 = university
中學校 = middle school
校內 = inside a school
下校하다 = to leave school (the opposite is not 上校)
校감선生님 = vice principal
校장선生님 = principal
校육 = education
校복 = school uniform
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先 = 선 = First
(Korean name: 먼저 선)
The main meaning of this character is to indicate that one thing precedes another (as in, to come “first”). It can also be found in the word “선생님.” Aside from “선생님,” most of the other words that it can be found in are comprised of difficult 漢字 characters.
Common words using this character:
先生님 = teacher (there is no way to write “님” using 漢字)
우先 = first, above all
先배 = one’s senior in school
先착순 = first come first served
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師 = 사 = Teacher
(Korean name: 스승 사)
Most commonly found after another 漢字 character indicating the name of a profession. The professions that “師” usually describe are those that commonly require a lot of studying. Amazingly, the word “교사” is not 校師, but rather “敎師” – which contains another (more complicated) “교” that you have yet to learn.
Common words using this character:
강師 = lecturer/instructor
요리師 = chef/cook
의師 = doctor
간호師 = nurse
韓의師 = Korean/Oriental doctor
약師 = pharmacist
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