Basic Korean — Nouns

Noun is the name of a person, thing or object, including both physical items and abstract ideas. In a sentence, a noun can often be replaced by a pronoun. It also serves as the subject or object of verbs and adjectives.

Korean nouns consist of 3 components:
1. Native Korean nouns (~35%): rudimentary elements of human life and ideas associated with traditional culture
Examples: 하늘 (sky), 겨울 (winter), 나라 (country)

2. Sino-Korean nouns (~60%): abstract, academic and complex ideas
Examples: 학생 (student), 결혼 (to get married), 유쾌 (pleasant)

3. Loan words (~5%): words that weren’t in the traditional Korean language, but imported from foreign countries (English-speaking countries, Germany, Japan…) The words have the same meaning as in the source language.
Examples：주스 (juice), 비타민 (vitamin), 와인 (wine)

*Note: If the meaning of the words shifted, then they are considered Konglish instead of loan words.
Examples:
헬스 sounds like the word “health”, but means “the gym”
원샷 sounds like the phrase “one shot,” but means “bottom’s up”
사인 sounds like the verb “to sign,” but actually means the noun “signature”

Sometimes, different words will share the same meaning.
Example: 춤, 무용, 댄스 They all have the meaning of “dance,” but are used in slightly different contexts.
춤 is more informal and colloquial；무용 is formal and scholarly；댄스 is used more in the younger generation.

4 positions that nouns will appear in a sentence:
1. By itself
지민 씨, 기분이 어때요? = 지민 씨, how are you feeling? -> The noun 지민 씨 is used by itself

2. Before particles
한국에 가고 싶어요. = I want to go to Korea. -> The noun 한국 appears before the particle 에.

3. Before another noun
초콜릿 우유 마실래요? = Do you want to drink chocolate milk? -> The noun 초콜릿 appears before another noun 우유

4. Before copula (이에요/예요)
제 가방 이에요. = This is my bag. -> The noun 가방 appears before 이에요