Explanation of the Korean Final Consonants (받침) to Beginners

1. What is a 받침?

• In Korean, every syllable block is made up of consonants and vowels.
• A 받침 is the final consonant or consonants at the bottom of a Korean syllable block.
  • For example:
    • 비 (Rain): No 받침.
    • 말 (Horse): The consonant ㄹ is the 받침.

2. Why is 받침 important?

• 받침 affects how the syllable sounds.
• It also influences how words are linked in sentences due to pronunciation rules called liaison (연음) or assimilation (동화).

3. How does 받침 work?

• Position: It always comes at the bottom of a syllable block.
  • Example: 한글 (Hangul)
    • 한: 받침 is ㄴ.
    • 글: 받침 is ㄹ.
• Sounds: Even though there are 19 consonants in Korean, only 7 basic sounds are pronounced in the 받침 position:
  1. ㄱ, ㄲ, ㅋ → [ㄱ] sound
  2. ㄴ → [ㄴ] sound
  3. ㄷ, ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅌ, ㅎ → [ㄷ] sound
  4. ㄹ → [ㄹ] sound
  5. ㅁ → [ㅁ] sound
  6. ㅂ, ㅍ → [ㅂ] sound
  7. ㅇ → [ㅇ] sound (nasal sound)

4. Examples of 받침 in Action

• ㄱ (sound: [k/g]):
  • Example: 박 (bak)
• ㄴ (sound: [n]):
  • Example: 산 (san)
• ㄷ (sound: [t/d]):
  • Example: 옷 (ot)
• ㄹ (sound: [l/r]):
  • Example: 말 (mal)
• ㅁ (sound: [m]):
  • Example: 밤 (bam)
• ㅂ (sound: [p/b]):
  • Example: 집 (jip)
• ㅇ (sound: [ng]):
  • Example: 강 (kang)

5. Double Consonant 받침

• Some syllables have double consonants as the 받침 (e.g., ㄳ, ㄵ, ㄼ).
• However, only one consonant is pronounced, depending on the rules:
  • Example: 읽다 (to read) → Pronounced [익따] because only ㄱ is pronounced in the 받침.

6. How to Pronounce 받침

• Focus on cutting the sound short at the end of the syllable.
  • For example, 박 is pronounced as bak, but you don't let the "k" sound linger.

7. Pronunciation Tips for Beginners

1. Practice the 7 basic sounds: Start with single consonants like ㄴ, ㄹ, and ㅇ, which are simpler for most English speakers.
2. Be mindful of blending:
   • If the next syllable starts with a vowel, the 받침 can "carry over."
   • Example: 꽃 (flower) + 이 (subject particle) → 꽃이 (pronounced as [꼬치]).
3. Focus on listening first: Listening to native speakers will help you understand the nuances of 받침 sounds.

8. Cultural Context

• In Korean, pronunciation is key to being understood clearly. Even small changes in the 받침 can lead to misunderstandings. Take your time mastering it!