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Explanation of the Korean Final Consonants (받침) to Beginners

1/9/2025

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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!
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