Korean grammar exercises: Countries & languages vocabulary


Welcome to our blog post dedicated to expanding your Korean vocabulary in the realms of countries, nationalities, and languages! Learning a new language involves more than just mastering grammar and sentence structures. It also requires a rich vocabulary that allows you to express yourself fluently and engage in meaningful conversations. In this post, we will delve into the exciting world of Korean vocabulary, specifically focusing on countries, nationalities, and languages.

Countries

KoreanRomanizationEnglish
아프가니스탄a-peu-ga-ni-seu-tanAfghanistan
알바니아al-ba-ni-aAlbania
알제리al-je-riAlgeria
안도라an-do-raAndorra
앙골라ang-gol-laAngola
앤티가바부다aen-ti-ga-ba-bu-daAntigua and Barbuda
아르헨티나a-reu-hen-ti-naArgentina
아르메니아a-reu-me-ni-aArmenia
호주ho-juAustralia
오스트리아o-seu-teu-ri-aAustria
아제르바이잔a-je-reu-ba-i-janAzerbaijan
바하마ba-ha-maBahamas
바레인ba-re-inBahrain
방글라데시bang-geul-la-de-siBangladesh
바베이도스ba-be-i-do-seuBarbados
벨라루스bel-la-ru-seuBelarus
벨기에bel-gi-eBelgium
벨리즈bel-li-jeuBelize
베냉be-naengBenin
부탄bu-tanBhutan
볼리비아bol-li-bi-aBolivia
보스니아 헤르체고비나bo-seu-ni-a he-reu-che-go-bi-naBosnia and Herzegovina
보츠와나bo-cheu-wa-naBotswana
브라질beu-ra-jilBrazil
브루나이beu-ru-na-iBrunei
불가리아bul-ga-ri-aBulgaria
부르키나파소bu-reu-ki-na-pa-soBurkina Faso
부룬디bu-run-diBurundi
코트디부아르ko-teu-di-bu-a-reuCôte d’Ivoire
카보베르데ka-bo-be-reu-deCabo Verde
캄보디아kam-bo-di-aCambodia
카메룬ka-me-runCameroon
캐나다kae-na-daCanada
중앙아프리카 공화국jung-ang-a-peu-ri-ka gong-hwa-gukCentral African Republic
차드cha-deuChad
칠레chil-leChile
중국jung-gukChina
콜롬비아kol-lom-bi-aColombia
코모로ko-mo-roComoros
콩고gong-goCongo 
쿡 제도kuk je-doCook Island
코스타리카ko-seu-ta-ri-kaCosta Rica
크로아티아keu-ro-a-ti-aCroatia
쿠바ku-baCuba
키프로스ki-peu-ro-seuCyprus
체코che-koCzechia (Czech Republic)
덴마크den-ma-keuDenmark
지부티ji-bu-tiDjibouti
도미니카do-mi-ni-kaDominica
도미니카 공화국do-mi-ni-ka gong-hwa-gukDominican Republic
에콰도르e-kwa-do-reuEcuador
이집트i-jip-teuEgypt
엘살바도르el-sal-ba-do-reuEl Salvador
적도 기니jeok-do gi-niEquatorial Guinea
에리트레아e-ri-teu-re-aEritrea
에스토니아e-seu-to-ni-aEstonia
에티오피아e-ti-o-pi-aEthiopia
피지pi-jiFiji
핀란드pil-lan-deuFinland
프랑스peu-rang-seuFrance
가봉ga-bongGabon
감비아gam-bi-aGambia
그루지아geu-ru-ji-aGeorgia
독일dog-ilGermany
가나ga-naGhana
그리스geu-ri-seuGreece
그레나다geu-re-na-daGrenada
과테말라gwa-te-mal-laGuatemala
기니gi-niGuinea
기니비사우gi-ni-bi-sa-uGuinea-Bissau
가이아나ga-i-a-naGuyana
아이티a-i-tiHaiti
온두라스on-du-ra-seuHonduras
헝가리heong-ga-riHungary
아이슬란드a-i-seu-llan-deuIceland
인도in-doIndia
인도네시아in-do-ne-si-aIndonesia
이란i-ranIran
이라크i-ra-keuIraq
아일랜드a-il-laen-deuIreland
이스라엘i-seu-ra-elIsrael
이탈리아i-tal-li-aItaly
자메이카ja-me-i-kaJamaica
일본il-bonJapan
요르단yo-reu-danJordan
카자흐스탄ka-ja-heu-seu-tanKazakhstan
케냐ken-yaKenya
키리바시ki-ri-ba-siKiribati
쿠웨이트ku-we-i-teuKuwait
키르기스스탄ki-reu-gi-seu-seu-tanKyrgyzstan
라오스la-o-seuLaos
라트비아ra-teu-bi-aLatvia
레바논re-ba-nonLebanon
레소토re-so-toLesotho
라이베리아ra-i-be-ri-aLiberia
리비아ri-bi-aLibya
리히텐슈타인ri-hi-ten-syu-ta-inLiechtenstein
리투아니아ri-teu-ha-ni-aLithuania
룩셈부르크ruk-sem-bu-reu-keuLuxembourg
마다가스카르ma-da-ga-seu-ka-reuMadagascar
말라위mal-la-wiMalawi
말레시아mal-le-si-aMalaysia
몰디브mol-di-beuMaldives
말리mal-liMali
몰타mol-taMalta
마셜제도ma-syel-je-doMarshall Islands
모리타니mo-ri-ta-niMauritania
모리셔스mo-ri-syeo-seuMauritius
멕시코mek-si-koMexico
미크로네시아mi-keu-ro-ne-si-aMicronesia
몰도바mol-do-baMoldova
모나코mo-na-koMonaco
몽골mong-golMongolia
몬테네그로mon-te-ne-geu-roMontenegro
모로코mo-ro-koMorocco
모잠비크mo-jam-bi-keuMozambique
미얀마mi-yan-maMyanmar (formerly Burma)
나미비아na-mi-bi-aNamibia
나우루na-u-ruNauru
네팔ne-palNepal
네덜란드ne-deol-lan-deuNetherlands
뉴질랜드nyu-jil-laen-deuNew Zealand
니카라과ni-ka-ra-gwaNicaragua
니제르ni-je-reuNiger
나이지리아na-i-ji-ri-aNigeria
니우에 섬ni-u-e seomNiue
북한buk-hanNorth Korea
마케도니아 공화국ma-ke-do-ni-a gong-hwa-gukNorth Macedonia
노르웨이no-reu-we-iNorway
오만o-manOman
파키스탄pa-ki-seu-tanPakistan
팔라우pal-lauPalau
팔레스타인pal-le-seu-ta-inPalestine State
파나마pa-na-maPanama
파푸아뉴기니pa-pu-a-nyu-gi-niPapua New Guinea
파라과이pa-ra-gwa-iParaguay
페루pe-ruPeru
필리핀pil-li-pinPhilippines
폴란드pol-lan-deuPoland
포르투갈po-reu-tu-galPortugal
카타르ka-ta-reuQatar
루마니아ru-ma-ni-aRomania
러시아reo-si-aRussia
르완다reu-wan-daRwanda
세인트키츠네비스se-in-teu-ki-cheu-ne-bi-seuSaint Kitts and Nevis
세인트루시아se-in-teu-ru-si-aSaint Lucia
세인트빈센트그레나딘se-in-teu-bin-sen-tei-geu-re-na-dinSaint Vincent and the Grenadines
사모아sa-mo-aSamoa
산마리노san-ma-ri-noSan Marino
상투메프린시페sang-tu-me-peu-rin-si-peSao Tome and Principe
사우디아라비아sa-u-di-a-ra-bi-aSaudi Arabia
세네갈se-ne-galSenegal
세르비아se-reu-bi-aSerbia
세이셸se-i-syelSeychelles
시에라레온si-e-ra-re-onSierra Leone
싱가포르sing-ga-po-reuSingapore
슬로바키아seul-lo-ba-ki-aSlovakia
슬로베니아seul-lo-be-ni-aSlovenia
솔로몬제도sol-lo-mon-je-doSolomon Islands
소말리아so-mal-li-aSomalia
남아프리카 공화국nam-a-peu-ri-ka gong-hwa-gukSouth Africa
대한민국/한국dae-han-min-guk/han-gukSouth Korea
남수단nam-su-danSouth Sudan
스페인seu-pe-inSpain
스리랑카seu-ri-rang-kaSri Lanka
수단su-danSudan
수리남su-ri-namSuriname
스웨덴seu-we-denSweden
스위스seu-wi-seuSwitzerland
시리아si-ri-aSyria
타지키스탄ta-ji-ki-seu-tanTajikistan
대만dae-manTaiwan
탄자니아tan-ja-ni-aTanzania
태국tae-gukThailand
토고to-goTogo
통가tong-gaTonga
트리니다드토바고teu-ri-ni-da-deu-to-ba-goTrinidad and Tobago
튀니지twi-ni-jiTunisia
터키teo-kiTurkey
투르크메니스탄tu-reu-ke-me-ni-seu-tanTurkmenistan
투발루tu-bal-luTuvalu
우간다u-gan-daUganda
우크라이나u-keu-ra-i-naUkraine
아랍에미리트a-rab-e-mi-ri-teuUnited Arab Emirates
영국yeong-gukUnited Kingdom
미국mi-gukUnited States of America
우루과이u-ru-gwa-iUruguay
우즈베키스탄u-jeu-be-ki-seu-tanUzbekistan
바누아투ba-nu-a-tuVanuatu
베네수엘라be-ne-su-ael-laVenezuela
베트남be-teu-namVietnam
예멘ye-menYemen
잠비아jam-bi-aZambia
짐바브웨jim-ba-beu-weZimbabwe

Languages

The word for “language” in Korean is “언어” (eon-eo) and there are two ways to refer to a language in Korean. You can either use “어” and add it to the end of the name of the country i.e. 한국어 (han-guk-eo) or add 말 (mal) at the end i.e. 한국말 (han-guk-mal.

Difference between “어” and “말”

In the Korean language, both “어” (eo) and “말” (mal) are used to refer to “language” or “speech.” However, they have slightly different usages and nuances.

  1. 어 (eo):
    • 어 (eo) is commonly used when referring to a specific language. It is often attached to the name of a country or region to indicate the language spoken there.
    • Examples: 스페인어 (Seu-pe-in-eo, Spanish language), 일본어 (il-beon-eo, Japanese language).
    • 어 (eo) is used as a suffix to indicate the language, and it doesn’t change based on the context or the subject involved.
  2. 말 (mal):
    • 말 (mal) refers to “speech” or “the act of speaking.” It is more general and can be used in various contexts related to communication.
    • 말 (mal) can be used to refer to both spoken and written language, encompassing the overall means of expression.
    • Examples: 스페인말 (Seu-pe-in-mal, Spanish language/speech), 일본말 (il-beon-mal, Japanese language/speech), 영어로 말하다 (Yeong-eo-ro mal-ha-da, to speak in English), 말을 잘하다 (Mal-eul jal-ha-da, to be good at speaking).
    • 말 (mal) can also be used to indicate a “word” or “phrase” within a sentence.

In summary, 어 (eo) is specifically used to indicate a particular language, while 말 (mal) has a broader scope and can refer to speech, language, or words/phrases. Remember that 어 (eo) is used as a suffix with country or region names to denote the language spoken there, while 말 (mal) is a more general term that can be used in various communication-related contexts.

KoreanRomanizationEnglish
알바니아어al-ba-ni-a-eoAlbanian
아랍어a-rab-eoArabic
아르메니아어a-reu-me-ni-a-eoArmenian
아제르바이잔어a-je-reu-ba-i-jan-eoAzerbaijani
벵골어beng-gol-eoBangla
벨라루스어bel-la-ru-seu-eoBelarusian
비슬라마어bi-seul-la-ma-eoBislama
보스니아어bo-seu-ni-a-eoBosnian
불가리아어bul-ga-ri-a-eoBulgarian
버마어beo-ma-eoBurmese
카탈루냐어ka-ta-ru-nya-eoCatalan
치체와어chi-che-wa-eoChewa
크로아티아어keu-ro-a-ti-a-eoCroatian
체코어che-ko-eoCzech
덴마크어den-ma-keu-eoDanish
디베히어di-be-hi-eoDhivehi
네덜란드어ne-deol-lan-deu-eoDutch
종카어jong-ka-eoDzongkha
영어yeong-eoEnglish
에스토니아어e-seu-to-ni-a-eoEstonian
필리핀어pil-li-pin-eoFilipino
핀란드어pin-lan-deu-eoFinnish
프랑스어peu-rang-seu-eoFrench
독일어dok-il-eoGerman
그리스어geu-ri-seu-eoGreek
히브리어hi-beu-ri-eoHebrew
힌디어hin-di-eoHindi
헝가리어heong-ga-ri-eoHungarian
아이슬란드어a-i-seul-lan-deu-eoIcelandic
인도네시아어in-do-ne-si-a-eoIndonesian
아일랜드어a-il-laen-deu-eoIrish
이탈리아어i-tal-li-a-eoItalian
일본어il-bon-eoJapanese
카자흐어ka-ja-heu-eoKazakh
크메르어keu-me-reu-eoKhmer
룬디어run-di-eoKirundi
한국어han-guk-eoKorean
키르기스어ka-reu-gi-seu-eoKyrgyz
라오어ra-o-eoLao
라트비아어ra-teu-bi-a-eoLatvian
리투아니아어ri-tu-a-ni-a-eoLithuanian
룩셈부르크어luk-sem-bu-reu-keu-eoLuzembourgish
말라가시어mal-la-ga-si-eoMalagasy
말레이어mal-le-i-eoMalay
몰타어mol-ta-eoMaltese
중국어jung-guk-eoMandarin
몽골어mong-gol-eoMongolian
몬테네그로어mon-ta-ne-geu-ro-eoMontenegrin
나우루어na-u-ru-eoNauruan
네팔어ne-pal-eoNepali
노르웨이어no-reu-we-i-eoNorwegian
암하라어am-ha-ra-eoOromo
파슈토어pa-syu-to-eoPashto
페르시아어be-leu-si-a-eoPersian
폴란드어pol-lan-deu-eoPolish
포르투갈어po-reu-tu-gal-eoPortuguese
루마니아어ru-ma-ni-a-eoRomanian
러시아어reo-si-a-eoRussian
사모아어sa-mo-a-eoSamoan
세르비아어se-reu-bi-a-eoSerbian
소토어so-to-eoSesotho
츠와나어cheu-wa-na-eoSetswana
싱할라어sing-hal-la-eoSinhala
슬로바키아어seul-lo-ba-ki-a-eoSlovakian
슬로베니아어seul-lo-be-ni-a-eoSlovenian
소말리어so-mal-li-eoSomali
스페인어seu-pe-in-eoSpanish
스와힐리어seu-wua-hil-li-eoSwahili
스웨덴어seu-we-den-eoSwedish
타지크어ta-ji-keu-eoTajik
타이어ta-i-eoThai
티그리냐어ti-geu-ri-nya-eoTigrinya
통가어tong-ga-eoTongan
터키어 teo-ki-eoTurkish
투르크멘어tu-reu-keu-maen-eoTurkmen
투발루어tu-bal-lu-eoTuvaluan
우크라이나어u-keu-ra-i-na-eoUkranian
우르두어u-reu-du-eoUrdu
우즈베크어u-jeu-be-keu-eoUzbek
베트남어be-teu-nam-eoVietnamese

Nationalities

In Korean, nationalities are typically expressed by adding the suffix “-인” (-in) to the name of the country or region. This suffix indicates someone’s nationality or origin. You can also add “사람” (sa-ram) which translates to “person” at the end i.e. 한국 사람 (han-guk sa-ram).

Difference between “인” and “사람”

  1. 인 (in):
    • “인” (in) is a suffix that is added to the name of a country, region, or ethnic group to indicate a person’s nationality or origin.
    • It is used specifically to denote the nationality or affiliation of an individual based on their background.
    • Examples: 한국인 (Han-guk-in, Korean person), 미국인 (Mi-guk-in, American person), 중국인 (Jung-guk-in, Chinese person).
  2. 사람 (saram):
    • “사람” (sa-ram) is a standalone noun that means “person” in a general sense, irrespective of nationality or origin.
    • It is used to refer to individuals regardless of their specific background or affiliation.
    • Examples: 한국 사람 (Han-guk sa-ram, Korean person), 외국 사람 (Oe-guk sa-ram, foreign person), 어린 사람 (Eo-rin sa-ram, young person).

In summary, “인” (in) is used as a suffix to indicate nationality or origin, while “사람” (sa-ram) is a general term for “person” without any specific affiliation. “인” (in) is more specific and indicates a person’s national or ethnic background, while “사람” (sa-ram) is broader and refers to individuals in a general sense, irrespective of nationality.

Here are some examples of how to say different nationalities in Korean:

  1. American: 미국인 (Mi-guk-in)
  2. British: 영국인 (Yeong-gug-in)
  3. Australian: 호주인 (Ho-ju-in)
  4. Japanese: 일본인 (Il-bon-in)
  5. Chinese: 중국인 (Jung-guk-in)

To use these nationalities in sentences, you can simply add the appropriate nationalities after the person’s name or pronoun. For example:

  • 그는 미국인이에요. (Geu-neun Mi-guk-in-i-e-yo.) – He is American.
  • 그녀는 일본인입니다. (Geu-nyeo-neun Il-bon-in-im-ni-da.) – She is Japanese.
  • 저는 중국인이 아니에요. (Jeo-neun Jung-guk-in-i a-ni-e-yo.) – I am not Chinese.

It’s important to note that some nationalities may have alternative forms or variations, especially for countries with more complex names. Additionally, in certain contexts, the word “국적” (guk-jeok) can be used to refer to nationality as well. Remember to always double-check the specific term for a nationality if you come across a different name or have any doubts.

사람

  1. Korean person: 한국 사람 (Han-guk sa-ram)
  2. American person: 미국 사람 (Mi-guk sa-ram)
  3. British person: 영국 사람 (Yeong-guk sa-ram)
  4. Australian person: 호주 사람 (Ho-ju sa-ram)
  5. Japanese person: 일본 사람 (Il-bon sa-ram)

You can use these phrases in sentences to describe someone’s nationality or origin. For example:

  • 아담은 미국 사람이에요 (A-dam-eun mi-guk sa-ram-i-e-yo) – Adam is American.
  • 저는 영국 사람이에요. (Jeo-neun yeong-guk sa-ram-i-e-yo.) – I am British.
  • 저는 일본 사람이 아니에요. (Jeo-neun Il-bon sa-ram-i a-ni-e-yo.) – I am not Japanese.

Using “사람” (sa-ram) allows you to specify the nationality or origin of an individual in a more general sense. It’s important to note that this construction focuses on the person as an individual rather than emphasizing the specific country or nationality itself.

Activity 1

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate country name in Korean:

  1. 저는 _____ 에서 왔어요. (I came from Australia.)
  2. 그는 _____ 사람이에요. (He is from Korea.)
  3. 우리 학교에는 _____ 학생이 많아요. (Our school has many American students.)
  4. 저는 ______ 잘해요. (I can speak Korean well.)
  5. 어떤 ______를 배우고 싶어요? (What language do you want to learn?)

Activity 2

Translate the following sentences from English to Korean:

  1. I am learning Chinese.
  2. Can you speak Japanese?
  3. We want to study French.
  4. Where are you from?
  5. I cannot speak Korean.

Activity 3

Find as many countries as you can in the below wordsearch.

Activity 4

Complete the following dialogue using the appropriate grammar and vocabulary.

  • 안녕하세요! 저는 맥스예요. 이름이 _________? (Hello! I am Max, what is your name?)
  • 안녕하세요! ____는 아맬리예요. (Hello! I am Amelie)
  • _____에서 왔어요? (Where are you from?)
  • 저는 ______에서 왔어요. _____ 사람이에요. (I came from Australia. I am Australian.

Activity 5

Read the following paragraph and answer the questions below.

이 사람은 잭이에요. 저의 제일 친한 친구예요. 잭은 호주 사람이에요. 거기에서는 영어로 말을 해요. 지금 아빠랑 같이 태국을 여행하고 있어요. 다음 달에는 한국에 갈 거예요.

  1. Where is Jack from?
  2. What language do they speak there?
  3. Where are we travelling now?
  4. Where will we go next month?

Activity 1 Answers

  1. 저는 호주에서 왔어요. (I came from Australia.)
  2. 그는 한국 사람이에요. (He is from Korea.)
  3. 우리 학교에는 미국 학생이 많아요. (Our school has many American students.)
  4. 저는 한국어 잘해요. (I can speak Korean well.)
  5. 어떤 언어를 배우고 싶어요? (What language do you want to learn?)

Activity 2 Answers

  1. 저는 중국어 배우고 있어요. – I am learning Chinese.
  2. 일본어를 할 줄 아세요? – Can you speak Japanese?
  3. 우리는 프랑스어를 공부하고 싶어요. – We want to study French.
  4. 어디 나라 사람이에요? – Where are you from?
  5. 한국어 할 줄 몰라요. – I cannot speak Korean.

Activity 3 Answers

Activity 4 Answers

  • 안녕하세요! 저는 맥스예요. 이름이 뭐예요? (Hello! I am Max, what is your name?)
  • 안녕하세요! 저는 아맬리예요. (Hello! I am Amelie)
  • 어디에서 왔어요? (Where are you from?)
  • 저는 호주에서 왔어요. 호주 사람이에요. (I came from Australia. I am Australian.

Activity 5 Answers

Translation

This is Jack. He is my best friend. He is from Australia. They speak English there. Now we are travelling Thailand together. Next month we will go to Korea.

  1. Where is Jack from? – Australia
  2. What language do they speak there? – English
  3. Where are we travelling now? – Thailand
  4. Where will we go next month? – Korea

Sonia

My name is Sonia and I have been watching Kdramas and learning the Korean Language since 2009 and still haven't gotten bored of it at all! At first, I fell in love with the dramas but soon enough I fell in love with Korean language and Korean culture.

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