조선말

North Korean

Koreanic

FamilyKoreanic Speakers~26M ScriptHangul CountriesNorth Korea Official inNorth Korea Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3kor

North Korean Standard Korean (문화어, Munhwaŏ, “cultured language”) is the state language norm of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and remains mutually intelligible with South Korean Standard Korean. After the state’s founding in 1948, language planning developed separately: the experimental New Korean Orthography introduced in 1948 was replaced by the Rules of Korean Orthography in 1954. Following policy directives in 1964 and 1966, Munhwaŏ was promulgated in 1966 and officially associated with cultivated speech in Pyongyang, although it remains structurally rooted in Central Korean. Policy promoted native Korean vocabulary, distinctive spellings such as initial ㄹ in 로동, and use of Chosŏn’gŭl; Chinese characters were removed from ordinary public writing beginning in 1949, although they continued to be taught for recognition. Differences from the southern standard occur chiefly in vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling, and spacing rather than constituting a separate language.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in North Korean

Water

물

mul

Fire

불

pul

Sun

해

hɛ

Moon

달

tal

Star

별

pjʌl

Night

밤

pam

Rain

비

pi

Snow

눈

nun

Wind

바람

paɾam

Earth

흙

hɯk̚

Stone

돌

tol

Mountain

산

san

Sea

바다

pada

Mother

어머니

ʌmʌni

Father

아버지

abʌdʑi

Daughter

딸

t͈al

I

나

na

You

너

nʌ

We

우리

uɾi

Name

이름

iɾɯm

Person

사람

saɾam

Head

머리

mʌɾi

Eye

눈

nun

Ear

귀

kɥi

Nose

코

kʰo

Mouth

입

ip̚

Tooth

이

i

Tongue

혀

çʌ

Hand

손

son

Foot

발

pal

Heart

마음

maɯm

Bone

뼈

p͈jʌ

Blood

피

pʰi

Poop

똥

t͈oŋ

Love

사랑

saɾaŋ

Tree

나무

namu

Dog

개

kɛ

Cat

고양이

kojaŋi

Fish

물고기

mulɡoɡi

Bird

새

sɛ

Butterfly

나비

nabi

Egg

닭알

talɡal

Bear

곰

kom

Horse

말

mal

House

집

tɕip̚

Milk

우유

uju

Honey

꿀

k͈ul

Salt

소금

soɡɯm

Wine

포도주

pododʑu

Rice

쌀

s͈al

Chocolate

쵸콜레트

tɕʰokʰolːetʰɯ

Iron

철

tɕʰʌl

Wheel

바퀴

pakʰwi

Silk

비단

pidan

Book

책

tɕʰɛk̚

Eat

먹어

mʌɡʌ

Drink

마셔

maɕjʌ

Sleep

자다

tɕada

One

하나

hana

Two

둘

tul

Three

셋

set̚

Four

넷

net̚

Five

다섯

tasʌt̚

Hundred

백

pɛk̚

Hello

반갑습니다

panɡap̚s͈ɯmnida

Thank you

고맙습니다

komap̚s͈ɯmnida

Good

좋아

tɕoa

New

새로운

sɛɾoun

Red

빨갛다

p͈alɡatʰa

White

하얀

hajan

Black

까맣다

k͈amatʰa

Green

초록

tɕʰoɾok̚

Blue

파랗다

pʰaɾatʰa

Cuckoo

뻐꾸기

p͈ʌk͈uɡi

Woof

멍멍

mʌŋmʌŋ

Cock-a-doodle-doo

꼬끼오

k͈ok͈io

Computer

콤퓨터

kʰompʰjutʰʌ

Wi-Fi

와이파이

waipʰai

Sushi

초밥

tɕʰobap̚

Tea

차

tɕʰa

Coffee

커피

kʰʌpʰi

Sugar

사탕가루

satʰaŋk͈aɾu

Orange

오렌지

oɾendʑi

Ninety-nine

아흔아홉

ahɯnahop̚

Dopamine

도파민

topʰamin

At sign

골뱅이

kolbɛŋi

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Koreanic

Meaning North KoreanYanbian KoreanKoreanBusan KoreanHamgyong KoreanJeolla KoreanJeju
Water 물 /mul/ 물 /mul/ 물 /mul/ 물 /mul/ 물 /mul/ 물 /mul/ 물 /mul/
Fire 불 /pul/ 불 /pul/ 불 /pul/ 불 /pul/ 불 /pul/ 불 /pul/ 불 /pul/
Sun 해 /hɛ/ 해 /hɛ/ 해 /hɛ/ 해 /hɛ/ 해 /hɛ/ 해 /hɛ/ 헤 /he/
Moon 달 /tal/ 달 /tal/ 달 /tal/ 달 /tal/ 달 /tal/ 달 /tal/ 달 /tal/
Star 별 /pjʌl/ 별 /pjʌl/ 별 /pjʌl/ 별 /pjʌl/ 별 /pjəl/ 별 /pjəl/ 별 /pjʌl/
Night 밤 /pam/ 밤 /pam/ 밤 /pam/ 밤 /pam/ 밤 /pam/ 밤 /pam/ 밤 /pam/
Rain 비 /pi/ 비 /pi/ 비 /pi/ 비 /pi/ 비 /pi/ 비 /pi/ 비 /pi/
Snow 눈 /nun/ 눈 /nun/ 눈 /nun/ 눈 /nun/ 눈 /nun/ 눈 /nun/ 눈 /nun/
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Word order compared

Compare with major world languages

North Korean
저는 호텔 맞은편 가게 ‌에서 본 양복을 입어보고 싶습니다
I want to try on a suit I saw ‌in a shop across from the hotel
Ich möchte einen Anzug anprobieren den ich in einem Geschäft gegenüber vom Hotel gesehen habe
मैं होटल के सामने एक दुकान में देखा सूट को पहनकर देखना चाहता हूँ
私は ホテルの 向かいの お店 で 見た スーツを 試着 したいです
我 想 试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 里 看到的 那套西装
أنا أريد أن أجرب بدلة رأيتها في محل مقابل الفندق
Я хочу примерить костюм который я увидел в магазине напротив отеля

Compare with languages in the same classification

저는 호텔 맞은편 가게 ‌에서 본 양복을 입어보고 싶습니데이
저는 旅館 맞은편 가게 ‌에서 본 衣服을 입어보고 싶사이다
저는 호텔 맞은편 가게 ‌에서 본 양복을 입어보고 싶수다
저는 호텔 맞은편 가게 ‌에서 본 양복을 입어보고 싶어요
North Korean
저는 호텔 맞은편 가게 ‌에서 본 양복을 입어보고 싶습니다

Han readings compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Koreanic > Korean > DPRK Standard

Character North KoreanKoreanOld Japanese Go-onLate Middle KoreanPhags-pa ChineseJapaneseHakka Chinese
一 il /il/ il /il/ iti /iti/ ·qilq /ʔilʔ˥/ yi /ʔi/ 漢音 / Kan-onitsu /itsɯ/呉音 / Go-onichi /itɕi/ yit /jit̚˨/
二 i /i/ i /i/ ni /ɲi/ ·zi /zi˥/ ži /ʐi/ 漢音 / Kan-onji /dʑi/呉音 / Go-onni /ni/ ngi /ŋi˥˥/
三 sam /sam/ sam /sam/ sam /sam/ sam /sam˩/ sam /sam/ san /saɴ/ sâm /sam˦˦/
四 sa /sa/ sa /sa/ si /ɕi/ ·sʌ /sʌ˥/ shi /sɨ/ shi /ɕi/ si /si˥˥/
五 o /o/ o /o/ go /ŋo/ :ngwo /ŋo˩˥/ u /wu/ go /ɡo/ ńg /ŋ̩˧˩/
六 ryuk /ɾjuk̚/ yuk /juk̚/ roku /roku/ ·lyuk /ljuk̚˥/ lėu /lɥu/ 漢音 / Kan-onriku /ɾikɯ/呉音 / Go-onroku /ɾokɯ/ liuk /liuk̚˥/
七 ch'il /tsʰil/ chil /tɕʰil/ siti /ɕiti/ ·chilq /tsʰilʔ˥/ tsʻi /tsʰi/ 漢音 / Kan-onshitsu /ɕitsɯ/呉音 / Go-onshichi /ɕitɕi/ chhit /tsʰit̚˨/
八 p'al /pʰal/ pal /pʰal/ pati /pati/ ·palq /palʔ˥/ ba /pa/ 漢音 / Kan-onhatsu /hatsɯ/呉音 / Go-onhachi /hatɕi/ pat /pat̚˨/
九 ku /ku/ gu /ku/ kiu /kiu/ :kwu /ku˩˥/ giw /kiw/ 漢音 / Kan-onkyū /kjɯː/呉音 / Go-onku /kɯ/ kiú /kiu˧˩/
十 sip /ɕip̚/ sip /ɕip̚/ zipu /ʑipu/ ·ssip /s͈ip̚˥/ ši /ʐi/ 漢音 / Kan-onshū /ɕɯː/呉音 / Go-onjū /dʑɯː/ sṳ̍p /sɨp̚˥/
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