Writing in Korean can be quite complex when it comes to spacing (띄어쓰기), as it involves several factors like grammar, sentence structure, and even the type of words. In this article, I’ll share some of the most important rules I’ve learned with you.
Korean uses particles to indicate grammatical relationships between words in a sentence. To ensure clarity, it is essential to separate these particles from the following words. Some commonly used particles in Korean include 은/는, 이/가, 을/를, 에, 에서, (으)로, 에게, 도, 와/과, and so on.
For example, in the sentence “저는 한국에서 떡볶이를 먹었습니다” (I ate Tteokbokki in Korea), there are three particles used: 는, 에서, and 를. To make it clear, it is essential to add spaces after each particle.
It is essential to note that particles are included as part of the preceding word. Therefore, particles are not standalone words and should be attached to the word they modify without spaces.
In some sentences, there may be two or three nouns put together to form a noun phrase. In constructing such phrases, it is generally advisable to separate each independent noun with a space.
For example, “한국 음식” (Korean Food) and “경영 대학교” (Business University) both consist of multiple nouns that should be separated by spaces.
However, there are exceptions to this rule:
Compound Words: When words are combined to create a new meaning, they should be written without spaces. For example, “tear” in Korean is “눈물”, a compound word made up of 눈 (eyes) and 물 (water). This word should be written together as “눈물” without a space between them. The same applies to verbs such as “to visit,” which is “방문하다”, a compound word made up of “방문” (visit) and “하다” (to do).
Proper Nouns: If the noun phrase is a commonly used or official name, such “한국관광공사” (Korean Tourism Organization) or “국립중앙박물관” (National Museum of Korea), it is standard to write the entire phrase without spaces. Doing so makes it more easily recognizable as a specific entity or organization.
3. Person’s Name and Title
Korean personal names consist of a surname and a given name, both of which have independent meanings and can be used as separate words. Although it can be argued that they should be written separately, personal names are unique nouns, and Korean surnames are usually only one syllable, making them feel incomplete on their own. Therefore, it is customary to write personal names without spaces between the surname and given name.
For example, “Park Ji-min” is written as “박지민,” “Kim Min-seok” is “김민석,” and “Lee Min-ho” is “이민호,” all without spaces.
However, when titles or job names follow a personal name, they are separate units and should be written with a space between them.
For example: 박지민 씨 (Mr. Park Ji-min), 민수철 교수 (Professor Min Su-cheol), 김 의사님 (Doctor Kim) all have a space between the personal name and the title or job name.
In Korean, spacing is used between every ten thousand when writing numbers. This means that if you have a number with five digits or more, you will use a space to separate the digits in groups of four.
일억 이천삼백사십오만 육천칠백팔십구 (123456789)
When it comes to combining numbers with counters, there are two cases to consider:
If you write the number in digits, there is no space between the number and the counter. For example, “1개” (one piece), “2번” (two times), and “3명” (three people) have no space between the number and the counter.
However, if you write the number in words, there should be a space between the written number and the counter. For example, “삼 학년” (third grade), “칠천 원” (seven thousand won), and “칠 개월” (seven months) have a space between the written number and the counter.
When a modifier (such as an adjective, verb, or adverb) modifies a word, it should be separated from the word by a space. This helps to clarify the relationship between the two words and make the sentence easier to read.
유나는 예쁜 여자예요 (Yuna is a pretty girl)
한국 와서 처음 먹은 음식 기억나요? (Do you remember the first food that you ate in Korea?)
저는 일을 잘 해요 (I do my job well)
All use spacing to separate the modifier from the word.
– It’s worth noting that there are certain grammatical structures in Korean that require specific spacing. For example, “(으)ㄴ 적이 있다” (have done in the past), “(으)ㄹ 수 있다” (can/be able to), “아/어 보다” (try doing) and so on. It’s important to pay attention to these spacing rules when learning Korean to ensure that your writing is accurate and clear.
– Finally, when using “이다” (to be) or “아니다” (to not be), it’s important to note that “이다” is written immediately after a noun, while “아니다” is written separately from the noun due to the particle. This is important to keep in mind when writing sentences that use these verbs.
학생이 아닙니다 (I’m not a student.)
The preceding explanation outlines my current understanding of the spacing rules when writing in Korean. However, I also want to point out that there might be some special cases or exceptions to these rules that I’m not aware of. So, if you have any experience with these special cases, I’d love to hear about it! Let’s share our knowledge and learn from each other.
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