Mary
What do Koreans learn 한자?

What do Koreans learn 한자?

Is 한자 the same as Mandarin?

If so, why can't Koreans speak Mandarin but are able to read and write 한자?

Jul 24, 2015 5:22 AM
Comments · 3
2

Korean Hanja writing is different from that of Chinese languages such as Mandarin and Cantonese.

The PRC (mainland china) reformed their Hanja some decades ago because they hoped they would lower their illiteracy rate by simplifying their writing system.

In Korea and Taiwan, Hanja is unchanged, thus retaining its traditional form.

Japanese Kanji is similar to Korean Hanja, but its a little bit different. Kanji is a bit more simple, although it's more similar to traditional form rather than radically simplified mainland Chinese style.

In conclusion, let me give you this picture below

traditional = Korean, Taiwanese >>> Japanese >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mandarin = simplified

Now, about spoken language, even if people from Korea, Taiwan and Japan read a same Hanja letter in their own languages, they all sound differently. The difference between Hanja (Korean) and Kanji (Japanese) is a good example. The two words share the same written form, but it reads differently in Korea and Japan. Same thing goes with China. Even within the PRC, they can't understand between speakers of different dialects although they share the written language.

Although Hanja-originated words takes up significant share in Korean language, the majority of people can't write Hanja in contemporary Korea. The Korean writing system is so convenient, we don't have trouble in our daily lives without knowing Hanja.

July 24, 2015
1

I haven't seen a Korean newspaper written in Hanja, not unless I'm searching for the papers from the past century. Not that I don't believe in what you said, I really do. Just for curiosity's sake, could you tell me the name of the newspaper you're refering to?

July 27, 2015

@Ning:  I still see Hanja in Korean newspapers, which always confuses me.  

July 24, 2015