hon4 gwok3韓國韩国
Jyutpinghon4 gwok3
Yalehòhn gwok
Definition
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, a country in East Asia located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula.
colloquialplacestravel
How it's used
People in Hong Kong use 韓國 almost exclusively to refer to South Korea in casual conversation. While the formal name is 大韓民國, it is rarely heard outside of news broadcasts or official documents. When distinguishing between the two Koreas, locals use 北韓 for North Korea and 韓國 for the South.
Examples
Do you prefer traveling to South Korea or Japan?
I went to South Korea last month and bought a lot of skincare products.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using 南韓 in casual speech, as it sounds slightly more formal or political compared to the very common 韓國. Also, ensure you do not confuse the pronunciation of 韓國 with the name of the country Korea as a whole, which is usually referred to by the specific state name in modern contexts.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
