알파벳
alpabet[a̠ɭpʰa̠be̞t̚]often
The English word 'alphabet' is translated into Korean as 알파벳 (alpabet). Wiktionary also lists 문자 (munja) and 음소문자 (eumsomunja).
Meaning: an ordered set of letters used in a language (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 알파벳 | alpabet | [a̠ɭpʰa̠be̞t̚] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | often |
| 문자 | munja | [muɲt͡ɕ͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | |
| 음소문자 | eumsomunja | [ɯmsʰo̞muɲd͡ʑa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The term refers to an ordered set of letters used in a language.
Which one should you use?
알파벳 is a loanword from English and is used most commonly in everyday conversation when referring to the Latin/English alphabet. In contrast, 문자 is a more formal or technical term meaning 'character' or 'script' and is used when discussing writing systems in a broader sense. For technical linguistic contexts, 음소문자 is used to specifically refer to a phonetic alphabet or a script based on phonemes.
How do you pronounce it?
alpabet
When do people say it?
While 알파벳 is used for the Latin alphabet, Koreans typically refer to the Korean writing system as 한글 rather than using the word for alphabet.
Did you know?
- The term 문자 can refer to any writing system, but in modern Korean digital slang, 문자 is most commonly used as a shorthand for a 'text message'.
- While 알파벳 is a loanword, the native Korean script 한글 is often called the world's most scientific alphabet because its letters mimic the shape of the mouth and tongue when spoken.
- Unlike many other scripts, 한글 groups its 'alphabet' letters into syllabic blocks rather than writing them in a linear string.
Examples in context
- 알파벳에서는 A 다음에 B가 온다.In the alphabet, B comes after A.This example shows the use of 알파벳 regarding the order of letters.Tatoeba #11105111 by intertime, translation #67292 by CK
- 알파벳은 몇 개의 글자로 되어 있습니까?How many letters are there in the alphabet?This example uses 알파벳 to ask about the number of letters in an alphabet.Tatoeba #1008600 by Sudajaengi, translation #67289 by CK
- 영어 알파벳은 몇 개의 글자로 되어 있습니까?How many letters are there in the English alphabet?This example uses 알파벳 to ask about the number of letters in the English alphabet.Tatoeba #1008598 by Sudajaengi, translation #967742 by CK
- 알파벳을 읽고 쓰는 방법을 배울 수 있을까요?Can I learn how to read and write the alphabet?
- 알파벳을 외우는 것은 어렵지 않아요.Memorizing the alphabet is not difficult.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A student asks a teacher about learning a new language.
- 서연 Seo-yeon이 나라의 알파벳은 어떻게 생겼어요?i nara-ui alpabet-eun eotteoke saenggyeosseoyo?What does this country's alphabet look like?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo한글이라는 아름다운 알파벳이 있어요.hangeul-ira-neun areumdaun alpabet-i isseoyo.There is a beautiful alphabet called Hangeul.
- 서연 Seo-yeon알파벳을 먼저 익혀야겠네요.alpabet-eul meonjeo ik-hyeoya-genneyo.I should learn the alphabet first.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 서연 씨, 천천히 시작해 보세요.ne, seoyeon ssi, cheoncheonhi sijakhae boseyo.Yes, Seoyeon, please start slowly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “alphabet” translations and entries 알파벳, 문자, 음소문자, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
