나라
nara[na̠ɾa̠]
The English word 'country' is translated into Korean as 나라 (nara). Wiktionary also lists 국가 (gukga).
Meaning: nation state (noun)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 나라 | nara | [na̠ɾa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 국가 | gukga | [kuk̚k͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
When referring to a nation-state, you can use either 나라 or 국가.
Which one should you use?
나라 is the standard term for a country, whereas 국가 is a more formal, academic or political term used to refer to a nation-state or the state as a political entity.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
nara
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 나라 to mean the 'countryside'. In Korean, the word for the rural countryside is 시골.
Did you know?
- The word 국가 is a homonym with a second meaning: 'national anthem'. The two words are written differently in Hanja but sound identical in spoken Korean.
Examples in context
- 어떤 나라든 역사가 있다.Every country has its own history.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 나라 when discussing history.Tatoeba #6304263 by Queserasera, translation #37520 by CK
- 이 나라에는 일자리가 없다.There are no jobs in this country.This sentence shows how to use 나라 when talking about the availability of jobs.Tatoeba #5989187 by mistake101, translation #5988093 by mailohilohi
- 이 나라에는 일자리가 적다.There are few jobs in this country.This sentence demonstrates how to use 나라 when describing a scarcity of jobs.Tatoeba #5989189 by mistake101, translation #5988094 by mailohilohi
- 저는 한국이라는 나라에서 태어났어요.I was born in a country called Korea.
- 저는 국가 안전보장에 관심이 많아요.I am interested in national security.
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Jihoon are talking about traveling abroad.
- 서연 Seo-yeon어느 나라에 가고 싶어요?eoneu nara-e gago sipeoyo?Which country do you want to go to?
- 지훈 Ji-hun저는 일본이라는 나라에 가고 싶어요.jeoneun ilbon-iraneun nara-e gago sipeoyo.I want to go to the country called Japan.
- 서연 Seo-yeon그 나라는 정말 아름답다고 들었어요.geu nara-neun jeongmal areumdap-dago deureosseoyo.I heard that country is really beautiful.
- 지훈 Ji-hun맞아요. 그래서 꼭 가보고 싶어요.majayo. geuraeseo kkok gabogo sipeoyo.That's true. That's why I really want to visit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “country” translations and entries 나라, 국가, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 국가, 나라, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
