ㅋ
k/kʰ/
The English phrase "k" refers to a playing card in Korean, represented by the character ㅋ.
In this context, ㅋ is used to denote a playing card.
Meaning: playing card (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is romanized as k and is represented by the IPA symbol /kʰ/.
Did you know?
- While ㅋ is a single letter, typing it repeatedly in a text message like ㅋㅋㅋㅋ is the standard way to show you are laughing, much like the English 'lol'.
- The principles for creating ㅋ were documented in the 'Hunmin Jeongeum Haerye', one of the world's only writing systems with a preserved manual explaining its design.
- A single ㅋ can sometimes be interpreted as a mocking or cold laugh rather than a genuine one.
Examples in context
- 김치Korean fermented cabbage
- 강River
- 고양이Cat
- 김밥Korean seaweed rice rolls
- 개Dog
- 방Room
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Minji are playing a card game.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo민지 씨, 지금 무슨 카드 냈어요?Minji ssi, jigeum museun kadeu naesseoyo?Minji, what card did you just play?
- 민지 Min-ji저 ㅋ 카드 냈어요.jeo k kadeu naesseoyo.I played the K card.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo와, 정말 강력한 카드네요!wa, jeongmal gangryeokhan kadeuneyo!Wow, that's a really powerful card!
- 민지 Min-ji그렇죠? 제가 이겼어요.geureotjyo? jega igyeosseoyo.Right? I won.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ㅋ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ㅋ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
