남아프리카
Namapeurika[na̠ma̠pʰɯɾikʰa̠]
South Africa in Korean is 남아프리카 (Namapeurika). Wiktionary also lists 남아공 (Namagong).
Meaning: country (name)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 남아프리카 | Namapeurika | [na̠ma̠pʰɯɾikʰa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 남아공 | Namagong | [na̠ma̠ɡo̞ŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
Which one should you use?
남아공 is a common abbreviation used in everyday conversation and news headlines to save space.
How does it change in a sentence?
The full official name of the country is 남아프리카 공화국.
How do you pronounce it?
Namapeurika
Did you know?
- While the name uses the Hanja 南 for 'south', the full name 남아프리카 공화국 is actually a hybrid of East Asian and Western elements, combining a Chinese-derived character with a phonetic transcription of 'Africa'.
- The word 공화국 (Gonghwaguk) used in the full name for 'Republic' is composed of three Hanja characters that literally translate to 'public/common', 'circle/union', and 'country'.
- When Koreans refer to the 'South' in a general directional sense, they use 남쪽, but for the country 남아프리카, they use the formal Hanja root 남.
Examples in context
- 국제회의에서 남아프리카공화국의 대표는 발언을 시작했습니다.The representative of the Republic of South Africa began the speech at the international conference.
Example conversation
Subin and Jihun are talking about their dream travel destinations.
- 수빈 Su-bin지훈 씨는 어느 나라에 가고 싶어요?Ji-hun ssi-neun eo-neu na-ra-e ga-go sip-eo-yo?Jihun, which country do you want to visit?
- 지훈 Ji-hun저는 남아프리카에 가보고 싶어요.Jeo-neun Nam-a-peu-ri-ka-e ga-bo-go sip-eo-yo.I want to try visiting South Africa.
- 수빈 Su-bin우와, 정말 멋진 선택이네요!U-wa, jeong-mal meot-jin seon-taek-i-ne-yo!Wow, that's a really great choice!
- 지훈 Ji-hun수빈 씨도 같이 갈래요?Su-bin ssi-do gat-i gal-lae-yo?Do you want to go together, Subin?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “south africa” translations and entries 남아프리카, 남아공, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
