韓国
Kankoku[kã̠ŋko̞kɯ̟]
South Korea in Japanese is 韓国 (Kankoku). Wiktionary also lists コリア (Koria).
Meaning: a country in East Asia, comprising the southern half of the Korean Peninsula (name)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 韓国 | Kankoku | [kã̠ŋko̞kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| コリア | Koria |
The term refers to the country in East Asia comprising the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. A person from South Korea is referred to as Kankokujin.
Which one should you use?
韓国 is the standard and most common way to refer to the country. In contrast, the standard term used for North Korea is 北朝鮮.
How does it change in a sentence?
By adding the particle の to 韓国, you create the possessive form 韓国の, which means 'South Korea's' or 'of South Korea' (for example, 'South Korean [noun]').
How do you pronounce it?
Kankoku
Did you know?
- The kanji 韓 in 韓国 was once used in archaic Japanese as から to mean any foreign country or China.
- While 韓国 is the standard name, the loanword コリア is often used in Japan specifically for sports, pop culture or academic contexts.
- When speaking about the Korean Peninsula in a purely geographical sense, Japanese speakers often use 朝鮮半島 instead of using the specific terms for the North or South.
Examples in context
- 韓国人です。I'm from South Korea.This sentence is useful for stating your nationality using 韓国.Tatoeba #8692860 by small_snow, translation #8750562 by shekitten
- わたしは韓国を訪れたい。I want to visit South Korea.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to visit 韓国.Tatoeba #554731 by Namikaze, translation #557329 by CK
- ソウルは韓国の首都です。Seoul is the capital of South Korea.This sentence is useful for identifying the capital of 韓国.Tatoeba #8732945 by small_snow, translation #3992009 by popball
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about traveling in Asia.
- 陽葵 Himari韓国はどうですか？Kankoku wa dou desu ka?How about South Korea?
- 大翔 Hiroto韓国はとても楽しそうです。Kankoku wa totemo tanoshisou desu.South Korea looks very fun.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔さんは行ったことがありますか？Hiroto-san wa itta koto ga arimasu ka?Have you ever been there, Hiroto?
- 大翔 Hirotoいいえ、一度もありません。Iie, ichido mo arimasen.No, never.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “south korea” translations and entries 韓国, コリア, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries コリア, 韓国, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
