Hanja
Chinese characters adapted to write the Korean language.
Hanja (한자; 漢字; also spelled Hancha) are Chinese characters used for writing Korean. Introduced to Korea for Literary Chinese, they were adapted for Korean as early as the Gojoseon period. While Hanja underwent only minor reforms—such as the creation of Korean-specific variants and slight modifications—they closely resemble traditional Chinese and traditional Japanese characters, though some characters have different glyph forms, like 教 versus 敎 or 研 versus 硏. Only a few Hanja were modified or are unique to Korean; the rest match traditional Chinese characters. In contrast, characters used in mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore have been simplified and often have fewer strokes.
The term *hanjaeo* (한자어; 漢字語) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary written with Hanja, while *hanmun* (한문; 漢文) means Classical Chinese writing; sometimes Hanja covers both. Until modern times, Korean documents, history, literature, and records were mainly written in Literary Chinese using Hanja. King Sejong the Great promulgated Hangul (called Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea) in 1446 via the Hunminjeongeum, but it didn't see widespread official use until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. So, studying Korean history requires proficiency in Chinese characters, and Hanja reflect the etymology of Sino-Korean words.
Hanja were once used for native Korean words in systems called *idu*, but by the 20th century, Koreans used Hanja only for Sino-Korean words, writing native vocabulary and loanwords in Hangul—a mixed script. By the 21st century, even Sino-Korean words are usually written in Hangul, with the corresponding Hanja sometimes added to avoid confusion with homophones. According to the National Institute of Korean Language’s Standard Korean Language Dictionary, about half (50%) of Korean words are Sino-Korean, mostly in academic fields like science, government, and society. Other dictionaries, such as the *Urimal Keun Sajeon*, put the figure as low as roughly 30%.
**History**
There’s no accepted date for when Literary Chinese (hanmun) written in Hanja entered Korea. Early Chinese histories don’t mention a Korean writing system.
Quick Facts
- Languages
- Korean, Classical Chinese
- Time
- 400 BC – present
- Sisters
- Kanji, traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Khitan script, Chữ Hán, Chữ Nôm, Jurchen script, Tangut script
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Hanja were introduced to Korea through Literary Chinese (hanmun). Early Chinese dynastic histories do not mention a Korean writing system, but archaeological evidence of Chinese writing in Korea dates to the 3rd century BC, when Chinese migrations occurred due to war in northern China. From 108 BC to 313 AD, the Han dynasty established the Four Commanderies of Han in northern Korea, institutionalizing the Chinese language. The Gwanggaeto Stele, dated to 414, is the earliest securely dated relic bearing hanmun inscriptions. By the 5th and 6th centuries, hanmun became commonplace in Goguryeo, and Chinese classics were available there by the end of the 6th century.
Reader's Guide
Hanja are significant because they were the primary script for Korean documents, history, literature, and records until the contemporary period. Proficiency in Chinese characters is necessary to study Korean history, as etymology of Sino-Korean words is reflected in Hanja. According to the Standard Korean Language Dictionary, approximately half of Korean words are Sino-Korean, mostly in academic fields. By the 21st century, even Sino-Korean words are usually written in Hangul, with the corresponding Hanja sometimes written next to it to prevent confusion. Only a small number of Hanja characters were modified or are unique to Korean; the rest are identical to traditional Chinese characters, unlike the simplified characters used in mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore.
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