Hello again, language explorer!
Yesterday, we talked about Tense Consonants (Gyeongeumhwa / 경음화).
Today, we’re diving into another important sound change in Korean: Nasalization!
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🔍 What is Nasalization?
In Korean, nasalization (비음화) happens when certain consonants are pronounced like nasal sounds (such as ㅁ, ㄴ, ㅇ) because of the influence of nearby sounds.
Think of it as your mouth switching to “nose mode” when it’s easier to pronounce!
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🧠 How it works
When a final consonant (받침 / batchim) like ㅂ, ㄷ, ㄱ is followed by a nasal consonant like ㄴ or ㅁ,
the batchim sound changes into a nasal consonant to make the flow smoother.
Spelling Pronunciation Meaning
입니다 (ip-ni-da) 임니다 (im-ni-da) to be (formal)
국물 (guk-mul) 궁물 (gung-mul) soup/broth
앞문 (ap-mun) 암문 (am-mun) front door
신문 (sin-mun) 신문 (shin-moon) newspaper (no change here – nasal already)
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💡 Why is this important?
If you understand nasalization, your Korean listening will improve a LOT!
You’ll also sound more natural when speaking Korean.
Native speakers use these sound changes automatically — now you can, too!
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🗣️ Practice Time!
Repeat these out loud, focusing on the nasal sounds:
1. 입니다 → 임니다
2. 국물 → 궁물
3. 앞문 → 암문
4. 밥먹어요 → 밤먹어요 (“bam-meog-eo-yo”)
5. 잡는 → 잠는 (“jam-neun”)
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Keep practicing — your Korean is getting better every day!
Tomorrow, we’ll explore Liquidization (유음화 / Yuumhwa), another fascinating sound change.
See you then!
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| 🌟 Day 12: Korean Sound Change – Liquidization (유음화 / yuumhwa) (0) | 2025.04.05 |
| 🌟 Day 10: Korean Sound Change - Tensing Sound (경음화 / Gyeongeumhwa) (0) | 2025.04.05 |
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