How to Say “Country” in Korean

One of the most common questions you’ll likely be asked in Korea is where are you from. So you’ll definitely want to know how to answer! Of course, you’re likely to be asked this question in English, but why wouldn’t you want to know how to answer it in Korean?

Moreover, your Korean-speaking friends would be more than delighted to hear you introduce them to your country, especially if you do so in Korean! It’s just one of a few small things you can do to impress your Korean friends.

Now, we, unfortunately, cannot teach you all the vocabulary you might need in one article, but we can get you started on learning how to. So, first and foremost, let’s learn how to say “country” in Korean.

Ways to say “country” in Korean

There are two ways to say “country” in Korean. These are 나라 (nara) and 국가 (gukga). 

나라 (nara)

The first word, 나라 (nara),  is more frequently used in conversation or when saying phrases such as “our country,” which in Korean translates to 우리 나라 (uri nara).

Unfortunately, just like in many other languages, you have to learn each country’s name separately as the word 나라 (nara) is not attached to any of them. Even so, it’s a good word to add to your vocabulary as one of the first staple vocabulary words you can learn. Here are some sample sentences:

어느 나라에서 오셨어요?  (eoneu naraeseo osyeosseoyo)

Which country did you come from?

어느 나라에서 왔어요?  (eoneu naraeseo wasseoyo)

Which country did you come from?

내가 제일 가고 싶은 나라는 필리핀이야 (naega jeil gago sipeun naraneun pillipiniya)

The Philippines is the country I want to visit the most.

국가 (gukga)

On the other hand, 국가 (gukga), which has a more official sound to it, is usually used in legal terms and news articles. This term for “country” in Korean is derived from Chinese.

List of Country Names in Korean

Now that you know the word for “country” in Korean, the next step is to learn the names of the countries in Korean. This way, you can specify which country you’d like to talk about. Below is a list of some of the countries and their names in Korean. 

We’ve learned quite a lot so far! But there are more words and phrases related to country in Korean that you can learn to further improve your vocabulary.

These will be covered in the video below. Try to listen carefully to grasp the correct pronunciation of each word.

A Word of Caution About Romanization

While it is possible for you to study the words in this article simply by reading their romanized versions, it will come in handy for you to be able to read Hangeul if you ever wish to come to Korea. Hangeul is the Korean alphabet, and not difficult to learn. In fact, you can learn it in just 90 minutes.

After you’ve familiarized yourself with Hangeul, life in Korea will suddenly seem so much easier and the country won’t appear so foreign to you. So, if you’re serious about learning Korean, why not learn Hangeul today?

Now that you know how to talk about your 나라 (nara), you can go out and share your culture with your Korean friends! What country are you from? Try introducing your home country in the comments below!

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