Hanja (Korean)

Hanja refers to Chinese characters that are incorporated into the Korean language. Historically, Koreans used Hanja to write and understand complex ideas before Korea developed its own alphabet, Hangul. While Hangul is now the primary script, Hanja still appears in academic, legal, and historical contexts, helping to clarify meanings and connect Korean vocabulary to Chinese roots. Understanding Hanja can enhance comprehension of classical texts, literature, and certain proper nouns. Although less common in everyday writing today, Hanja remains an important part of Korea’s cultural and linguistic history.