# Korean

Pronunciation: say "kuh-REE-uhn" US /kəˈɹi.ən/, UK /kəˈɹiːən/

## Adjective

1. Relating to the Asian peninsula that comprises North Korea and South Korea.
   - Simple: Connected with the part of Asia made up of North Korea and South Korea.
   - _The Korean coastline is dotted with thousands of small islands._
   - _She wrote her thesis on traditional Korean architecture and temple design._
4. Relating to the Korean language, including its grammar, vocabulary, and writing system.
   - Simple: Having to do with the language of North and South Korea.
   - _The Korean alphabet is often praised for how systematically it is designed._
   - _He struggled with Korean pronunciation until a tutor corrected his vowels._

## Proper noun

2. The official language of people on the Korean Peninsula, spoken by roughly 60 million people in Asia, North America, and elsewhere.
   - Simple: The language spoken in North Korea and South Korea by about 60 million people.
   - _He speaks Korean fluently after living abroad for a decade._
   - _The university now offers Korean as part of its language program._

## Noun

3. A person who is a native or resident of North Korea or South Korea, or who is of Korean descent.
   - Simple: A person born or living in North Korea or South Korea, or someone with Korean family roots.
   - _The conference brought together Koreans from both sides of the border._
   - _As a Korean living in Berlin, she often cooks dishes from home._

## Origin

Formed from Korea plus the suffix -an.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/korean (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).