Korean Terminology
It is important for students to learn the Korean terms for commands, ranks, numbers, and items around the dojang. Vocabulary will be introduced gradually throughout practice.
Not all of the following terms are used at Gentle Palm, but students might encounter them when visiting other schools, or when taking part in events sponsored by the federation of their particular art.
This list is in progress, and no gaurantee is made for 100% accuracy. There are multiple forms of romanization, which often boils down to best approximations of sounds. Terms will be added as time and scholarship allows. Audio files and hangul versions will be added as they can be created and verified.
If the hangul characters are not being displayed, follow our instructions on how to set your computer to display them.
General Terms
| Romanized Term |
Audio |
Hangul |
English Translation |
| kihap |
|
기합 |
energy yell |
| muk yum |
|
|
meditation |
| dojang |
|
도장 |
training hall |
| cheyukkwan |
|
체육관 |
gymnasium |
| Kuk ki |
|
국기 |
national flag |
| dobok |
|
도복 |
uniform |
| tti/dee/dhee |
|
띠 |
belt |
| gup/geup/kup |
|
급 |
pre-black belt grades |
| dan |
|
단 |
black belt grades |
Honorifics
| Romanized Term |
Audio |
Hangul |
English Translation |
| Sabumnim |
|
사범님 |
teacher |
| Kwanjangnim |
|
관장님 |
training hall owner |
| Dojunim |
|
도주님 |
keeper of the way |
Numbers and Counting
There are two different numbering systems in Korean. The first is used when counting, or when only speaking of the numbers themselves. Here are the first ten numbers in this system:
| Romanized Term |
Audio |
Hangul |
English Translation |
| hanah |
|
|
one |
| dool |
|
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two |
| set |
|
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three |
| net |
|
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four |
| dasot |
|
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five |
| yasot |
|
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six |
| ilgop |
|
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seven |
| yadol |
|
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eight |
| ahop |
|
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nine |
| yool |
|
|
ten |
The second numbering system in Korean actually comes from the Chinese language. It is used in most other cases, and often when English speakers would use ordinals (first, second, etc.). For instance, a first-degree black belt would be “il dan.” Though these numbers often correspond to ordinals, not all of them do, and Koreans actually have another set of words specifically for that use. Here are the first ten numbers in this system:
| Romanized Term |
Audio |
Hangul |
English Translation |
| il |
|
|
one |
| ee |
|
|
two |
| sahm |
|
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three |
| sah |
|
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four |
| oh |
|
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five |
| ryook |
|
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six |
| chil |
|
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seven |
| pal |
|
|
eight |
| koo |
|
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nine |
| ship |
|
|
ten |
Common Phrases
| Romanized Term |
Audio |
Hangul |
English Translation |
| anyong haseyo |
|
안녕하세요 |
Hello. |
| anyonghi kaseyo |
|
안녕히계세요 |
Good-bye. |
| kamsa hamnida |
|
감사합니다 |
Thank You. |
| chonmanayo |
|
천만에요 |
You're welcome. |
Commands
| Romanized Term |
Audio |
Hangul |
English Translation |
| char-yet |
|
|
Attention! |
| Kuk ki bae roe |
|
|
Salute (bow to) the flag. |
| bar roe |
|
|
Return to ready position. |
| ahn jo |
|
|
Sit Down. |
| Sabumnim ka kyung yet |
|
|
Bow to the teacher. |
| Romanized Term |
Audio |
Hangul |
English Translation |
| chun bee |
|
|
ready |
| shi o |
|
|
rest |
| han da mak kee |
|
|
low block |
| san da mak kee |
|
|
high block |
| kap kwon |
|
|
back fist |
| soo do |
|
|
knife hand |
| kwan soo |
|
|
spear hand |
| ap cha ke |
|
|
front kick |
| tollya cha ke |
|
|
roundhouse kick |
| up cha ke |
|
|
side kick |
| dwee up cha ke |
|
|
spin back kick |
| e dan ap cha ke |
|
|
jump front kick |
| e dan up cha ke |
|
|
jump side kick |
| e dan tollya cha ke |
|
|
jump roundhouse kick |
| e dan dwee up cha ke |
|
|
jump spin back kick |
Coming Soon
| Romanized Term |
Audio |
Hangul |
English Translation |
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