Chapter 9
Batchim Basics
Batchim (받침) is the final consonant at the bottom of a syllable block. It changes how the syllable ends, and it can also affect the next syllable’s sound.
What is batchim?
A syllable can be (1) consonant + vowel, or (2) consonant + vowel + batchim. Example: 가 (no batchim) vs. 각 (has ㄱ batchim).
Batchim is usually unreleased: the sound stops quickly (k/t/p) without adding an extra vowel at the end.
The 8 basic batchim (your first set)
| Batchim | Typical sound | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | k | Ends like k (short stop) | |
| ㄴ | n | Ends like n | |
| ㄷ | t | Often ends like t (short stop) | |
| ㄹ | l | Ends like an 'l' | |
| ㅁ | m | Ends like m | |
| ㅂ | p | Ends like p (short stop) | |
| ㅅ | t | As batchim, ㅅ is often read like t | |
| ㅇ | ng | Ends like 'ng' in sing |
Important idea: many letters share the same final sound
In final position, Korean pronunciation is simplified. Different consonants can sound the same as batchim.
| Final sound group | Sounds like | Common letters (preview) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㄱ-group | k | ㄱ, ㄲ, ㅋ | |
| ㄴ-group | n | ㄴ | |
| ㄷ-group | t | ㄷ, ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅌ, ㅎ (often) | |
| ㄹ-group | l | ㄹ | |
| ㅁ-group | m | ㅁ | |
| ㅂ-group | p | ㅂ, ㅍ | |
| ㅇ-group | ng | ㅇ |
Don’t memorize every rule now. Just learn the idea: final sounds collapse into a small set (k, n, t, l, m, p, ng).
Reading examples (single syllable)
| Syllable | Breakdown | Ends like | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 각 | ㄱ + ㅏ + ㄱ | k | |
| 간 | ㄱ + ㅏ + ㄴ | n | |
| 갇 | ㄱ + ㅏ + ㄷ | t | |
| 갈 | ㄱ + ㅏ + ㄹ | l | |
| 감 | ㄱ + ㅏ + ㅁ | m | |
| 갑 | ㄱ + ㅏ + ㅂ | p | |
| 갓 | ㄱ + ㅏ + ㅅ | t | |
| 강 | ㄱ + ㅏ + ㅇ | ng |
Two-syllable examples (feel the stop)
Try reading slowly: stop the sound at the end of the first syllable, then start the next syllable clearly.
| Word | Batchim | Pronunciation (approx.) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 먹다 | ㄱ → k | meok-da | |
| 앉다 | ㄴ → n | an-da (preview: complex batchim later) | |
| 닫다 | ㄷ → t | dat-da | |
| 물고기 | ㄹ → l | mul-go-gi | |
| 감사 | ㅁ → m | gam-sa | |
| 밥을 | ㅂ → p | bap-eul | |
| 옷이 | ㅅ → t | ot-i | |
| 방에 | ㅇ → ng | bang-e |
Linking rule (very common)
When the next syllable starts with ㅇ, the batchim sound often links to the next syllable. Example: 먹어 can sound like meo-geo.
| Word | Written | Often sounds like | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 먹어 | 먹 + 어 | meo-geo | |
| 밥을 | 밥 + 을 | ba-beul | |
| 옷이 | 옷 + 이 | o-si / o-ti (later rules refine this) | |
| 강이 | 강 + 이 | ga-ngi |
For now: if you see ㅇ at the start of the next syllable, try connecting smoothly rather than making a hard pause.
Quick practice
Read these aloud. Focus only on the ending sound (k/n/t/l/m/p/ng).
| Set A | Set B | Set C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 각 / 간 / 갈 | k / n / l | 갓 / 감 / 강 | |
| 갑 / 갇 / 간 | p / t / n | 강 / 갈 / 감 | |
| 갓 / 각 / 갑 | t / k / p | 간 / 강 / 갈 |
Chapter goal: (1) spot batchim, (2) read the common ending sounds, (3) notice linking before ㅇ. Detailed batchim rules can come in the next chapter.