Meaning & use
Korea
Last updated
Meanings
proper nounproper
A region and peninsula in East Asia, now divided into two countries, North Korea and South Korea.
Grammar: Always capitalized, and used without 'the': she grew up in Korea.
Patterns
- North Korea
- South Korea
- the Korean Peninsula
He was born in Korea but has lived in Canada since he was ten.
Trade between Korea and its neighbors grew quickly in the 1990s.
The war on the Korean Peninsula ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.
proper nounproper
Used in names of things from the peninsula, such as Korean food, language, or companies.
Grammar: Often used before another noun as a modifier: Korean food, Korean companies.
Patterns
- Korean + noun
We ate Korean barbecue at a small restaurant near the station.
She studies Korean history at university.
Several Korean firms opened offices in the city last year.
Common combinations
- North Korea
- North Korea shares a border with China and Russia.
- South Korea
- South Korea hosted the Winter Olympics in 2018.
- the Korean Peninsula
- The Korean Peninsula has been divided since the 1950s.
- Korean War
- The Korean War lasted from 1950 to 1953.
- Korean language
- The Korean language uses its own alphabet, called Hangul.
Word family
- Korean adjective
- Relating to Korea, its people, or its language.
- Korean noun
- A person from Korea, or the language spoken there.
Commonly confused: Korea or Koran?
Korea vs Koran
The Koran (also spelled Qur'an) is the holy book of Islam; Korea is the East Asian peninsula. They sound similar but are unrelated.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'Korea' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Korea' is a proper noun used without 'the', so 'in Korea' is correct. 'The Korea' is wrong because country names normally take no article; 'speaks Korea' should be 'speaks Korean' (the language); and 'Korea are' is wrong because a place name takes a singular verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Korea”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.