Week 5
받침: The Basement of a Three-Story Building
How final consonants work, the 7 batchim sounds, linking, and double batchim
WEEK 5
받침: The Basement of a Three-Story Building
Quick Recap
Here's what you've covered so far:
Week 1: Hangul block stacking — initial consonant + vowel + final consonant
Week 2: 10 basic vowels
Week 3: 14 consonants (9 plain + 5 aspirated)
Week 4: 5 tense consonants — completing the plain/aspirated/tense trio
That final consonant position (종성) that made a brief appearance back in Week 1? This week, we're finally giving it the spotlight it deserves.
What Is 받침?
Every Hangul character is stacked inside a square block — and that block can have up to three layers.
┌──────────────────┐
│ 초성 (initial) │ ← consonant
├──────────────────┤
│ 중성 (middle) │ ← vowel
├──────────────────┤
│ 종성 (final) │ ← consonant — this is the 받침 (batchim)
└──────────────────┘
The consonant that sits in the final position is called 받침 (받침, batchim).
Without batchim (2 layers): 가 [ga] = ㄱ + ㅏ
With batchim (3 layers): 강 [kaŋ] = ㄱ + ㅏ + ㅇ
Batchim is optional — it can be there or not. Most of the words from Weeks 1–4 had no batchim at all.
There Are Only 7 Batchim Sounds
Here's the surprising part: all 19 Korean consonants can technically appear in the batchim position, but they only produce exactly 7 distinct sounds.
Multiple consonants "merge" into the same sound when they land in batchim position.
Sound Consonants that produce it
────── ─────────────────────────────
[k̚] ← ㄱ ㅋ ㄲ
[n] ← ㄴ
[t̚] ← ㄷ ㅅ ㅆ ㅈ ㅊ ㅌ ㅎ
[l] ← ㄹ
[m] ← ㅁ
[p̚] ← ㅂ ㅍ
[ŋ] ← ㅇ
Those little ̚ marks on [k̚] [t̚] [p̚] indicate unreleased stops. The batchim sound stops without a burst of air — think of the way English speakers close off the final consonant without fully releasing it.
English comparisons:
[k̚] ← book, back, lock (stop the k without releasing it)
[t̚] ← boat, bit, heat (stop the t without releasing it)
[p̚] ← cup, stop, map (stop the p without releasing it)
[n] ← sun, man, on
[l] ← ball, full, tell
[m] ← room, dream, calm
[ŋ] ← sing, ring, king
✏️ Activity 1: Identifying Batchim Sounds
Look at the batchim consonant in each word below, then write which of the 7 sounds it makes. The 7 batchim sounds: [k̚] [n] [t̚] [l] [m] [p̚] [ŋ]
① 국 [kuk̚] (soup) — batchim consonant: ㄱ → batchim sound: ___
② 산 [san] (mountain) — batchim consonant: ㄴ → batchim sound: ___
③ 맛 [mat̚] (taste) — batchim consonant: ㅅ → batchim sound: ___
④ 달 [tal] (moon) — batchim consonant: ㄹ → batchim sound: ___
⑤ 봄 [pom] (spring) — batchim consonant: ㅁ → batchim sound: ___
⑥ 밥 [pap̚] (rice/meal) — batchim consonant: ㅂ → batchim sound: ___
⑦ 강 [kaŋ] (river) — batchim consonant: ㅇ → batchim sound: ___
(Key takeaway: consonants like ㅅ, which have their own sound elsewhere, merge into [t̚] when they're in batchim position.)
ㅇ's Second Identity
What you learned in Week 2:
ㅇ as an initial consonant → silent [∅] e.g., 아 = ㅇ + ㅏ → [a]
What you're learning this week:
ㅇ as a final consonant → [ŋ] sound e.g., 강 = ㄱ + ㅏ + ㅇ → [kaŋ]
Same letter, completely different sound depending on position. Sneaky, right?
아이 [a.i] — two initial ㅇ's, both silent
강아지 [kaŋ.a.dʑi] — the ㅇ in 강 is final → [ŋ]; the ㅇ in 아 is initial → silent
For English speakers, [ŋ] is nothing new:
sing [sɪŋ] / ring [rɪŋ] / king [kɪŋ]
That sound at the end of those words? That's exactly the Korean final consonant ㅇ.
✏️ Activity 2: Spotting ㅇ's Two Faces
For each word below, identify whether each ㅇ is in the initial or final position, and write its sound.
① 강 [kaŋ] (river)
ㅇ position: ___ consonant sound: ___
② 아기 [a.gi] (baby)
first ㅇ (in 아) position: ___ consonant sound: ___
second ㅇ (in 기) position: ___ consonant sound: ___
③ 공이 [koŋ.i] (ball + subject marker)
ㅇ in 공 position: ___ consonant sound: ___
ㅇ in 이 position: ___ consonant sound: ___
Reading Words With Batchim
Here are example words for each of the 7 batchim sounds. Read through them, paying attention to the sound.
batchim [k̚] — 국 [kuk̚] (soup) 밖 [pak̚] (outside)
batchim [n] — 산 [san] (mountain) 눈 [nun] (snow / eye)
batchim [t̚] — 맛 [mat̚] (taste) 낮 [nat̚] (daytime)
batchim [l] — 달 [tal] (moon) 말 [mal] (horse / word)
batchim [m] — 봄 [pom] (spring) 밤 [pam] (night / chestnut)
batchim [p̚] — 밥 [pap̚] (rice/meal) 잎 [ip̚] (leaf)
batchim [ŋ] — 강 [kaŋ] (river) 방 [paŋ] (room)
✏️ Activity 3: Sorting by Batchim Sound
Sort the words below into the table by their batchim sound. Write each word in the correct row.
Word list: 눈 잎 말 방 낮 봄 밖
┌──────┬─────────────────────────┐
│Sound │ Words │
├──────┼─────────────────────────┤
│ [k̚] │ │
│ [n] │ │
│ [t̚] │ │
│ [l] │ │
│ [m] │ │
│ [p̚] │ │
│ [ŋ] │ │
└──────┴─────────────────────────┘
Linking (연음): When Batchim Slides to the Next Syllable
When a syllable with batchim is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the batchim moves over and becomes the initial consonant of that next syllable.
A "syllable starting with a vowel" is really just a syllable with ㅇ (silent) as its initial consonant. Since that ㅇ makes no sound, the preceding batchim steps in to fill the slot.
Written form → Pronunciation
─────────── ────────────────────────────────────────
닫아 → [ta.da] ← ㄷ batchim slides into the initial position of '아'
밥이 → [pa.bi] ← ㅂ batchim slides into the initial position of '이'
산이 → [sa.ni] ← ㄴ batchim slides into the initial position of '이'
강아지 → [kaŋ.a.dʑi] ← ㅇ batchim also slides → pronounced [ŋ] as the initial of '아'
Note: the spelling doesn't change — only the pronunciation connects.
Common dictation traps:
You hear [바.비] → tempted to write 바비 (X) but the actual word is → 밥이 (O)
You hear [다.다] → tempted to write 다다 (X) but the actual word is → 닫아 (O)
✏️ Activity 4: Applying Linking
Write the actual pronunciation of each word in romanization.
① 달이 [dal + i] → actual pronunciation: [________] (달 moon + 이 subject marker)
② 밥을 [pap̚ + ɯl] → actual pronunciation: [________] (rice + object marker)
③ 국이 [kuk̚ + i] → actual pronunciation: [________] (soup + subject marker)
④ 산에 [san + e] → actual pronunciation: [________] (at the mountain)
⑤ 봄이 [pom + i] → actual pronunciation: [________] (spring + subject marker)
(Hint: attach the batchim to the beginning of the next syllable when you read.)
겹받침: Two Consonants in the Batchim Slot
Until now, every batchim has been a single consonant. But sometimes two consonants can sit together in the batchim position. This is called 겹받침 (double batchim).
Two consonants at once sounds alarming — but if you look closely, they're all made up of letters you already know.
닭 [tak̚] = ㄷ + ㅏ + ㄺ (ㄺ = ㄹ + ㄱ) chicken
삶 [sam] = ㅅ + ㅏ + ㄻ (ㄻ = ㄹ + ㅁ) life
없다 [ʌp̚.t͈a] = ㅇ + ㅓ + ㅄ (ㅄ = ㅂ + ㅅ) to not exist
There are 27 double batchim combinations in Korean, but only a handful show up regularly in everyday use.
Here we'll focus on the 5 most common double batchim: ㄺ, ㄻ, ㄼ, ㄾ, ㅄ.
The Rule: Only One Gets Pronounced
So how do you actually say a double batchim? Do you race through both consonants at lightning speed? Nope. Only one of the two consonants is pronounced.
At the end of a word or before another consonant — only one sounds:
닭 [tak̚] — of ㄺ, only ㄱ sounds (ㄹ drops)
삶 [sam] — of ㄻ, only ㅁ sounds (ㄹ drops)
여덟 [jʌ.dʌl] — of ㄼ, only ㄹ sounds (ㅂ drops)
없다 [ʌp̚.t͈a] — of ㅄ, only ㅂ sounds (ㅅ drops)
When a vowel follows (a syllable starting with silent ㅇ), linking kicks in and both consonants get to make a sound:
닭이 [tal.gi] — ㄹ moves to the initial of '이', ㄱ stays as the batchim of '닭'
삶이 [sal.mi] — ㄹ moves to the initial of '이', ㅁ stays as the batchim of '삶'
없어 [ʌp̚.s͈ʌ] — ㅂ stays as the batchim sound, ㅅ moves to the initial of '어'
(Why does the ㅅ in 없어 come out as [s͈] (tense)? That's due to Korean's tensification rule — we'll cover that in a later week. For now, just remember that 없어 sounds like [업써].)
The 5 Most Common Double Batchim
| Double Batchim | Components | Sound at Word End | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㄺ | ㄹ+ㄱ | [k̚] | 닭 [tak̚] (chicken) |
| ㄻ | ㄹ+ㅁ | [m] | 삶 [sam] (life) |
| ㄼ | ㄹ+ㅂ | [l] | 여덟 [jʌ.dʌl] (eight) |
| ㄾ | ㄹ+ㅌ | [l] | 핥다 [hal.t͈a] (to lick) |
| ㅄ | ㅂ+ㅅ | [p̚] | 없다 [ʌp̚.t͈a] (to not exist) |
✏️ Activity 5: Breaking Down Double Batchim
Split each double batchim into its two consonants, then write the sound it makes at the end of a word.
① 닭 — double batchim ㄺ = ___ + ___ sound at word end: [___]
② 삶 — double batchim ㄻ = ___ + ___ sound at word end: [___]
③ 없다 — double batchim ㅄ = ___ + ___ sound at word end: [___]
④ 여덟 — double batchim ㄼ = ___ + ___ sound at word end: [___]
⑤ 핥다 — double batchim ㄾ = ___ + ___ sound at word end: [___]
Today's Writing Practice: Characters With Batchim
When batchim is present, the vowel in the middle layer gets compressed upward, making room for the batchim below.
강 [kaŋ] — batchim ㅇ [ŋ]
┌────┬──┐
│ ㄱ │ㅏ│ ← initial + vowel (vertical vowel layout)
├────┴──┤
│ ㅇ │ ← final consonant (batchim) — [ŋ] sound
└────────┘
Stroke order: ㄱ(①→ ②↓) + ㅏ(③↓ ④→) + ㅇ(⑤ circle)
달 [tal] — batchim ㄹ [l]
┌────┬──┐
│ ㄷ │ㅏ│ ← initial + vowel
├────┴──┤
│ ㄹ │ ← final consonant (batchim) — [l] sound
└────────┘
Stroke order: ㄷ(①→ ②↓ ③→) + ㅏ(④↓ ⑤→) + ㄹ(⑥ angled strokes)
봄 [pom] — batchim ㅁ [m]
┌──────────┐
│ ㅂ │ ← initial consonant
├──────────┤
│ ㅗ │ ← vowel (horizontal vowel — sits below the consonant)
├──────────┤
│ ㅁ │ ← final consonant (batchim) — [m] sound
└──────────┘
Stroke order: ㅂ(①↓ ②↓ ③→ ④→) + ㅗ(⑤→ ⑥↑) + ㅁ(⑦ rectangle)
(Horizontal vowels like ㅗ·ㅜ·ㅡ sit below the consonant rather than to the right — different from the layout in characters like 강 or 달, which use vertical vowels.)
밥 [pap̚] — batchim ㅂ [p̚]
┌────┬──┐
│ ㅂ │ㅏ│ ← initial + vowel
├────┴──┤
│ ㅂ │ ← final consonant (batchim) — [p̚] sound (lips close without releasing)
└────────┘
Stroke order: ㅂ(①↓ ②↓ ③→ ④→) + ㅏ(⑤↓ ⑥→) + ㅂ(⑦↓ ⑧↓ ⑨→ ⑩→)
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ✏️ Practice writing 강 · 달 · 봄 · 밥. │
│ Get a feel for batchim filling that │
│ bottom layer of the block. │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
✏️ Activity 6: Build a Word With the Right Batchim
Look at the meaning and pronunciation hint, then choose the correct batchim to complete the word. Batchim options: ㄱ ㄴ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅇ
① "밤" — night [pam]
ㅂ + ㅏ + ___ = 밤
② "공" — ball [koŋ]
ㄱ + ㅗ + ___ = 공
③ "말" — word / horse [mal]
ㅁ + ㅏ + ___ = 말
④ "잎" — leaf [ip̚]
ㅇ + ㅣ + ___ = 잎
⑤ "눈" — snow / eye [nun]
ㄴ + ㅜ + ___ = 눈
⑥ "국" — soup [kuk̚]
ㄱ + ㅜ + ___ = 국
(Hint: [ŋ]=ㅇ, [l]=ㄹ, [m]=ㅁ, [p̚]=ㅂ, [n]=ㄴ, [k̚]=ㄱ)
Mini Quiz: Week 5
Q1. How many distinct sounds can batchim make?
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ A) 14 │
│ B) 19 │
│ C) 7 │
│ D) 5 │
│ │
│ Answer: ____ │
└──────────────────────────────┘
Q2. What sound does ㅇ make in the final consonant position?
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ A) silent │
│ B) [n] │
│ C) [ŋ] │
│ D) [k] │
│ │
│ Answer: ____ │
└──────────────────────────────┘
Q3. How is "밥이" actually pronounced?
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ A) [pap̚.i] │
│ B) [pa.bi] │
│ C) [pab.i] │
│ D) [pa.pi] │
│ │
│ Answer: ____ │
└──────────────────────────────┘
Q4. What is the pronunciation of the double batchim ㄺ at the end of a word?
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ A) [l] │
│ B) [lk] │
│ C) [k̚] │
│ D) [n] │
│ │
│ Answer: ____ │
└──────────────────────────────┘
(Answers: Q1-C, Q2-C, Q3-B, Q4-C)
Answer Key
Activity 1 — Identifying Batchim Sounds
① 국 → batchim consonant ㄱ → batchim sound [k̚]
② 산 → batchim consonant ㄴ → batchim sound [n]
③ 맛 → batchim consonant ㅅ → batchim sound [t̚]
④ 달 → batchim consonant ㄹ → batchim sound [l]
⑤ 봄 → batchim consonant ㅁ → batchim sound [m]
⑥ 밥 → batchim consonant ㅂ → batchim sound [p̚]
⑦ 강 → batchim consonant ㅇ → batchim sound [ŋ]
Activity 2 — Spotting ㅇ's Two Faces
① 강:
ㅇ → final, sound [ŋ]
② 아기:
ㅇ in 아 → initial, sound [∅] (silent)
ㅇ in 기 → initial, sound [∅] (silent)
③ 공이:
ㅇ in 공 → final, sound [ŋ]
ㅇ in 이 → initial, sound [∅] (silent)
Activity 3 — Sorting by Batchim Sound
┌──────┬─────────────────────────┐
│Sound │ Words │
├──────┼─────────────────────────┤
│ [k̚] │ 밖 │
│ [n] │ 눈 │
│ [t̚] │ 낮 │
│ [l] │ 말 │
│ [m] │ 봄 │
│ [p̚] │ 잎 │
│ [ŋ] │ 방 │
└──────┴─────────────────────────┘
Activity 4 — Applying Linking
① 달이 → [ta.ɾi] (ㄹ moves to the initial of 이)
② 밥을 → [pa.bɯl] (ㅂ moves to the initial of 을; voiced to [b] between vowels)
③ 국이 → [ku.gi] (ㄱ moves to the initial of 이; voiced to [g] between vowels)
④ 산에 → [sa.ne] (ㄴ moves to the initial of 에)
⑤ 봄이 → [po.mi] (ㅁ moves to the initial of 이)
Activity 5 — Breaking Down Double Batchim
① 닭: ㄺ = ㄹ + ㄱ → sound at word end [k̚]
② 삶: ㄻ = ㄹ + ㅁ → sound at word end [m]
③ 없다: ㅄ = ㅂ + ㅅ → sound at word end [p̚]
④ 여덟: ㄼ = ㄹ + ㅂ → sound at word end [l]
⑤ 핥다: ㄾ = ㄹ + ㅌ → sound at word end [l]
Activity 6 — Build a Word With the Right Batchim
① 밤 → ㅁ (batchim sound [m])
② 공 → ㅇ (batchim sound [ŋ])
③ 말 → ㄹ (batchim sound [l])
④ 잎 → ㅂ (batchim sound [p̚])
⑤ 눈 → ㄴ (batchim sound [n])
⑥ 국 → ㄱ (batchim sound [k̚])
What You Learned This Week
- 받침 (batchim / final consonant) is the consonant that sits in the bottom layer of a Hangul block
- Regardless of which consonant is written, batchim always produces one of 7 sounds
- Initial ㅇ is silent [∅]; final ㅇ is [ŋ] — same letter, two totally different sounds
- Linking (연음): when batchim is followed by a vowel, it slides over to become the initial consonant of the next syllable
- Double batchim (겹받침): two consonants in the batchim slot — only one gets pronounced
- The 5 most common double batchim: ㄺ[k̚] ㄻ[m] ㄼ[l] ㄾ[l] ㅄ[p̚]
"Next week: Diphthongs — y-glide vowels and compound vowels"
🔗 kkultongkorea.com | 📧 kkultongkorea@gmail.com