Double Consonants (Tense Consonants)¶
Quick Reference
5 Double Consonants (경음/쌍자음) - Created by doubling basic consonants:
| Basic | Double | Sound Change | Example Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | ㄲ | k → hard k | 까다 (to peel) |
| ㄷ | ㄸ | t/d → hard t | 따다 (to pick) |
| ㅂ | ㅃ | p/b → hard p | 빠다 (to suck) |
| ㅅ | ㅆ | s → hard s | 싸다 (to wrap/to be cheap) |
| ㅈ | ㅉ | j → hard j | 짜다 (to squeeze/to be salty) |
Detailed Explanation¶
Double consonants (쌍자음), also called tense consonants (경음), are pronounced with more tension in the throat and without aspiration. They are formed by simply doubling the basic consonant.
What Makes Them "Tense"?¶
Physical characteristics: 1. Glottal tension: The throat muscles tighten 2. No aspiration: No puff of air (unlike ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅊ) 3. Shorter, sharper sound: More forceful articulation 4. Higher pitch: Often pronounced with slightly higher pitch
Testing aspiration: - Hold your hand in front of your mouth - ㄱ: Small puff of air - ㅋ: Large puff of air - ㄲ: No puff of air
The Five Double Consonants¶
ㄲ - Double ㄱ¶
- Sound: Hard, tense 'k' sound
- Comparison:
- ㄱ (g/k) - soft, like "go" or "sky"
- ㅋ (k) - aspirated, like "kite"
- ㄲ (kk) - tense, like "skill" (no aspiration)
- Examples:
- 까다 (to peel)
- 깨다 (to break)
- 꼬리 (tail)
- 꿈 (dream)
- 까맣다 (to be black)
ㄸ - Double ㄷ¶
- Sound: Hard, tense 't' sound
- Comparison:
- ㄷ (d/t) - soft, like "do" or "stop"
- ㅌ (t) - aspirated, like "top"
- ㄸ (tt) - tense, like "stop" (no aspiration)
- Examples:
- 따다 (to pick/to pour)
- 딸 (daughter)
- 똑같다 (to be exactly the same)
- 뜨다 (to float/to rise)
- 땅 (ground/land)
ㅃ - Double ㅂ¶
- Sound: Hard, tense 'p' sound
- Comparison:
- ㅂ (b/p) - soft, like "box" or "spy"
- ㅍ (p) - aspirated, like "pie"
- ㅃ (pp) - tense, like "spy" (no aspiration)
- Examples:
- 빠다 (to suck)
- 빨다 (to wash/to suck)
- 뿌리 (root)
- 뽀뽀 (kiss - informal)
- 빵 (bread)
ㅆ - Double ㅅ¶
- Sound: Hard, tense 's' sound
- Comparison:
- ㅅ (s) - soft 's' sound
- ㅆ (ss) - tense, sharp 's' sound
- Examples:
- 싸다 (to wrap/to be cheap)
- 쌀 (uncooked rice)
- 씨 (seed/Mr./Ms.)
- 쓰다 (to write/to use/to be bitter)
- 썰다 (to slice)
ㅉ - Double ㅈ¶
- Sound: Hard, tense 'j' sound
- Comparison:
- ㅈ (j) - soft, like "jump"
- ㅊ (ch) - aspirated, like "church"
- ㅉ (jj) - tense 'j' sound
- Examples:
- 짜다 (to squeeze/to be salty)
- 찌다 (to steam/to be heavy)
- 짧다 (to be short)
- 쩌다 (to be incredible - slang)
- 쭉 (straight/continuously)
Three-Way Contrasts¶
Korean has a unique three-way distinction for stops and affricates:
ㄱ - ㅋ - ㄲ Contrast¶
| Consonant | Type | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | Plain | 가다 | to go |
| ㅋ | Aspirated | 카드 | card |
| ㄲ | Tense | 까다 | to peel |
| Consonant | Type | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | Plain | 고기 | meat |
| ㅋ | Aspirated | 코 | nose |
| ㄲ | Tense | 꼬리 | tail |
ㄷ - ㅌ - ㄸ Contrast¶
| Consonant | Type | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㄷ | Plain | 다리 | leg/bridge |
| ㅌ | Aspirated | 타다 | to ride |
| ㄸ | Tense | 따다 | to pick |
| Consonant | Type | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㄷ | Plain | 돈 | money |
| ㅌ | Aspirated | 톤 | ton |
| ㄸ | Tense | 똥 | poop |
ㅂ - ㅍ - ㅃ Contrast¶
| Consonant | Type | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅂ | Plain | 바다 | sea |
| ㅍ | Aspirated | 파다 | to dig |
| ㅃ | Tense | 빠다 | to suck |
| Consonant | Type | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅂ | Plain | 불 | fire |
| ㅍ | Aspirated | 풀 | grass |
| ㅃ | Tense | 뿔 | horn |
ㅈ - ㅊ - ㅉ Contrast¶
| Consonant | Type | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅈ | Plain | 자다 | to sleep |
| ㅊ | Aspirated | 차 | tea/car |
| ㅉ | Tense | 짜다 | to squeeze/to be salty |
| Consonant | Type | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅈ | Plain | 조금 | a little |
| ㅊ | Aspirated | 초록 | green |
| ㅉ | Tense | 쪼다 | to peck |
ㅅ - ㅆ Contrast¶
Note: ㅅ only has a two-way contrast (no aspirated version)
| Consonant | Type | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅅ | Plain | 사다 | to buy |
| ㅆ | Tense | 싸다 | to wrap/cheap |
| Consonant | Type | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅅ | Plain | 살 | flesh |
| ㅆ | Tense | 쌀 | uncooked rice |
Common Words with Double Consonants¶
Everyday Vocabulary¶
| Word | Meaning | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 빵 | bread | Food |
| 쌀 | uncooked rice | Food |
| 딸 | daughter | Family |
| 아빠 | dad | Family |
| 오빠 | older brother (female speaker) | Family |
| 꿈 | dream | Abstract |
| 땅 | ground/land | Nature |
| 꽃 | flower | Nature |
| 빨강 | red | Color |
| 까맣다 | to be black | Color |
Verbs and Adjectives¶
| Word | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 쓰다 | to write/use/be bitter | Verb/Adj |
| 싸다 | to wrap/be cheap | Verb/Adj |
| 짜다 | to squeeze/be salty | Verb/Adj |
| 빠르다 | to be fast | Adjective |
| 까다롭다 | to be picky/difficult | Adjective |
| 뜨겁다 | to be hot | Adjective |
| 차갑다 | to be cold | Adjective |
| 깨끗하다 | to be clean | Adjective |
Onomatopoeia¶
Korean uses double consonants extensively in sound words:
| Word | Sound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 똑똑 | knock knock | knocking sound |
| 짹짹 | tweet tweet | bird sound |
| 빵빵 | beep beep | car horn |
| 꿀꿀 | oink oink | pig sound |
| 쓱쓱 | swish swish | sweeping sound |
When Double Consonants Appear¶
Initial Position¶
Most common position for double consonants: - 까다 (to peel) - 빵 (bread) - 쌀 (rice)
After Final Consonant (Sound Change)¶
Double consonants can appear through sound changes (경음화): - 학교 → [학꾜] (school) - 잡지 → [잡찌] (magazine) - 국가 → [국까] (nation)
(More details in Sound Changes)
Never in Final Position¶
Double consonants never appear as final consonants (받침). Only single consonants can be final consonants.
Writing Double Consonants¶
Important rules: 1. Write them as two separate but close letters: ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ 2. They occupy the same space as a single consonant in the syllable block 3. In vertical vowel syllables: Double consonant on left, vowel on right (까, 빠) 4. In horizontal vowel syllables: Double consonant on top, vowel below (꼬, 뿌)
Examples: - 까 = ㄲ + ㅏ (not ㄱㄱ + ㅏ) - 빵 = ㅃ + ㅏ + ㅇ - 쌀 = ㅆ + ㅏ + ㄹ
Practice¶
- What are double consonants also called in Korean?
- How many double consonants are there?
- What is the main difference between ㄱ, ㅋ, and ㄲ?
- Write the word for "bread" in Hangul.
- Which double consonant appears in 쌀 (rice)?
- Can double consonants appear in final position (받침)?
- Write the syllable: ㄸ + ㅏ = ?
- What does 꿈 mean?
- Which is tenser: ㅂ or ㅃ?
- Write the syllable: ㅆ + ㅓ = ?
Show Answers
1. 경음 (tense consonants) or 쌍자음 (double consonants) 2. 5 double consonants (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ) 3. ㄱ is plain (g/k), ㅋ is aspirated (strong puff of air), ㄲ is tense (no aspiration, glottal tension) 4. 빵 (ㅃ + ㅏ + ㅇ) 5. ㅆ (double ㅅ) 6. No - double consonants never appear as final consonants 7. 따 (like in 따다 - to pick) 8. dream 9. ㅃ is tenser (it's the tense/double version of ㅂ) 10. 써 (like in 쓰다 - to write)Next Steps¶
Continue to Final Consonants (받침) to learn how consonants sound at the end of syllables!