Lost in Meaning: How Shared Chinese Characters Diverge in Korean and Japanese

letter, Korean Hanja, Japanese Kanji

Discover how identical Chinese characters developed distinct meanings in Korean and Japanese. This article explores the historical adoption, semantic evolution, and modern usage of Hanja and Kanji, revealing surprising differences in interpretation between the two languages.   1. Introduction “Imagine looking at the same Chinese character, but a Korean and a Japanese speaker interpret it … Read more

The Sound of Chinese Characters: Exploring Pronunciation Differences Between Korean Hanja and Japanese Kanji

Korean Hanja and Japanese Kanji

Discover how the same Chinese characters transformed differently in Korea and Japan. This article explores the historical adoption, phonetic evolution, and modern usage of Hanja and Kanji, revealing how each language created unique systems for pronunciation and meaning.   1. Introduction: The Role of Chinese Characters in Korean and Japanese Chinese characters—known as Hanja in … Read more