Batchim (받침)

What is Batchim (받침) Exactly?

This grammatical feature is really hard to explain in other languages.

It’s a consonant placed at the bottom and pronounced at the end in a Korean syllable block. It makes Korean writing system very unique.

Batchim (받침) means ‘support’ or ‘prop’ because it supports other letters from below. It’s often pronounced as ‘bachim’ (바침)

What’s Batchim (받침) For?

You can see a big difference when you compare Korean language and other languages. You can’t distinguish which one is a batchim (받침) or not with rominized Korean

It doesn’t seem so important but it helps you to distinguish Korean words. For example, 깊이 and 기피 both are romanized as ‘gipi’ and sound also ‘gipi’ but 깊이 means ‘deep’ or ‘depth’, 기피 means ‘avoid’ or ‘evade’. (However, both sound same)

It looks so sad… Poor 받침… They seem like a lower class in the hangul society 🙁
Equality for HANGUL AAAAAAAGGGGH lol sorry…

Final Consonant

Some online lessons say batchim is a ‘final consonant’ but that’s not correct.

Batchim (받침) isn’t placed at the ‘final’. Every single syllable block can have a batchim.

Pronunciations

Basically, all batchims are just a consonant so you can use it as what you learned. In this lesson, I won’t explain each pronunciation of Hangul. Check the Hangul lesson first if you need.

Sound Change

Some pronunciations change completely different as a 받침. Well… everybody can’t be same when they hit the bottom, don’t you think? oh, batchim part makes me so sad lol.

When a syllable block ends with a consonant and the next block start with a consonant, it changes the sound.

Funny thing is, Even native Koreans pronounce some of them wrong often. For example, many Koreans think ㅎ has ng sound as a batchim but actually it sounds like d or t.

Batchim Before a Vowel

If the next syllable block starts with a fake consonant ㅇ (no consonant sound) or often ㅎ (h) , batchims keep their own sound and connect to a next word block. It’s very similar to English or other languages.

If you still aren’t familiar with ㅇ(fake consonant), then check the Korean alphabet lesson first please. PLEEEAAASSSEEEEE

Exceptions For ㄷ(d) & ㅌ(t)

Some Korean words have exceptions for ㄷ(d) and ㅌ(t) batchim sound, especially with vowel ㅣ(i).

ㄷ(d) sound is pronounced ㅈ(j) often with vowel ㅣ(i)
해돋이 : hae-do-ji

ㅌ(t) sound is pronounced ㅊ(ch) often with vowel ㅣ(i)
같이 : ga-chi

Twin Consonant Batchim (받침)

Do you remember we make a twin brother for some consonant so they aren’t lonely much? Yeah, some of twin consonants are really close to each other so they sometimes works as a batchim together too.

Korean grammar uses only ㄲ and ㅆ batchim among all twin consonants. They effect the sound of next syllable.

(Green on image) It makes a stronger sound when a consonant is following next
(Blue on image) The next syllable takes one of batchim consonants when a fake consonant is following next.

Batchim before ㅎ

You just need to remember ‘ㅎ’ makes a breath-out sound which makes other sounds stronger.

Except ㄹ, ㄹ batchim just ignores ㅎ. So simple. It follows the assimilation rules.

ㅂ+ㅎ = ㅍ(p)
ㅎ+ㅈ = ㅊ(ch)
ㄱ+ㅎ = ㅋ(k)

Double Batchim combinations

Ok here comes the tricky parts. You may want to destroy Korean language so you don’t need to learn it anymore lol. But it’s amazingly helpful to read Korean correctly.

Two different consonants can be placed at the bottom as a batchim together. It doesn’t make a new sound but change the next syllable block.

(red) ㄳ, ㄵ, ㅄ, ㄼ, ㄽ, ㄾ are pronounced first consonant only
(blue) Second consonant changes how the next syllable block sounds if there is
Let’s see how it works together.

How to read Batchim combinations

1. (Red on image) Mostly first bacthim is pronounced with a syllable block that it belongs

2. (Green on image) If the next block starts with a consonant, then the second consonant in batchim makes a stronger sound by combining the consonant in the next word block. (word blocks don’t actually change, only sound)

3. (Blue on image)the second consonant in batchim is pronounced with the next word block when the next block starts with a fake consonant (no consonant sound in English)

Why It Changes

If a consonant combination doesn’t effect the next syllable, it can be very confusing.

For example. 안다 (anda) means ‘know’ and 앉다(andda) means ‘sit’.

Double Batchim combinations with ㅎ

ㅎ sound could sound almost nothing.

Your breathe should slightly come out when you pronounce them. But it can be totally ignored and pronounced as ㄹ

Sometimes Korean write them as what they really sound like 시러 instead of 싫어. It feels like cute than original.

Batchim Combinations 2

Ok guys, this is the last thing you will learn in this lesson YAY.

ㄺ, ㄻ, ㄿ are pronounced a second batchim first. But it works same in some way with other 2 받침 combinations. Let’s check out.

How To Read

It works just like other double batchim combinations.

1. (Red on image) Mostly second batchim is pronounced with a syllable block that it belongs

2. (Green on image) If the next block starts with a consonant, then the second consonant in batchim makes a stronger sound by combining the consonant in the next word block. (word blocks don’t actually change, only sound)

3. (Blue on image) the second consonant in batchim is pronounced with the next word block when the next block starts with a fake consonant (no consonant sound in English)

Exceptions

Buuuuuuuuuut maybe you need to know these exceptions because they are used quite often.

맑다(clear) 읽다(read) 묽다(watery)
These 3 are always pronounced ㄹ first. ‘ㄱ’ only sounds when it gets a vowel behind.

밟다 (step on)
It is always pronounced ㅂ first before a consonant.

Done YAY!

I know this part is really really hard. It was not easy even for me but it’s done now. Are you confident with what you learned today? Then maybe it means you know this better than native Koreans.

You may need to remember one more thing though. Practicing to speak them and using them naturally are more important than just knowing them, don’t let them fade away from your brain.

Anyway it was the most boring / complicated part and you made it! Let’s celebrate yay! Now you are fully read to learn Korean grammar!

Reference

The National Institute of the Korean Language

Last Update

Oct/09/2018

Quick review

Sound change of 받침
ㄱ, ㅋ : k
ㄷ, ㅅ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅌ, ㅎ : d/t
ㅇ : ng

Letters that don’t change its sound as a 받침
ㄴ n, ㄹ l, ㅁ m, ㅂ/ㅍ : b/p

Twin consonant 받침
First 받침 is pronounced with a syllable it belongs to
Second 받침 is pronounced with a next syllable

받침 before consonant ㅎ
ㅎ makes stronger sound,
ㅂ+ㅎ = ㅍ(p)
ㅎ+ㅈ = ㅊ(ch)
ㄱ+ㅎ = ㅋ(k)

How to read double 받침 1
ㄳ : k
ㄵ : n
ㅄ : b
ㄼ ㄽ ㄾ : l
If the next syllable starts with a fake consonant, then second 받침 is pronounced with the next syllable.

Double 받침 with ㅎ
ㅎ isn’t almost pronounced.

How to read double 받침 2
ㄺ sounds k as a 받침
ㄻ sounds m as a 받침
and ㄿ  is p as a 받침
If the next syllable starts with a fake consonant, then second 받침 is pronounced with the next syllable.

Test Time

Test what you learned today!

What is 받침?

What is pronunciation of 받침 ㅊ?

Romanize 먹이

Which twin consonants can be used as a 받침?

How does ㅎ work after 받침?

Romanize 앉다 and 안다

How does 받침 ㄼ sound like?

Romanize ‘삶아’

How does 받침 ㄺ sound like?

What is the pronunciation of 읽다?

먹이 : feed (noun) 앉다 : sit 안다 : know 삶아 : boil, simmer 읽다 : read