I live in Sejong City, where there are many beautiful libraries. A few days ago, I visited a small library located in the Sejong City Hall. The place was charming, with a cozy atmosphere like a café. At the entrance stood a statue of King Sejong, and next to it, many books about Hangul (the Korean alphabet) were displayed. It was there that I discovered an astonishing secret about the creation of Hangeul vowels.
'ㅏ, ㅗ' vs. 'ㅓ, ㅜ'
In a previous post, I talked about the differences between the vowels 'ㅏ' and 'ㅓ', as well as 'ㅗ' and 'ㅜ'. To summarize, 'ㅏ' and 'ㅗ' give a light and positive feeling, while 'ㅓ' and 'ㅜ' convey a heavier, more negative tone. This is something we all learned in school as children, but I was always curious about why these feelings are associated with these vowels. The answer lies in the principles behind the creation of Hangul vowels, known as "천지인"(Cheonjiin).
"Cheonjiin" literally means "Heaven, Earth, and Human." I briefly introduced this concept in a previous post about a unique Korean keyboard called the "Cheonjiin" keyboard. These three elements—heaven, earth, and human—are the basis for how Korean vowels were designed. If you're not familiar with "Cheonjiin," I recommend reading that post first.
The Bright Vowels 'ㅏ' and 'ㅗ'
Let’s start with the vowel 'ㅏ' ( ㅣ + ㆍ). It represents a person standing, with the sun (heaven) rising in the east. The "heaven" here can also be seen as the sun, symbolized by a dot. Now, when does the sun rise in the east? In the morning, of course! This is why 'ㅏ' carries the image of a bright, hopeful morning.
Next, we have the vowel 'ㅗ' ( ㆍ + ㅡ ). This symbolizes the earth with the sun above it. The sun shining high over the earth represents midday, another bright and positive time of day.
The Dark Vowels 'ㅓ' and 'ㅜ'
On the other hand, the vowels 'ㅓ' and 'ㅜ' convey darker images. For 'ㅓ' ( ㆍ + ㅣ ), imagine a person standing with the sun setting in the west. The sun is going down, and the day is ending.
As for 'ㅜ' ( ㅡ + ㆍ ), the sun is depicted below the horizon, as if it has already set. You can picture the sun disappearing beneath the horizon. So, both 'ㅓ' and 'ㅜ' represent the time when the sun sets, symbolizing darkness and the end of the day. Isn’t that fascinating? When I read this in a book, I got chills.
Related Posts
- Which Korean Keyboard Do You Use?
- Do You Know the Difference Between the Vowels 'ㅏ, ㅗ' and 'ㅓ, ㅜ'?
- Have You Heard the Word '소복소복' in BTS's Song?
➤ Very few Koreans are likely aware of this fascinating detail. Even as a Korean language teacher, I only recently discovered this secret. We often hear that Hangul is a scientifically designed writing system. While I knew about the combination of consonants and vowels to create different sounds, learning that the vowels are based on the images of heaven, earth, and humanity truly amazed me. It made me appreciate the greatness of King Sejong even more.
