Korean Definitions: How to Say 'Justice Means Fairness' in Korean
Learn to define abstract ideas like justice and happiness in simple Korean using the pattern 'X은/는 Y을/를 의미해요' and the verb '뜻하다'. Includes 5 key phrases, a dialogue, and practice.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Defining abstract concepts in Korean often uses the noun 의미 (meaning) with the verb 의미하다, or the verb 뜻하다 (to mean). Unlike English, Korean does not use a copula 'to be' for definitions like 'Justice is fairness.' Instead, you say 'Justice means fairness' with a verb. This lesson teaches you the pattern 'A은/는 B을/를 의미해요' and 'A은/는 B라는 뜻이에요' to define justice (정의), happiness (행복), love (사랑), freedom (자유), and peace (평화). You will also learn how to ask 'What does X mean?' using 무슨 뜻이에요? Pay attention to the particles 은/는 for topic and 을/를 for object, and the polite ending -아요/어요.
By the end, you can…
- define abstract nouns like justice and happiness in simple Korean.
- ask and answer what a word or concept means using 뜻 and 의미.
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정의는 모두에게 공정함을 의미해요.
Justice means fairness for everyone.
jeong-ui-neun mo-du-e-ge gong-jeong-ha-meul ui-mi-hae-yo
Use this to define justice. '모두에게' means 'to everyone', '공정함' is the noun form of 'fair'.
행복은 마음의 평화를 뜻해요.
Happiness means peace of mind.
haeng-bo-geun ma-eum-ui pyeong-hwa-reul tteut-hae-yo
Defines happiness. '뜻해요' is a common verb for 'means'. '마음의 평화' is 'peace of mind'.
자유는 스스로 선택할 수 있는 것이에요.
Freedom is being able to choose for yourself.
ja-yu-neun seu-seu-ro seon-taek-hal su it-neun geo-si-e-yo
Defines freedom using a clause. '스스로' means 'by oneself', '선택하다' is 'to choose'.
사랑은 상대방을 존중하는 마음이에요.
Love is a heart that respects the other person.
sa-rang-eun sang-dae-bang-eul jon-jung-ha-neun ma-eum-i-e-yo
Defines love. '존중하다' means 'to respect', '마음' is 'heart/mind'.
평화는 다툼이 없는 상태를 의미해요.
Peace means a state without conflict.
pyeong-hwa-neun da-tum-i eom-neun sang-tae-reul ui-mi-hae-yo
Defines peace. '다툼' is 'quarrel/conflict', '상태' is 'state/condition'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The most common pattern for definitions is 'A은/는 B을/를 의미해요' or 'A은/는 B을/를 뜻해요'. Both 의미하다 and 뜻하다 mean 'to mean'. Use 은 after a consonant and 는 after a vowel for the topic. Use 을 after a consonant and 를 after a vowel for the object. Example: 정의는 공정함을 의미해요 (Justice means fairness). You can also use the noun form: 'A은/는 B라는 뜻이에요' (A means B). Example: 행복은 마음의 평화라는 뜻이에요 (Happiness means peace of mind). For a clause definition, use 'A은/는 ...것이에요' (A is ...). Example: 자유는 스스로 선택할 수 있는 것이에요 (Freedom is being able to choose for yourself).
When to use it
Use these patterns when explaining abstract concepts in conversations, presentations, or writing. They are neutral and polite. If you are talking with close friends, you can use the informal ending -야 instead of -이에요/예요, but for definitions, the polite -이에요/예요 is safe. To ask for a definition, say 'X은/는 무슨 뜻이에요?' (What does X mean?). For example, 정의는 무슨 뜻이에요? (What does justice mean?). You can also ask 'X은/는 어떻게 정의해요?' (How do you define X?). Avoid using the copula '이다' directly with abstract nouns like '정의는 공정이다' because it sounds too blunt and academic; the verb patterns are more natural.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
정의는 무슨 뜻이에요?
What does justice mean?jeong-ui-neun mu-seun tteu-si-e-yo정의는 모두에게 공정함을 의미해요.
Justice means fairness for everyone.jeong-ui-neun mo-du-e-ge gong-jeong-ha-meul ui-mi-hae-yo그럼 행복은 어떻게 정의해요?
Then how do you define happiness?geu-reom haeng-bo-geun eo-tteo-ke jeong-ui-hae-yo행복은 마음의 평화를 뜻해요.
Happiness means peace of mind.haeng-bo-geun ma-eum-ui pyeong-hwa-reul tteut-hae-yoA little context goes a long way
In Korean, definitions of abstract ideas often include a clause or a noun phrase rather than a single word. Using '의미해요' or '뜻해요' sounds more natural and polite than the copula '이에요' for abstract concepts. When discussing philosophy or values, Koreans may use Sino-Korean vocabulary like 정의 (justice), 행복 (happiness), 자유 (freedom), which are direct cognates of Chinese characters. In formal writing, you might see '란' instead of '는' (e.g., 정의란 무엇인가), but in spoken polite Korean, '은/는' is standard.
One thing to watch for
Using the copula '이다' to define abstract nouns, e.g., '정의는 공정이다' (Justice is fairness).
Try this instead: Use '의미해요' or '뜻해요' instead: '정의는 공정함을 의미해요' (Justice means fairness). The copula '이다' is used for concrete identification (e.g., '저는 학생이에요' – I am a student), but for abstract definitions, the verb patterns are more idiomatic.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you say 'Love means respect' in Korean?
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사랑은 존중을 의미해요.
This uses the pattern A은/는 B을/를 의미해요. '존중' means respect. You could also say '사랑은 존중이라는 뜻이에요'.
2Ask 'What does freedom mean?' in polite Korean.
Show a sample answer
자유는 무슨 뜻이에요?
This uses '무슨 뜻이에요?' for 'what does it mean?'. You can also say '자유는 무슨 의미예요?' with similar meaning.
3Define 'peace' as 'no war' in Korean using a clause.
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평화는 전쟁이 없는 것이에요.
This uses the pattern A은/는 ...것이에요. '전쟁이 없는' means 'without war'. Alternatively, '평화는 전쟁이 없음을 의미해요' is also correct but more formal.
To define abstract ideas in Korean, use 'A은/는 B을/를 의미해요/뜻해요' or 'A은/는 B라는 뜻이에요'. Avoid the copula '이다' for abstract definitions.
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