Japanese vs Chinese vs Korean – Explore Asian Beauty
China, Japan, and Korea are the most popular countries in Asia, thanks to their rich culture, flourishing economies, and outstanding beauty.
In this article, we aim to provide a comprehensive guide to explore these three languages more.
Japanese, Chinese, and Korean Origin
The geographical proximity of Japan, China, and Korea, has significantly influenced their cultural, linguistic, and social structures. Each of them belongs to a specific language family, they share some similarities but on the other hand, they are different in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.
Japanese belongs to the Japonic, Chinese belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language, and Korean belongs to the Korean language. Chinese is the most popular spoken language among them because of the number of Chinese people.
Chinese is divided into two main languages: old and modern. Old Chinese is no longer popular but there are still natives speaking it. Instead, modern Chinese, or as it is now called Mandarin is the official language, even though it has many dialects, all the Chinese learn the standard Mandarin.
When we have a closer look at Japanese language history, Japan’s official language is Japanese, the old Japanese have been influenced by the Chinese language as they are close to each other.
The Korean, on the other hand, has some rumors about its origin. Some scholars think the Koreanic language belongs to another large family which is the Altaic language group and as a result, Korean has a relation with Turkish and Mongolian. Some believe Korean is related to the Japanese language. Nevertheless, it can be stated that both Korean and Japanese have been impacted by the Chinese language.
Phonetics and Pronunciation
Japanese Pronunciation
Japanese has a group of consonant clusters and distinct vowel sounds. The vowels are only 5 but with no diphthongs (two vowels together) while the consonants are 15. Japanese has something called “pitch accent” where the meaning could be changed depending on the pitch contour. In other words, you should consider the time of the word stress which can change the meaning.
In Japanese, each syllable has a 1:1 ratio of vowels and consonants, each vowel is followed by a consonant. English, otherwise, has words that have vowels followed by a series of consonants such as twist, grasp, and so on.
Chinese Pronunciation
Chinese is a tonal language, in which each tone has a different meaning. In Chinese tone, each syllable has four tones and sometimes it could be neutral. Chinese tone should be learnt correctly otherwise the meaning will be different. The main four tones are flat, rising, falling then rising, and falling.
As an example:
The word 买 măi means “to buy” when pronounced with a tone that falls and then rises. But when pronounced with a falling tone it has a different meaning卖 mài which means to sell so it is the complete opposite.
It may seem tricky to non-native that only a tone can change the meaning.
Korean Pronunciation
We can say that Korean is something between Chinese and Japanese regarding pronunciation. Korean doesn’t have tones but it already has some different sounds which could be difficult for non-native speakers.
The letter K is not found in Korean but there are three different sounds so similar to K pronunciation. In addition, Korean has combinations of consonants and vowels which are rare in English.
Therefore, for better learning, you should learn the Korean alphabet with the proper pronunciation.
Japanese, Chinese, Korean: Grammar Structures
Japanese: SOV sentence structure
The Japanese Grammar structure is considered the hardest for foreigners, unlike English, the Japanese structure uses a different order Subject, object, and then verb.
In English, a subject, verb, and object is the grammatical structure (SVO) “I play football”, while in Japanese it would be “I play football”. So it may be confusing to English speakers.
In addition, Japanese has 13 forms for the single verb along with a variety of tenses which is overwhelming to learn. The politeness form is another complex rule, there are various levels of politeness depending on to whom you are talking something like tu and vous in French.
Chinese Grammar
You will be surprised when you learn that Chinese grammar structure is super easy. It is similar to the English order SVO structure which seems easy to learners at first start. The easiest thing is that Chinese has no tenses, conjugations, cases, or agreement, in addition, the noun never changes when indicating singular or plural.
Moreover, unlike the Japanese, the Chinese don’t have this politeness level variety, it has only informal and formal for you 你 nĭ and 您 nín. It also has some polite expressions like any other language such as
Please お願いします Onegaishimasu
Thank you very much ありがとうございます Arigatou gozaimasu
Korean Grammar Structure
Korean is similar to Japanese which follows a subject-object-verb (SOV) structure, in English, you would say I ate a donut, in Korean, I ate a donut. The description of nouns is another complex you may face, in English, the description of nouns tends to be on the right of the noun while in Korean is the complete opposite on the left of the noun. This left description may confuse one to learn who is doing what!
Furthermore, the Korean proposition or Particles is not like English. Instead of at the office, in Korean, it would be “the” office at. Korean verbs have many inflections as the Korean language is agglutinative. The English verb tenses are simple while Korean has many verbs to memorize in a variety of forms.
In English: you would say I go > I want to go > I wanted to go
In Korean: it would be kada (to go) –> kago sipda (want to go) –> kago sip-eossda (wanted to go). (As you can see the word has a long tail)
The majority of Korean particles come in pairs: one for the syllable that ends with vowels and another for the syllable that ends with consonants. We can summarize that Korean verbs vary depending on tense, aspect, speech level, and politeness.
Japanese, Chinese and Korean: Writing Systems
* Japanese Writing System
When we talk about Japanese it is not only one writing system but three “Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana”.
– Kanji
The old Japanese was only oral language but then with the people’s need to express their emotions, requirements, and more in words, people used Chinese characters to express Japanese words.
The Kanji is formed of 2,000 Chinese characters based on Traditional Chinese characters, they may have the same scripts but different pronunciations. Chinese speakers would be able to read Kanji texts but will never know how to pronounce them.
As an example, “Japan”, in Kanji scripts, is 日本, which is pronounced nihon. In Chinese, it is also written as 日本, but with a different pronunciation “rìbĕn”.
– Hiragana and Katakana
Then, Japanese people developed another writing system that didn’t depend on Chinese characters called Hiragana and Katakana.
Each of them is a true alphabetic system consisting of 14 letters. Each letter represents a sound. Hiragana is defined as the phonetic spelling of Japanese words and it may be known as the curly symbol of Japanese writing.
While Katakana represents loanwords, foreign names, and places, it also has more angular symbols.
Modern Japanese sometimes use a blend of those three, phonetically words should be written in Hiragana and Katakana while some words should use only Kanji. In case you don’t use Kanji in certain words you will be defined as uneducated.
In some places like the Tokyo subway, the signs are written in Kanji with a phonetic word below for those who don’t know Kanji. In addition, the word is written then in Roman letters “Romaji” for foreigners.
* Chinese Writing System
The Chinese writing system is one of the oldest in the world and it has a great impact on other Asian cultures. Hanzi or Chinese Characters consist of symbols that represent words and concepts. Each character is more similar to a drawing of a series of strokes in specific order and direction.
Chinese is divided into two main writing systems; Traditional and Simplified Chinese. Traditional Chinese is still used in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and other Chinese communities around the world. Simplified Chinese is the advanced writing system that simplifies Chinese Characters to increase the literacy rate.
The difference between Simplified and Traditional Chinese Characters
The main differences between both writing systems consist in the level of complexity and their forms. Traditional Chinese Characters are more complicated and have many strokes. Simplified Chinese Characters tend to be easier to write and learn with fewer strokes than Traditional Chinese.
The majority of words consist of two characters or more characters at maximum. Those simplified Characters have a drawing shape that represents the intended word in the real world,
For example:
木 (mù) is “wood” which looks just like a little tree
口 (kǒu) is “mouth.”
The traditional Chinese writing system is a direct reflection of Chinese cultural heritage. In addition, the decision to use traditional or simplified Chinese characters depends on personal preferences, locations, and cultural contexts.
– Pinyin:
A phonetic adaption to the Chinese writing system. It is considered a romanization system developed for Mandarin which uses Latin letters to be more familiar to Western people. So it will be easy to read and pronounce the Chinese language before learning properly the Chinese Characters. It could be defined as a phonetic system based on Latin Characters.
* Korean Writing System
Korean Characters known as Hangul are one of the most perfect and successful scripts worldwide. It was developed in the 15th century by King Sejong the Great but it wasn’t popular at that time. But after the Second World War, when Korea was liberated from Japan, Hangul became popular.
As Hangul is a distinctive alphabet each character represents a specific sound. When combining fundamental characters known as Jamo a syllable is formed. Each syllable block represents a sound which makes Hangul easy to learn and use.
In the modern language world, Hangul is among the most innovative writing systems thanks to logical structure and phonetic representation. Hangul also helped in increasing literacy rates and rising Korean popularity worldwide.
Japanese, Chinese, Korean: Cultural Context and Communication
Japanese Culture and Honorifics
Japanese Culture is a blend of rich traditions and modernity. Japanese people have a unique attention to detail and highly disciplined manners. In addition, social harmony and respect are key features that represent Japanese culture.
It has honorifics in language with various politeness levels to respect elders, instructors, family, and so on. Japanese honorifics are a complex system due to the variety of levels of polite talking depending on who you are talking to.
Japanese communications value respect, social hierarchy, and relationships. They consist of Indirect and high-context communication, written and spoken politeness, and Bowing which represents respect.
Japanese culture is distinctive thanks to their elegance and respect. Japanese people are popular for elegant tea gathering etiquette and traditional and unique ornate kimono designs. In addition, Japanese arts and calligraphy (Shado) represent perfect values such as simplicity, tranquility, and balance along with Haiku which reflects the Japanese identity.
We can’t forget to mention Anime and Manga which have fans worldwide and become an essential part of many youth around the world.
When understanding the Japanese culture and the use of honorifics you will be able to perfectly communicate with Japanese people who admire social harmony and politeness.
Chinese Styles of Communications
Chinese people have a deep connection to their tradition and roots even if they embrace modernity with pleasure. Chinese people appreciate family values, social etiquette, elder’s respect, and the significance of education.
Chinese communications depend on long-term and strong relationships, Chinese people love to be among their own groups and families maintaining those relationships and never tend to create new ones.
Chinese communications are divided into nonverbal and verbal communications. Nonverbal communications are those you express without talking like body language, facial expression, gestures, eye contact, and voice tone.
Chinese communications tend more to be non-verbal or indirect communications than verbal ones. Chinese people are not fans of direct communications and they are influenced by Confucius’s thinking philosophy which is clearly present in Chinese values and social norms.
As we mentioned earlier, Chinese is a tonal language, therefore, they focus a lot on the tone of voice when communicating with others “A variety of voice tones means different meanings”. But at the same time, they are keeping their communication formal and they avoid disrespect and showing emotion since birth.
In case, there is somebody they don’t like to talk to they never say it out loud, instead, their expression or gesture plays this role politely. When you understand the Chinese values, behaviors, and tones you will be able to interact with them perfectly.
Korean Social Manners and Etiquettes
Korean people like their neighbors have a rich culture and heritage, they are influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism, and Shamanism with a great impact on their norms and costumes.
Korean language and communication have levels of politeness and value social harmony. Korean honorifics and formal language have a vital role in every Korean aspect of life. Korean communications consider different politeness levels to show more respect and support social relationships.
Korean Greeting Etiquette is the best to show respect and formality, Bowing is the formal greeting of Korean people, unlike the Western approach of kissing and hugging. To keep up with Korean culture, stick to bow and shake for more respect.
Another way of politeness and respect is through body language and gestures, when you meet an older person or receive something you should use gestures to show politeness and respect personal space.
In addition, nonphysical contact and indirect communication are preferred in Korean culture, especially, between genders because it seems uncomfortable and less respectful. To respect Korean minds, you should respect social norms and as a result, avoid any offensive situation.
Vocabulary Acquisition
Japanese, Chinese, and Korean Vocabularies are numerous and different. Each language vocabulary has its characteristics and challenges. In addition, some of them have been influenced by other languages. Let’s explore more!
Unique vocabulary challenges in Chinese
Chinese words contain some complex characters that the learner may find difficult and even Chinese people may get confused when writing them. These vocabulary challenges are in both written form and pronunciation. Here are some of them!
Complex Chinese Words to Write
Turtle – 龜 (Guī)
This word has many strokes about 16, a complex design, and multiple components. It needs a steady learning approach and patience to write correctly.
Black Horse – 驪 (Lí)
Another challenging word is more complex than the previous one. It contains 30 strokes can you imagine how many strokes to draw? It consists of two words written together; on the left, 馬 (mǎ) means horse, and on the right, 麗 (lì) means beautiful. Keep working on how to write correctly to master writing proficiency.
Complex Chinese Words to Pronounce
Perfume – 香水 (Xiāng Shuǐ)
It consists of two syllables and it seems challenging when pronouncing it. Divide them first and master your skills to pronounce each separately and then pronounce them together.
Forty-four – 四十四 (Sì Shí Sì)
Don’t be deceived by appearance, it may seem simple, but in reality, it may make your tongue paralyzed. Decode it by separating them and then repeat sì twice.
You can conquer these challenges and more by practicing and repeating.
Japanese and Korean Loanwords from Chinese
Chinese language has a great impact on both Korean and Japanese, therefore, you can find some borrowed words from Chinese in Japanese and Korean. The loanwords from Chinese in Korean are called Sino-Korean, and Kanji in Japanese. In addition, we can find these loanwords in technical and academic sectors and also in formal vocabularies.
Moreover, they may differ in pronunciation but the character writings have the same meanings. Let’s take some examples:
English: Freedom; Liberty
Japanese Korean Mandarin (Simplified) Mandarin (Traditional)
Characters 自由 自由 自由 自由
Pronunciation じゆう jìyúꜜù 자유jiyū zìyóu ㄗˋ ㄧㄡˊ zɨi͡u
Another Example without the similarity
English: Person
Chinese 人 pronounced as ‘ren’
Japanese じん pronounced as ‘jin’
Korean 인 pronounced as ‘in’
Popularity and Learning Trends
Nowadays, people tend to learn Asian languages, especially Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. The popularity of these languages is influenced by their rich culture, and business growth, in addition, people love to enjoy their music, literature, art, movies, and media.
Chinese educational growth is shown through international educational systems that integrate Chinese into schools as a second language. The Chinese language is also required for business and finding jobs thanks to the Chinese business’s expansion worldwide.
China also has a progressive film industry which is popular globally. Outstanding movies such “Raise the Red Lantern” and “Hero” were directed by famous Zhang Yimou and actors like Jet Li.
Japanese is also a popular language internationally in international schools to prepare creative and successful generations who can share their brilliance in Japan. Japanese Anime and manga like “Naruto and Goku” are also key factors that have a great impact on encouraging people to learn Japanese.
Korean may be less popular in educational systems but it still has many learners through online courses and other educational platforms. In addition, popular K-pop and music like BTS or Blackpink and K dramas encourage learners to enjoy the beauty of the Korean language and culture.
Japanese and Korean Learning resources are numerous books, media, and radio but the most popular are online websites.
Japanese resources are Tofugu, WaniKani, Tae Kim’s Guide, NHK, and more.
Korean resources are Langintro, The National Institute of Korean Language, ZKorean, 101 languages, KBS World, and more.
To conclude, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean have a lot in common; they share cultural roots and rich history thanks to their close locations. Even if they have many similarities, they still have many different features and characteristics and their difference is the key factor of their uniqueness.
