Belt & Mat

1The Korean you hear in class

Counting, the commands that start and end every class, and the full word list. Every word has a play button so you can hear it.

Press ▶ to hear a word with your device's Korean voice. Spellings in gray are the older or school-style versions you may see on certificates and posters.

Class commands

차렷charyeot · charyut
say “CHA-ryuht”
Attention. Stand straight, feet together, fists at your sides.
경례gyeongnye · kyung-yeh
say “KYUNG-nyeh”
Bow.
준비junbi · joon-bee
say “JOON-bee”
Ready. Move into the ready stance.
시작sijak · shi-jak
say “shee-JAHK”
Begin.
그만geuman · kuman
say “keu-MAHN”
Stop.
바로baro
say “BAH-roh”
Return to the ready position.
쉬어swieo · shio
say “SHWEE-uh”
At ease.
기합gihap · kihap
say “KEE-hahp”
The short, sharp shout that goes with a strike.
뒤로 돌아dwiro dora
say “DWEE-roh DOH-rah”
About face. Turn around.
앉아anja
say “AHN-jah”
Sit down.
일어서ireoseo
say “EE-ruh-suh”
Stand up.
갈려gallyeo · kalyeo
say “KAHL-lyuh”
Separate (sparring).
계속gyesok · kyesok
say “KYEH-sohk”
Continue (sparring).

Counting

하나hana
say “HAH-nah”
One
둘dul
say “dool”
Two
셋set
say “set”
Three
넷net
say “net”
Four
다섯daseot
say “dah-SUHT”
Five
여섯yeoseot
say “yuh-SUHT”
Six
일곱ilgop
say “EEL-gohp”
Seven
여덟yeodeol
say “yuh-DUHL”
Eight
아홉ahop
say “ah-HOHP”
Nine
열yeol
say “yuhl”
Ten
일il
say “eel”
One (Sino-Korean, as in Il Jang and 1st dan)
이i · ee
say “ee”
Two (Sino-Korean, Ee Jang)
삼sam
say “sahm”
Three (Sino-Korean, Sam Jang)
사sa
say “sah”
Four (Sino-Korean, Sa Jang)
오o · oh
say “oh”
Five (Sino-Korean, Oh Jang)
육yuk
say “yook”
Six (Sino-Korean, Yuk Jang)
칠chil
say “cheel”
Seven (Sino-Korean, Chil Jang)
팔pal
say “pahl”
Eight (Sino-Korean, Pal Jang)

People, places and things

태권도taekwondo
say “TAE-kwon-doh”
The way of the foot and fist.
도장dojang
say “DOH-jahng”
Training hall, the school.
도복dobok
say “DOH-bohk”
Uniform.
띠tti · ddi
say “ttee (a tight, clipped "dee")”
Belt.
사범님sabeomnim · sabumnim
say “SAH-bum-nim”
Instructor or master, a title earned with senior black belt rank and instructor training.
관장님gwanjangnim · kwanjangnim
say “KWAHN-jahng-nim”
Head of the school, grandmaster.
조교jogyo
say “JOH-gyoh”
Assistant instructor.
선배seonbae · sunbae
say “SUHN-beh”
Senior student.
품새poomsae · pumsae
say “POOM-seh”
Forms, set patterns of movements.
겨루기gyeorugi · kyorugi
say “KYUH-roo-gee”
Sparring.
격파gyeokpa · kyukpa
say “KYUHK-pah”
Breaking boards or tiles.
호신술hosinsul · hoshinsul
say “HOH-shin-sool”
Self-defense techniques.
급geup · gup
say “kup”
Color-belt rank, counting down from 10th to 1st.
단dan
say “dahn”
Black belt degree, for students 15 and older.
품poom
say “poom”
Junior black belt degree, under 15.
국기원Kukkiwon
say “KOOK-kee-won”
World Taekwondo headquarters in Seoul that issues black belt certificates.

Stances (seogi)

서기seogi · sogi
say “SUH-gee”
Stance.
모아서기moa seogi
say “MOH-ah SUH-gee”
Closed stance, feet together.
나란히서기naranhi seogi
say “NAH-rahn-hee SUH-gee”
Parallel stance, feet one foot-width apart.
앞서기apseogi · ap sogi
say “AHP-suh-gee”
Walking stance, a short natural step.
앞굽이apkubi · ap kubi
say “AHP-koo-bee”
Front stance, long and low, front knee bent.
뒷굽이dwitkubi · dwit kubi
say “DWEET-koo-bee”
Back stance, weight mostly on the back leg.
주춤서기juchum seogi
say “JOO-choom SUH-gee”
Horse-riding stance.
범서기beom seogi · bum sogi
say “BUHM SUH-gee”
Tiger stance, front foot resting on the ball.

Blocks (makgi)

막기makgi · makki
say “MAHK-ee”
Block.
아래막기arae makgi
say “AH-reh MAHK-ee”
Low block.
몸통막기momtong makgi
say “MOHM-tohng MAHK-ee”
Middle (trunk) block.
얼굴막기eolgul makgi · olgul makki
say “UHL-gool MAHK-ee”
High (face) block.
손날막기sonnal makgi
say “SOHN-nahl MAHK-ee”
Knife-hand block.

Punches and strikes

지르기jireugi · jirugi
say “JEE-reu-gee”
Punch.
몸통지르기momtong jireugi
say “MOHM-tohng JEE-reu-gee”
Middle punch.
두번지르기dubeon jireugi
say “DOO-buhn JEE-reu-gee”
Double punch.
치기chigi
say “CHEE-gee”
Strike.
손날sonnal
say “SOHN-nahl”
Knife-hand (edge of the hand).
등주먹deungjumeok
say “DEUNG-joo-muhk”
Backfist.
팔굽palgup
say “PAHL-goop”
Elbow.

Kicks (chagi)

차기chagi
say “CHAH-gee”
Kick.
앞차기ap chagi
say “AHP CHAH-gee”
Front kick.
돌려차기dollyeo chagi
say “DOHL-lyuh CHAH-gee”
Roundhouse kick.
옆차기yeop chagi
say “YUHP CHAH-gee”
Side kick.
뒤차기dwi chagi
say “DWEE CHAH-gee”
Back kick.
내려차기naeryeo chagi
say “NEH-ryuh CHAH-gee”
Axe kick.
뒤후려차기dwi huryeo chagi
say “DWEE HOO-ryuh CHAH-gee”
Spinning hook kick.
밀어차기mireo chagi
say “MEE-ruh CHAH-gee”
Push kick.
뛰어ttwieo
say “TTWEE-uh”
Jumping (added before a kick name).

Sparring and tournaments

청cheong · chung
say “chuhng”
Blue corner.
홍hong
say “hohng”
Red corner.
호구hogu
say “HOH-goo”
Chest protector.
감점gamjeom · gam-jeom
say “KAHM-juhm”
Penalty, one point to the opponent.
주심jusim
say “JOO-shim”
Center referee.

Polite phrases

안녕하세요annyeonghaseyo
say “AHN-nyung-hah-seh-yo”
Hello.
감사합니다gamsahamnida
say “KAHM-sah-hahm-nee-dah”
Thank you.
수고하셨습니다sugohasyeotseumnida
say “SOO-goh-hah-shuht-seum-nee-dah”
Thank you for your hard work (said at the end of class).