Korean · Everyday expressions
How to pronounce 지난주 in Korean
지난주
Romanization: jinanju
Last week
Standard South Korean; reference: SK-Standard, Seoul · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
지난주 is pronounced [t͡ɕina̠ɲd͡ʑu] in Korean. In 지난주: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in 지난주
The reference transcription for 지난주 is [t͡ɕina̠ɲd͡ʑu]. Read adjacent consonants together without inserting extra vowels. Korean pronunciation changes when sounds meet. Follow the spoken transcription and connected example rather than reading each Hangul letter in isolation.
1.Front-vowel position
In 지난주: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front.
Watch out: Do not decide vowel quality from English spelling alone.
2.Back rounded vowels
In 지난주: Round your lips and keep the tongue toward the back. Follow the closer /u/ or more relaxed /ʊ/ quality written in the IPA.
Watch out: Avoid inserting a y sound before the vowel unless the IPA includes /j/.
3.An open vowel
In 지난주: Open the jaw for the a-like vowel shown in the IPA. Keep it continuous and follow the recording’s tongue position.
Watch out: Do not substitute the English diphthong in “day”.
Hear it in context
지난주에 여행했어요.
jinanjue yeohaenghaesseoyo.
I traveled last week.
Listen once, say it aloud, then replay at 1.00×. Keep the word connected to the surrounding sentence rather than giving every syllable equal weight.
Pronunciation and variety
지난주 is presented in standard South Korean pronunciation. Everyday speech can vary in vowel quality and consonant realization. Treat the romanization as a reading aid and follow the Hangul, IPA, and recording together.
The English-style respelling is approximate. Use the IPA and recording together for vowel quality and consonants that do not have an exact English equivalent.
Meaning and everyday use
Questions about 지난주
How do you pronounce 지난주?
지난주 is pronounced [t͡ɕina̠ɲd͡ʑu] in Korean. In 지난주: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In 지난주: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
