ㄹ

Stroke order

Korean

Alternative forms

• For suffix, after consonant: 을 (eul)

Etymology 1

The traditional account* holds that the form of ㄹ l is the outline of the tongue, 舌 […] 之形, but does not specify what this means. Gari Ledyard proposes that it was a graphic simplification of Phagspa l, ultimately from Tibetan ལ l, though the iconic considerations of the traditional account may have determined the form that this simplification took.

* Hunmin Jeongeum Haerye "Explanations and Examples of the Proper Sounds for the Instruction of the People" (1446), defining and explaining the script now known as 한글 (Hangeul, “Great script, Korean script”) in South Korea and 조선글 (joseon'geul, “Korean script”) in North Korea.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l/, [ɾ], [l], [ɭ]
• Phonetic hangul: ㄹ

Romanization

Revised	r, l
McCune–Reischauer	r, l	Yale	l

Symbol

ㄹ (r)

1. 리을 (rieul), a letter of the Korean writing system, hangeul; the alveolar flap or approximant (IPA^(key): [ɾ], [l])

Usage notes

In the North Korean order, it is the fourth jamo. In the South Korean order, it is the sixth.

See also

• Alveolar consonants: ㄴ (n), ㄷ (d), ㄸ (tt), ㅌ (t), ㅅ (s), ㅆ (ss)
• Nasal stops: ㅁ (m), ㅇ (ng)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l/
• Phonetic hangul: ㄹ

Romanization

Revised	l
McCune–Reischauer	l	Yale	l

Inflectional suffix

ㄹ (l)

1. that will; who will

   (suffix forming future determiner)

   친구에게 줄 선물 ― chin-guege jul seonmul ― the gift that I will give to my friend

2. that; who

   (suffix forming determiner without tense)

Usage notes

-ㄹ (l) is appended to the sequential form. Similar to a future participle, the future determiner indicates that the referent of the following substantive will perform the action described by the verb to which ㄹ (l) is attached:

• 가다 (gada, “to go”): 가니 (ga-) + ㄹ (l): 갈 (gal, “who will go; that sb will go to/at/by...”)
• 묻다 (mutda, “to inquire”): 물으니 (mureu-) + ㄹ (l): 물을 (mureul, “who will inquire; that sb will inquire”)
• 날다 (nalda, “to fly”): 나니/날면 (na-/nal-) + ㄹ (l): 날 (nal, “that will fly”)

The suffix -ㄹ (-l) is frequently used along with several dependent nouns, such as 것 (geot, “thing”) and 때 (ttae, “time”), for grammatical purposes. It can either denote the future tense, or nothing:

• (future, intention) 그 친구는 이번 기회에 고향집을 찾을 것이라고 했다. (He said he will visit his hometown by this chance.)
• (future, guess) 물이 차가울 것 같다. (I guess the water is cold.)

  cf. 물이 차가운 것 같다. (The water seems cold.) / 물이 차가웠을 것 같다. (I guess the water was cold.)

  물이 차가울 것 같았다. (I guessed the water was cold.) / 물이 차가웠을 것 같았다. (I guessed the water had been cold.)

• (no tense) 그가 하는 말 중에 믿을 만한 것이 있을 리가 없다. (Among the words he says, what is worth believing cannot ever exist.)
• (no tense) 목발은 발이나 다리를 다쳐 잘 걸을 수 없을 때 사용한다. (We use crutches when we don't walk well due to foot or leg injuries.)