Ja in Korean: the Syllable 자
자 is a Korean syllable block read ja, built from ㅈ + ㅏ. See 자전거 and 자리 as examples, trace 자 in 4 strokes, print the 자 worksheet for free.
How do you read and write Ja in Korean (자)?
Ja in Korean is the block 자: ㅈ on the left, ㅏ (a) on the right, 4 strokes in all. 자 is romanized ja. Words that begin with 자 include 자전거 (bicycle) and 자리 (seat).
Ja in Korean 자: reading, parts and strokes
자 Ja in KoreanKorean syllable block
자 is read ja: ㅈ + ㅏ.
자 at a glance
Two ways to remember 자
Look
Words with 자
How the block 자 is built
How to read 자
자자 is romanized ja. It is softer than English ja, with no puff of air, as in 자리 (seat). On its own, 자 is also a ruler, and people say 자! for well then, or here you go.
Read left to right: ㅈ gives the opening sound and ㅏ gives the vowel, so the pair together is ja.
The j is made with the tongue flat behind the teeth and a short burst; it is softer than the English j and lighter than the puffed ch of 차.
How to write 자 stroke by stroke
Trace Ja in Korean 자 with a finger, mouse or pen: start at the numbered dot, follow the dotted arrow, and press Clear to try again.
Print style 정자체
Follow the numbers and dotted arrows
Handwriting 필기체
Same stroke order as print style
Draw a short line to the right and, without lifting the pen, sweep down to the lower left. With 자 (ja), then start from the middle of the first stroke and sweep down to the lower right.
A tall line on the right with a short arm leaving its middle.
A common slip with 자
Learners copying printed fonts often write ㅈ in three strokes with a separate flat top. In handwriting the top and the left sweep are one stroke, as here.
How 자 is used
자 is also what people say to start something together, close to “come on”, and it opens 자리 (seat) and 자유 (freedom).
The opening consonant of this block is made with the teeth ridge, and its sound is like j, as in jump.
자 with a final consonant
| Block | Reading | Final |
|---|---|---|
| 작 | jak | ㄱ = k |
| 잔 | jan | ㄴ = n |
| 잘 | jal | ㄹ = l |
| 잠 | jam | ㅁ = m |
| 잡 | jap | ㅂ = p |
| 장 | jang | ㅇ = ng |
For 자 (ja), six common endings turn this block into 작 (jak), 잔 (jan), 잘 (jal), 잠 (jam), 잡 (jap), 장 (jang).
In the case of 자 (ja), each ending is a closed sound, k for ㄱ, n for ㄴ, l for ㄹ, m for ㅁ, p for ㅂ, ng for ㅇ.
Close 자 with ㄱ and you read 작 (jak), closing on a quiet k. Close 자 with ㄴ and you read 잔 (jan), closing on a hummed n. Close 자 with ㄹ and you read 잘 (jal), closing on a tongue-tip l.
Close 자 with ㅁ and you read 잠 (jam), closing on a lip-closed m. Close 자 with ㅂ and you read 잡 (jap), closing on a lip-closed p. Close 자 with ㅇ and you read 장 (jang), closing on the ng of song.
ㅈ with other vowels
The consonant ㅈ (jieut) stays the same in this row while the vowel changes: 자 (ja), 저 (jeo), 조 (jo), 주 (ju), 즈 (jeu), 지 (ji).
자 next to 아 and 차
On the other side, 아 (a) is made with the throat and gives no sound at the start, which you can compare with 자.
Words that start with 자
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 피자 | pi-ja | pizza (noun) |
| 주전자 | ju-jeon-ja | kettle (noun) |
| 자다 | ja-da | to sleep (verb) |
| 자랑 | ja-rang | pride (noun) |
The word 자전거 (bicycle) opens with 자 and sounds like ja-jeon-geo.
The word 자리 (seat) opens with 자 and sounds like ja-ri.
The word 자동차 (car) opens with 자 and sounds like ja-dong-cha.
The word 자유 (freedom) opens with 자 and sounds like ja-yu.
자랑 (pride) is a word that opens with 자; say it as ja-rang.
자 writing worksheet (free printable)
Worksheet · Level 1 · Letters
Korean syllable tracing worksheet: 자 (ja)
The one-page Ja in Korean 자 sheet builds 자 (ja) from ㅈ + ㅏ, traces it, writes ㅈ with other vowels (자 저 조 주 즈 지) and ends with a game of finding 자.
- 1 page
- A4 · US Letter
- PDF · 107 KB
- Free · no sign-up
Want more? Get a printable pack of Hangul letters
Worksheet information
- How to use
- Build 자 from ㅈ + ㅏ, trace it, then write it on your own.
Practice 자
Try it yourself
Put Ja in Korean 자, ja, into the builder and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with 자 ready
자 (Ja in Korean) — FAQ
How do you read 자?
Say ja: the opening consonant is ㅈ and the vowel is ㅏ. 자 is romanized ja.
Which letters make up 자?
자 is made of ㅈ and ㅏ. ㅈ is written first and ㅏ next to it, so the block reads left to right.
How do you write 자 stroke by stroke?
자 takes 4 strokes: 2 for ㅈ and 2 for ㅏ. Start with ㅈ on the left and finish with ㅏ on the right.
How is 자 made?
자 is ㅈ (j) + ㅏ (a) side by side, 4 strokes in all. It is romanized ja.
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