Cha in Korean: the Syllable 차
차 is a Korean syllable block read cha, built from ㅊ + ㅏ. See 차 and 차례 as examples, trace 차 in 5 strokes, print the 차 worksheet for free.
How do you read and write Cha in Korean (차)?
Cha in Korean is written 차 and is built from ㅊ + ㅏ (a), a side-by-side block of 5 strokes. 차 is romanized cha and has a strong puff of air, like the cha in English 'charm'. You will find 차 at the start of 차 (tea; car) and 차례 (turn).
Cha in Korean 차: reading, parts and strokes
차 Cha in KoreanKorean syllable block
차 is read cha: ㅊ + ㅏ.
차 at a glance
Two ways to remember 차
Look
Words with 차
How the block 차 is built
Tall vowel beside the consonant
Tall vowel + batchim
Flat vowel below the consonant
Flat vowel + batchim
Wrapped vowel
Wrapped vowel + batchim
In 차, ㅊ (chieut) fills the left half of the square and ㅏ fills the right half.
ㅊ has a small tick on top, so it starts a little lower than ㅏ.
In the case of 차 (cha), nothing sits at the bottom of this block yet. For 차 (cha), put a consonant there and you get 착 (chak), 찬 (chan), 찰 (chal) and the rest of the family.
How to read 차
차How to write 차 stroke by stroke
Trace Cha in Korean 차 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
A short tick at the top, drawn downward. Then below it, a short line to the right that sweeps down to the lower left. Then from the middle of the second stroke, sweep down to the lower right.
A long vertical line first, then a short line to the right from its middle.
A common slip with 차
How 차 is used
차 alone can mean either “tea” or “car”, so context tells you which is meant, and it also opens 차례 (turn) and 차이 (difference).
The opening consonant of this block is made with the teeth ridge, and its sound is like ch, as in cheese.
차 with a final consonant
| Block | Reading | Final |
|---|---|---|
| 착 | chak | ㄱ = k |
| 찬 | chan | ㄴ = n |
| 찰 | chal | ㄹ = l |
| 참 | cham | ㅁ = m |
| 찹 | chap | ㅂ = p |
| 창 | chang | ㅇ = ng |
For 차 (cha), adding a final gives the family 착 (chak), 찬 (chan), 찰 (chal), 참 (cham), 찹 (chap), 창 (chang).
In the case of 차 (cha), notice how the final sound is always a short stop or hum: ㄱ is k, ㄴ is n, ㄹ is l, ㅁ is m, ㅂ is p, ㅇ is ng.
Close 차 with ㄱ and you read 착 (chak), closing on a quiet k. Close 차 with ㄴ and you read 찬 (chan), closing on a hummed n. Close 차 with ㄹ and you read 찰 (chal), closing on a tongue-tip l.
Close 차 with ㅁ and you read 참 (cham), closing on a lip-closed m. Close 차 with ㅂ and you read 찹 (chap), closing on a lip-closed p. Close 차 with ㅇ and you read 창 (chang), closing on the ng of song.
ㅊ with other vowels
Same opening, six vowels: 차 (cha), 처 (cheo), 초 (cho), 추 (chu), 츠 (cheu), 치 (chi).
차 next to 자 and 카
On the other side, 자 (ja) is made with the teeth ridge and gives a short burst, which you can compare with 차.
Words that start with 차
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 차이 | cha-i | difference (noun) |
| 차표 | cha-pyo | ticket (noun) |
| 차갑다 | [차갑따] cha-gap-tta | to be cold (adjective) |
| 기차 | gi-cha | train (noun) |
차 (tea; car) begins with the block 차 and is read cha.
차례 (turn) begins with the block 차 and is read cha-rye.
차이 (difference) begins with the block 차 and is read cha-i.
차갑다 (to be cold) begins with the block 차 and is read [차갑따] cha-gap-tta.
차표 (ticket) begins with the block 차 and is read cha-pyo.
차 writing worksheet (free printable)
Worksheet · Level 1 · Letters
Korean syllable tracing worksheet: 차 (cha)
The one-page Cha in Korean 차 sheet builds 차 (cha) from ㅊ + ㅏ, traces it, writes ㅊ with other vowels (차 처 초 추 츠 치) and ends with a game of finding 차.
- 1 page
- A4 · US Letter
- PDF · 101 KB
- Free · no sign-up
Want more? Get a printable pack of Hangul letters
Worksheet information
- How to use
- Build 차 from ㅊ + ㅏ, trace it, then write it on your own.
Practice 차
Try it yourself
Put Cha in Korean 차, cha, into the builder and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with 차 ready
차 (Cha in Korean) — FAQ
How do you read 차?
차 is read cha: ㅊ gives the opening sound and ㅏ gives the vowel.
Which letters make up 차?
The letters inside 차 are ㅊ and ㅏ, with ㅊ on the left and ㅏ on the right.
How do you write 차 stroke by stroke?
Left part first, right part second: ㅊ takes 3, ㅏ takes 2, which makes 5 strokes.
What does 차 mean?
차 is a word with two common meanings: car and tea. As a syllable it also appears in 기차 (train).
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