Ye in Korean: the Vowel ㅖ (예)
ㅖ is the Korean vowel 예 (ye): ye, as in yes. See where ㅖ sits in a block, with 계란 and 예쁘다; trace ㅖ in 4 strokes, print the ㅖ worksheet.
What is Ye in Korean, the Korean vowel ㅖ?
Ye in Korean is ㅖ, the vowel called 예, read ye, as in yes. ㅖ (ye) goes to the right of the consonant because it is a tall, upright vowel, and you draw it in 4 strokes. You will hear it in 계란 (egg) and 예쁘다 (to be pretty).
Ye in Korean ㅖ: sound, strokes, place and mirror pair
ㅖ Ye in KoreanKorean vowel · compound
ㅖ is read ye; it sits to the right of the consonant.
ㅖ (Ye) at a glance
Two ways to remember ㅖ
Shape
Words with ㅖ
egg- stairs
- reservation
- manners
Sound: ye.
How to say ㅖ
예With ㅖ (ye), glide from a quick y into ㅔ, like 'ye' in English 'yes'. After most consonants, ㅖ is often said simply as ㅔ.
ㅖ (ye) is a vertical vowel and sits to the right of the consonant: 예술 (art), 계단 (stairs), 시계 (clock).
Where ㅖ sits in a block
How to write ㅖ
Trace Ye in Korean ㅖ 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 the upper short line from left to right.
Draw the lower short line from left to right.
Draw the first vertical line down through their ends.
Draw the second vertical line down on the right.
The whole vowel is four strokes.
Write 예 and say 'yes' in Korean: 예 is a polite yes, a little more formal than 네. Then trace 계단 and 시계.
ㅖ and its look-alikes
| Letter | Name | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| ㅒ | 얘 (yae) | yae, close to ye |
| ㅖ | 예 (ye) | ye, as in yes |
예 and 에 differ by the y glide at the start of a word. Inside words after a consonant the glide may drop, so 시계 can be said [시게].
Learners often force a strong y in every ㅖ. Korean allows ㅖ to be said as ㅔ except in 예 and 례, so 계산 (calculation) may sound like 게산.
Its closest neighbour is ㅒ (yae); compare the two in the table below.
Why ㅖ looks the way it does
ㅖ combines a y-vowel with the standing line ㅣ, so it carries both the double stroke of the y glide and the extra upright line.
Words that use ㅖ
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 예쁘다 | ye-ppeu-da | to be pretty (adjective) |
| 시계 | [시계/시게] si-gye-/-si-ge | clock (noun) |
| 세계 | se-gye | world (noun) |
| 차례 | cha-rye | turn (noun) |
ㅖ shows up in 계, the first block of 계란 (egg), read gye.
ㅖ shows up in 예, the first block of 예쁘다 (to be pretty), read ye.
ㅖ shows up in 계, the second block of 시계 (clock), read gye.
ㅖ shows up in 예, the first block of 예절 (manners), read ye.
In 예약 (reservation), ㅖ sits in the first block 예, which is ㅇㅖ and is read ye.
Syllables you can build with ㅖ
The row for ㅖ begins 계 (gye), 녜 (nye), 뎨 (dye), and 례 (rye) and carries on through all fourteen consonants.
To hear how steady ㅖ (ye) stays across different consonants, say the row from start to finish.
Try it yourself
Change the first consonant and read the block that ㅖ makes, such as 예. Open the syllable builder with ㅖ ready
ㅖ with a final consonant
Add a final consonant to 예 (ye) and the vowel stays put while the ending changes: 옉 (yek), 옌 (yen), 옐 (yel), 옘 (yem), 옙 (yep), 옝 (yeng).
The sound of ㅖ (ye) is steady in every one of them; only the closing consonant changes the end of the block.
Add ㄱ under 예 and you get 옉 (yek), closing on a quiet k. Add ㄴ under 예 and you get 옌 (yen), closing on a hummed n. Add ㄹ under 예 and you get 옐 (yel), closing on a tongue-tip l.
Add ㅁ under 예 and you get 옘 (yem), closing on a lip-closed m. Close 예 with ㅂ and you read 옙 (yep), closing on a lip-closed p. Put ㅇ at the bottom of 예 for 옝 (yeng), closing on the ng of song.
ㅖ writing worksheet (free printable)
Worksheet · Level 1 · Letters
Korean letter tracing worksheet: ㅖ (ye)
The one-page Ye in Korean ㅖ sheet shows ㅖ in 4 strokes, traces it, writes it with six consonants (계 녜 뎨 례 몌 볘) and ends with a game of finding ㅖ among look-alikes.
- 1 page
- A4 · US Letter
- PDF · 89 KB
- Free · no sign-up
Want more? Get a printable pack of Hangul letters
Worksheet information
- How to use
- Say ㅖ out loud, trace its 4 strokes, then write it with six consonants.
Practice ㅖ
Try it yourself
Put Ye in Korean ㅖ, ye, into the builder and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with ㅖ ready
ㅖ (Ye in Korean) — FAQ
What should the ㅖ pronunciation sound like?
ㅖ is read ye, as in yes. Say it with a relaxed mouth and repeat 예, 계란.
How do you write ㅖ and which position does it take in a syllable block?
ㅖ takes 4 strokes: Draw the upper short line from left to right. Draw the lower short line from left to right. Draw the first vertical line down through their ends. Draw the second vertical line down on the right. In a block it sits to the right of the consonant.
How do you say ㅖ in Korean?
ㅖ (ye) is y + ㅔ, as in 예 (yes). After a consonant it is often said as ㅔ: 시계 [시게] is allowed.
How many strokes make up ㅖ?
ㅖ has 4 strokes: two short lines, then two vertical lines.
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