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Chapter 6Intermediate

추석 — Chuseok

Korea's harvest festival on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month — and the word roots behind 곡식, 조상, 조국, and 조부모.

6.1What is 추석?

추석 (Chuseok) is one of Korea's two biggest traditional holidays, celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Families gather to give thanks for the grain harvest and honor their ancestors with a memorial rite called 차례.

  • 추석은 음력 8월 15일에 곡식 수확을 감사하며 조상께 차례를 지내는 한국의 전통 명절입니다.

    Chuseok is a traditional Korean holiday on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, when people give thanks for the grain harvest and hold an ancestral rite for their ancestors.

    छुसक (Chuseok) चन्द्र पात्रो अनुसार ८ औं महिनाको १५ औं दिनमा बाली भित्र्याएको खुसीयाली मनाउँदै र पुर्खाहरूको सम्मान गर्दै मनाइने कोरियाको एक परम्परागत चाड हो।

6.2Cultural Concepts & Sayings (문화적 개념과 속담)

  • 이날 밤에는 일 년 중 가장 크고 밝은 보름달이 뜹니다. 고대에는 '가배'라고 불렸습니다. 시험에 자주 인용되는 유명한 한국 속담은 "더도 말고 덜도 말고 한가위만 같아라"입니다.

    This night features the largest, brightest full moon of the year (보름달). In ancient times, it was known as 가배 (Gabae). A famous Korean proverb often quoted on the exam is: "더도 말고 덜도 말고 한가위만 같아라" (Not more, not less—just let every day be like Hangawi).

    यस रात वर्षकै सबैभन्दा ठूलो र उज्यालो पूर्णेको चन्द्रमा (보름달) देखिन्छ। प्राचीन कालमा यसलाई 'गाबए (가배)' भनिन्थ्यो। परीक्षामा अक्सर सोधिने एक प्रसिद्ध कोरियाली उखान हो: "더도 말고 덜도 말고 한가위만 같아라" (धेरै पनि नहोस्, थोरै पनि नहोस्—हरेक दिन हानगावी जस्तै होस्)।

6.3Traditional Food & Table Setting (전통 음식과 차림)

  • 송편: 반달 모양 떡으로, 솔잎과 함께 쪄서 만듭니다.

    Songpyeon: half-moon shaped rice cakes, steamed together with pine needles (솔잎).

    송편 (Songpyeon): आधा चन्द्रमा आकारको चामलको पिठोको परिकार (떡), जसलाई सल्लोको पात (솔잎) सँगै राखी बाफमा पकाइन्छ।

  • 햇곡식 & 햇과일: 그해 가을에 처음 수확한 신선한 곡식과 과일입니다.

    Haetgoksik & Haetgwail: fresh grains and fruits harvested for the first time that autumn.

    햇곡식 & 햇과일 (Haetgoksik & Haetgwail): त्यस वर्षको शरद ऋतुमा पहिलो पटक भित्र्याइएको ताजा अन्न र फलफूल।

  • 토란국: 추석 아침에 먹는 전통 토란 국입니다.

    Toranguk: a traditional taro soup eaten on the morning of Chuseok.

    토란국 (Toranguk): पिँडालु हालेर बनाइने परम्परागत सुप, जुन छुसकको बिहान खाइन्छ।

6.4Ritual Customs (제례 풍습)

  • 차례: 명절 아침에 조상께 올리는 제사입니다.

    Charye: an ancestral rite offered to the ancestors on the morning of the holiday.

    차례 (Charye): चाडपर्वको बिहान पुर्खाहरूको सम्मानमा गरिने पूजा/श्राद्ध।

  • 성묘: 조상의 무덤을 찾아가 인사를 드리는 일입니다.

    Seongmyo: visiting the graves of ancestors to pay respects.

    성묘 (Seongmyo): पुर्खाहरूको चिहानमा गएर ढोग्ने र सम्मान प्रकट गर्ने कार्य।

  • 음복: 제사가 끝난 후 제사에 올린 음식을 나누어 먹는 것입니다.

    Eumbok: sharing and eating the food that was offered in the rite after it ends.

    음복 (Eumbok): पूजा सकिएपछि भगवान वा पुर्खालाई चढाइएको प्रसाद र रक्सी परिवार मिलेर बाँडेर खाने चलन।

6.5Hanja Roots (한자 어원)

Many Chuseok words are built from Chinese characters (한자). Break them apart and the meaning becomes obvious.

Word origins

WordHanjaRoot meaningsCore concept
가배嘉排嘉 (아름다울 가) beautiful / joyful / excellent · 排 (밀칠 배) to arrange / line upA beautiful and joyful festival featuring arranged team celebrations (the ancient weaving contest) — the old name for Chuseok
과일 (햇과일)果物果 (열매 과) fruit / result · 物 (물건 물) thing / objectThe physical objects or fruits borne by trees and plants
차례茶禮茶 (차 다) tea · 禮 (예도 례) ritual / etiquette / ceremonyA respectful ceremony where tea (and later, food and wine) is offered to ancestors
성묘省墓省 (살필 성) to look after / examine / visit · 墓 (무덤 묘) grave / tombGoing to examine, look after, and show respect at an ancestral grave
음복飮福飮 (마실 음) to drink / eat · 福 (복 복) blessing / good fortune / luckEating and drinking the offered ritual food to receive the ancestors' blessing

햇 in 햇과일 and 햇곡식 is a pure Korean prefix meaning "new / this year's" — it is not hanja. And 飮 (음, to drink) also appears in 음료수 (beverage).

6.6Word Building — 곡, 식, 조, 상

The sentence above hides useful Sino-Korean word roots. Learn the root once, and whole families of words unlock.

Roots

RootMeaning
grains
food
male line of origin
above / high (माथी)

Words built from these roots

WordRootsMeaning
곡식곡 (grains) + 식 (food)grains / crops
조상조 (male line of origin) + 상 (above / high)ancestor / grandfather
조국조 (male line of origin) + 국 (country)fatherland
조부모조 + 부 (father) + 모 (mother)grandparents

조상 literally means the ones "above" (상) your "male line of origin" (조) — the people who came before you. The same 조 appears in 조국 (fatherland) and 조부모 (grandparents).