Korean Tensing: Why 국밥 Is Pronounced 국빱 and 할 수 Is 할 쑤

In Korean, a plain ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ or ㅈ often turns into its tense version (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ) after certain final sounds, even though the spelling does not change. The dish 국밥 is written with ㅂ but pronounced [국빱]. Articles 23 to 28 of the Standard Pronunciation (표준 발음법), published by the National Institute of Korean Language (NIKL), list when this happens. As of October 2026, the text on the NIKL site is the version in force since March 28, 2017.

1. Article 23: after a ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ final sound

When a syllable ends in a sound from the ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ family, the ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ or ㅈ that follows is pronounced tense. The families include the doubled and reduced forms (for example ㄲ, ㅋ, ㅅ, ㅊ, ㅍ, ㄼ, ㅄ). The official examples:

It is the broadest of the tensing rules, so it is the one to learn first.

Each step is predictable. In 국밥, the final ㄱ of 국 is followed by ㅂ, so ㅂ becomes [ㅃ]. In 꽃다발, the final ㅊ is first read as [ㄷ], and that [ㄷ] tenses the ㄷ of 다발 into [ㄸ], giving [꼳따발]. In 값지다, the double ending ㅄ is read [ㅂ] before a consonant, and the ㅈ then becomes [ㅉ], giving [갑찌다].

2. Articles 24 and 25: verb stems ending in ㄴ, ㅁ, ㄼ or ㄾ

Verb stems follow similar rules, with endings that begin with ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅅ or ㅈ:

• After a stem ending in ㄴ or ㅁ (including ㄵ, ㄻ): 신고 [신꼬], 앉고 [안꼬], 삼고 [삼꼬], 젊지 [점찌].
• After a stem ending in ㄼ or ㄾ: 넓게 [널께], 핥다 [할따].

Article 24 has one stated exception: the passive and causative suffix -기- is not tensed. So 안기다, 감기다, 굶기다 and 옮기다 keep their plain ㄱ.

3. Article 26: ㄹ plus ㄷ, ㅅ or ㅈ in Sino-Korean words

In words of Chinese origin, ㄷ, ㅅ and ㅈ after a ㄹ final become tense:

• 갈등 → [갈뜽]
• 발동 → [발똥]
• 일시 → [일씨]
• 발전 → [발쩐]
• 물질 → [물찔]

The exception covers words made of a repeated character, which do not tense: 허허실실 and 절절하다 are read as written.

4. Article 27: after the -(으)ㄹ ending

This one matters most in daily speech. After the modifier ending -(으)ㄹ, a following ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ or ㅈ is tense:

• 할 것을 → [할꺼슬]
• 갈 데가 → [갈떼가]
• 할 수는 → [할쑤는]
• 만날 사람 → [만날싸람]

The rule adds that when a speaker pauses between the words, the plain consonants are used. A note extends the same rule to endings that begin with -(으)ㄹ, such as 할걸 [할껄], 할수록 [할쑤록] and 할지라도 [할찌라도].

So 할 수 있다 (can do) is said with [쑤], even though the written text has ㅅ.

A longer phrase shows how the rules stack. In 먹을 수 있어요, the final ㄹ of 먹을 is carried to the next syllable under the linking rule, and the ㅅ of 수 is tense under Article 27, so the phrase is read [머글 쑤 이써요]. The linking rule is Article 13, which the official text illustrates with 있어 [이써].

5. Article 28: compounds with a hidden 사이시옷

Some compound words are pronounced as if a linking ㅅ were present, even when it is not written. The following consonant (ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅈ) is then tense. The official examples include 문고리 [문꼬리], 눈동자 [눈똥자], 신바람 [신빠람], 손재주 [손째주], 아침밥 [아침빱] and 강가 [강까]. The text uses a hyphen to show the word boundary in these examples; the hyphen is not part of normal spelling.

6. Romanization does not show tensing

The NIKL romanization rules state that tensing is not reflected in Roman spelling. The official examples are 압구정 Apgujeong, 낙동강 Nakdonggang, 죽변 Jukbyeon, 낙성대 Nakseongdae, 합정 Hapjeong and 샛별 saetbyeol. By the same rule, 국밥 is written gukbap, even though a Korean speaker says [국빱].

This matters when you go from Roman letters back to Hangul sounds. Roman spelling gives the root consonants, not the tense sounds you hear.

7. Key takeaways

• After a ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ final sound, the next ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ or ㅈ is tense: 국밥 [국빱], 옆집 [엽찝].
• After verb stems ending in ㄴ, ㅁ, ㄼ or ㄾ, endings tense too, except the suffix -기-: 신고 [신꼬], but 안기다 stays plain.
• In Sino-Korean words, ㄷ, ㅅ, ㅈ after ㄹ are tense: 갈등 [갈뜽], 발전 [발쩐].
• After -(으)ㄹ, the next consonant is tense: 할 수는 [할쑤는].
• Roman spelling does not show tensing: 압구정 is Apgujeong, 국밥 is gukbap.