Korean–Japanese False Friends: Same Kanji, Different Meaning
Sino-word traps that cause translation accidents
Most Sino-Korean and Sino-Japanese words share meanings, but some have the same characters with completely different meanings. These are dangerous traps in translation.
Classic False Friends
勉強: In Japanese, the most basic word for "study." In Korean, "면강" is almost never used — Koreans say "공부" instead.
愛人: Korean "애인" means boyfriend/girlfriend. Japanese "あいじん" means affair partner/mistress. "Lover" in Japanese is "恋人."
丈夫: Korean "장부" means husband/man. Japanese "じょうぶ" means strong/healthy (adjective).
手紙: Rarely used in Korean, but Japanese "てがみ" is the basic word for letter.
大丈夫: Korean "대장부" means "great man." Japanese "だいじょうぶ" means "it's okay."
Key Points
愛人: Korean "lover" vs Japanese "affair partner" — most dangerous false friend
勉強: Japanese "study" vs Korean rarely used
大丈夫: Japanese "it's okay" vs Korean "great man"
Always check false friends list when translating Sino words