intermediate
Picks out a topic to say what it is or what it's really like: 사랑이란 (sarangiran), "love is…".
Checked against the official learner dictionary from the National Institute of Korean Language
- After a consonant: 이란 iran. After a vowel: 란 ran.
- The sentence then says what the thing is, often ending in 이에요 ieyo or 거예요 geoyeyo.
Build it
When to use it
Defining a word
Saying what something means.
A general truth
What something is always like.
A big question
Asking what something really is.
Watch out
After a vowel, use 란 ran.
After a consonant, use 이란 iran.
In context
9 examples- 1
친구란 힘들 때 옆에 있어 주는 사람이에요.
Chinguran himdeul ttae yeope isseo juneun saramieyo.
A friend is someone who stays by your side when things are hard.
- 2
인생이란 원래 그런 거예요.
Insaengiran wollae geureon geoyeyo.
That's just how life is.
- 3
한옥이란 한국의 전통 집이에요.
Hanogiran hangugui jeontong jibieyo.
A hanok is a traditional Korean house.
- 4
가족이란 무엇일까요?
Gajogiran mueosilkkayo?
What is family, really?
- 5
공부란 원래 힘든 거예요.
Gongburan wollae himdeun geoyeyo.
Studying is just hard. That's how it is.
- 6
김치란 배추나 무로 만든 한국의 발효 음식이에요.
Gimchiran baechuna muro mandeun hangugui balhyo eumsigieyo.
Kimchi is a Korean fermented food made from cabbage or radish.
- 7
건강이란 잃고 나서야 소중함을 알게 되는 거예요.
Geongangiran ilko naseoya sojunghameul alge doeneun geoyeyo.
Health is something you only value once you've lost it.
- 8
인생이란 마라톤 같아요.
Insaengiran maraton gatayo.
Life is like a marathon.
- 9
진짜 친구란 그런 거예요.
Jinjja chinguran geureon geoyeyo.
That's what a real friend is.
Practice
8 questions친구 + (이)란
(이)란 or 은/는?
The dictionary lists 는 as a synonym of (이)란, so 사랑은 sarangeun and 사랑이란 sarangiran can both start "love is…". The difference is in the weight. 은/는 is the everyday topic marker, while (이)란 singles the word out to define it or to say something big about it, so it shows up a lot in quotes, essays and song lyrics.
- 사랑은 어려워요. sarangeun eoryeowoyo "Love is hard." A plain comment.
- 사랑이란 어려운 거예요. sarangiran eoryeoun geoyeyo "Love is a hard thing." It sounds like a statement about love itself.
There's more on the everyday topic marker in the 은/는 lesson.
Look it up in the dictionary
The entry for 이란 in two trusted Korean dictionaries.