TOPIK · Level 278
16 words
Korean word
기원전
Pronunciation
Romanizationkiwonjeon
Meaning
- nounBC
Example
역사책에는 기원전 5세기라고 적혀 있다.yeok ssa chae ge neun ki won jeon 5 se gi ra go cheo kyeo it tta
The history book says it was the 5th century BC.
More examples
이 유물은 기원전 4세기로 추정된다.i yu mu reun ki won jeon 4 se gi ro chu jeong doen da
This artifact is estimated to date to the 4th century BC.
Core concept
A calendar label for a year or period that comes before the starting point of the common era.
Common phrases
기원전 1년ki won jeon 1 nyeon
1 BC
기원전 5세기ki won jeon 5 se gi
5th century BC
기원전 300년ki won jeon 300 nyeon
300 BC
Similar words
서기seogi: The era used for counting years from the beginning of the common era.
Definition in Korean
어떤 연대를 서력(서기)의 기준과 비교할 때 그 기준보다 앞선 시기를 가리키는 명사로, 연도 표기에서 앞에 붙여 연대를 나타낸다.eo tteon yeon dae reul seo ryeok seo gi ui ki jun gwa pi gyo hal ttae keu ki jun bo da ap sseon si gi reul ka ri ki neun myeong sa ro yeon do pyo gi e seo a pe pu chyeo yeon dae reul na ta naen da
Word origin
The Sino-Korean word 기원전 (giwonjeon, "before the era's beginning") combines 기원 (giwon, "era beginning") with 전 (jeon, "before").
Usage tips
- Korean places the BC marker before the year, while English usually places BC after it, making word order an important clue in historical dates.
Opposites
- 기원후kiwonhuADnoun