LingoDrop
Korean · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "그분" in Korean?
geu-bun. The ㅂ voices between vowels into a real b, while the first vowel is the flat ㅡ and the second is a rounded 'oo'.
geubun
Equal length on both blocks. Because the two vowels are close in tongue position but opposite in lip shape, this word doubles as a compact drill for ㅡ against ㅜ -- the jaw barely moves, but the lips must change completely between the syllables.
Listen: 그분
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Sound it out
Hear it in a sentence
그분은 저희 선생님이세요.
Geubuneun jeohui seonsaengnimiseyo.
He is our teacher.
Listen: 그분은 저희 선생님이세요.
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그분은 저희 선생님이세요 attaches 은 to 그분, so the ㄴ moves across and gives geu-bu-neun. Later, 선생님이세요 links its ㅁ into the honorific ending, producing seon-saeng-ni-mi-se-yo as one long unbroken run.
Where English speakers slip
Rounding the first vowel to match the second gives 'goo-bun', which erases exactly the contrast the word depends on. Watch your lips in a mirror across the two syllables: flat, then rounded. The other habit is aspirating the ㅂ, when between vowels it should be soft and fully voiced.