# Hanja: 利



## 82riceballs

Hey all,

I saw this sign the other day in the metro station (attached).

I'm assuming most young Koreans wouldn't be able to recognize it, right? So is it safe to assume that this sign is aimed at the older generation?

Thansk!!


----------



## Environmentalist

We learn Chinese characters at school.
(At least, those who went high school back in the 70s~90s had to learn how to write and read Chinese characters at school.)

I'm in my 30s now and I used to have an extensive knowledge on Chinese characters even though I couldn't speak Chinese. I lost my touch now but can still read easy words like the one you put up here.

I believe most young Korean people have no difficulty understanding the sign at all. ^^


----------



## 82riceballs

Thank you for your input! I actually asked one of my 20 year old friends and she said she couldn't understand it haha. Maybe this generation is not at good at hanja


----------



## Kross

Maybe this generation is not at good at hanja 

But that could be a generalization some young people don’t agree with. A growing number of young people are trying to learn Chinese (or Hanja) more than any other language including English because China has become one of important trade neighbors to Korea these days. Kids are still taking Hanja lessons at some schools. As they grow up, some just forget them, others don’t. This might explain in part why young Koreans have so different levels of Hanja skills. Personally I don't think that Hanja character is a very hard one. Who would want to use a difficult Hanja for a public poster?


----------



## yonh

The hanja you asked before is of high school level while this one is of middle school level, so I guess many teenagers can read it.


----------



## pink dolphin

I graduated Korean elementary and middle school, and I can't understand the letter. (now a high school student)
I learned hanja once in 3rd grade, and never learned it again during the rest of school years.
(I think the school curriculum has changed because many people and experts disagreed with teaching hanja in school)
Even though I can speak intermediate Chinese, I can only understand the meaning of the words consisting 利 such as 流利(fluent) or 顺利(smooth),
but not the letter itself.
However, I am not sure whether Koreans learn hanja in high school though, because I never went to Korean high school.


----------



## Adellade

I'm in middle school and I can recognize that letter with a bit effort. However many of my classmates wouldn't be able to recognize it, so I would say that book is targeting the knowledgeable.


----------

