• habit, custom;
  • to be accustomed, to get used to;
  • familiarity;

Etymology

Phono-semantic compound:

心 (heart, mind) – semantic, indicating mental state or inner disposition

貫 (to pierce, to string together) – phonetic element, suggesting continuity and repetition

The image conveys something repeatedly impressed upon the heart, thus forming habit or familiarity.

Usage in Korean

Strongly tied to ideas of repetition and familiarity, where the mind becomes accustomed through constant exposure.

習慣 (습관) – habit, custom

慣性 (관성) – inertia (lit. "habitual force")

慣例 (관례) – customary practice, precedent

慣行 (관행) – established practice, convention

慣用 (관용) – customary usage, idiom

Additional notes

In physics, 慣性 (inertia) is an extended metaphor from “habit” of motion.

버릇
beoreut
gwan
Kangxi radical:61, + 11
Strokes:14
Unicode:U+6163
Cangjie input:
  • 心田十金 (PWJC)
Composition:
  • ⿰ 忄 貫

Characters next to each other in the list

References