In the Korean language, nouns can be divided into three groups according to their formation: simple, compound, or derived.
Simple nouns are not derived from other parts of speech:
산 [san] ("mountain")
여름 [yoreum] ("summer")
칼 [khal] ("knife")
Compound nouns are formed by combining several nouns:
칼집[khaljip] ("sheath") = 칼 [khal] ("knife") + 집[jip] ("house")
물바닥 [mulpadak] ("bottom of a river") = 물 [mul] ("water") + 바닥 [padak] ("floor")
Derived nouns are formed from other nouns, verbs, adverbs, numerals, or pronouns by adding suffixes:
From nouns:
나무꾼[namukkun] "wood-cutter" (나무 [namu] "tree")
빚쟁이[pitjaengi] "debtor" (빚[pit] "debt")
음악가[eumakka] "musician" (음악[eumak ] "music")
From verbs:
읽기[ilgi] "reading" (읽다[ikta] "to read")
죽음[jukeum] "death" ( 죽다[jukta]"to die")
From adjectives - 높이[nophi] "height" (높다[noptha] "high")
See Also: