빠른 생일
Korean edit
Pronunciation edit
- (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [p͈a̠ɾɯn sʰɛŋiɭ] ~ [p͈a̠ɾɯn sʰe̞ŋiɭ]
- Phonetic hangul: [빠른 생일/빠른 셍일]
| Romanizations | |
|---|---|
| Revised Romanization? | ppareun saeng'il |
| Revised Romanization (translit.)? | ppaleun saeng'il |
| McCune–Reischauer? | pparŭn saengil |
| Yale Romanization? | ppalun sayngil |
Noun edit
빠른 생일 • (ppareun saeng'il) (hanja 빠른 生日)
- (now historical) birthday in January or February, which meant that students were in the same school grade with people a year older than them according to East Asian age reckoning
Usage notes edit
- This term appeared because of a disconnect between traditional East Asian age, which is used by most Koreans and in certain laws, and Western age, which is not commonly used by Koreans but is in effect in most laws. In East Asian age count, a person ages one year every New Year, so everyone born in the same year is considered to have the same age. In Western age, a person ages one year on their birthday.
- Before 2009, Western age applied to school grades. Since the Korean school year begins in March, students who were born in January or February of a given year would be classmates of students who were born from March to December of the previous year, and who were hence a year older than them according to East Asian age reckoning. This could cause issues because, for example, East Asian age was used for the legal drinking age. So in January, everyone in the graduating grade of high school could drink except for this small minority of younger people.
- After 2009, South Korean law on elementary school entry was revised to follow East Asian age, so the last cohort affected by this legal loophole was born in 2002.