What 덴 means
It is a Korean text syllable whose meaning depends on context.
In a 2025 answer, the National Institute of Korean Language confirms 덴 as the form of 데다, to be burned or scalded, used in 불에 덴 상처: a burned or scalded wound. That is a grammatical reading, not a permanent definition of the glyph.
In 덴마크, the block is simply the opening syllable of the Korean name for Denmark. In a 1998 Korean-language article on Jeju speech, 덴 is recorded in an indirect-quotation ending. A standalone 덴 therefore does not settle its meaning.
how did Hangul syllable blocks develop?
Hangul builds square syllables from smaller alphabetic parts.
The script's first recorded announcement appears in 1443, and the explanatory Hunminjeongeum book was published in 1446. Initial, middle, and final sounds snap together into one square block, which is why 덴 reads as one syllable.
A 1459 historical Korean text contains 덴 inside an older spelling. That attests the sequence in historical writing, not today's isolated meaning. Unicode carries the same idea: one precomposed block, or the conjoining jamo behind it.
how do I type 덴?
Use a Korean IME and enter ㄷ, ㅔ, then ㄴ.
On the standard two-set Korean layout, ㄷ is E, ㅔ is P, and ㄴ is S on a QWERTY keyboard. Enter E-P-S with Korean input enabled; the IME assembles the block as you go. Raw compatibility jamo may stay as separate symbols.
A different font can change the shapes and spacing of the component strokes without changing the syllable or its reading.
Neutral as Korean text; alone, it reads as a fragment rather than a tone marker.
Do not assign one translation to 덴 without the surrounding word or sentence.
What it means when someone sends it to you
4 readingsDon't confuse it with
2Combination ideas
2Questions people ask
2Can 덴 mean “burned”?
Yes. In 불에 덴 상처, 덴 is the standard form of 데다, “to be burned or scalded.”
Why does 덴 look different in another font?
It can. Hangul component placement varies by font, but the block and its reading do not change.
How to type 덴
덴\B374Codes and encoding1 code points
A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.