Hangul syllable Te

On the standard Korean 2-set layout, press X, then P. X enters ㅌ and P enters ㅔ; the input method combines them into 테.

On a phone, choose Korean 2-set and tap ㅌ followed by ㅔ; the syllable block forms as you type.

What does 테 mean?

It can mean a rim or band around an object. It is pronounced roughly “te,” with a little extra breath after the first consonant. In compounds, the sense narrows: 금테 means “gold rim,” and 나이테 means a tree’s annual ring.

Hangul is the Korean alphabet: its letters combine into syllable blocks like 테. Its creation was recorded in 1443 and it was explained and published in 1446. Before Hangul, Korean was also written with systems that adapted Chinese characters to Korean, including Idu, Gugyeol, and Hyangchal. Hangul appeared in religious and practical writing and became Korea’s official national writing system in 1894. These dates describe Hangul’s history; 테 works as a syllable within Korean words.