North Korean won

5.3

Official money used in North Korea

noun

: won norcoreano

The price of goods in North Korea is often measured in North Korean won.

Examples

I have some North Korean wons.
Tourists are generally not allowed to use the North Korean won during their visits.
He exchanged his dollars for North Korean won at the border.
The value of the North Korean won has fluctuated significantly in recent years.
The North Korean won is essential for transactions within the country.
She exchanged her dollars for North Korean won before traveling to Pyongyang.
Many tourists find it challenging to use North Korean won outside of North Korea.

Synonyms

won

vsNorth Korean won

Specialized

1 6.3

Money used in North Korea where one unit equals 100 chon

is the formal name for the country's currency, not the subunit detail

Surface Forms

North Korean won singular

North Korean wons plural

Morphology

North + Korean + won

The meaning 'the currency of North Korea' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'North' (geographic qualifier) + 'Korean' (pertaining to Korea) with 'won' (a monetary unit). This country-adjective + currency-noun pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

North Korean won gets its name from the Korean word won, which originally meant a 'round' coin. Because people used won for coins and money, the word became the name for the country's unit of money, so North Korean won means the official currency.