xodn348/han: A compiled programming language with Korean keywords, written in Rust · GitHub

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📂 **Category**:

✅ **What You’ll Learn**:

A general-purpose compiled language with Korean keywords — written in Rust

함수 · 만약 · 반복 · 변수 · 출력
Write code in one of the world’s most beautifully designed writing systems.


Han is a statically-typed, compiled programming language where every keyword is written in Korean. It compiles to native binaries through LLVM IR and also ships with a tree-walking interpreter for instant execution. The compiler toolchain is written entirely in Rust.

Han was born from the idea that programming doesn’t have to look the same in every country. Hangul — the Korean writing system — is one of the most scientifically designed scripts in human history, and Han puts it to work as a first-class programming language rather than just a display string.


  • Korean keywords함수, 만약, 반복, 변수 — write logic in Hangul
  • Hangul identifiers — name your variables and functions in Korean
  • Compiled language — generates LLVM IR → clang → native binary
  • Interpreter mode — run instantly without clang
  • REPL — interactive mode with hgl repl
  • LSP serverhgl lsp for editor hover docs and completion
  • Static typing — 5 primitive types: 정수 (int), 실수 (float), 문자열 (string), (bool), 없음 (void)
  • Arrays[1, 2, 3], indexing, negative indexing, .추가/.삭제/.정렬/.역순 etc.
  • Structs구조 사람 💬 with field access and impl blocks
  • Closures변수 f = 함수(x: 정수) 🔥 with env capture
  • Pattern matching맞춰 값 ⚡
  • Error handling시도 💬 실패(오류) { } try/catch
  • File I/O파일읽기, 파일쓰기, 파일추가, 파일존재
  • Format strings형식("이름: {0}", 이름) positional or 형식("이름: {이름}") named
  • String methods.분리, .포함, .바꾸기, .대문자, .소문자, etc.
  • Module imports가져오기 "파일.hgl"
  • Generics syntax함수 최대값(a: T, b: T) -> T
  • Built-in math제곱근, 절댓값, 거듭제곱, 정수변환, 실수변환, 길이

Create hello.hgl:

출력("안녕하세요, 세계!")

Run it:

hgl interpret hello.hgl
# Output: 안녕하세요, 세계!

Or jump into the REPL:

hgl repl
한> 출력("안녕!")
안녕!

변수 텍스트 = "hello world hello han world hello"
변수 단어들 = 텍스트.분리(" ")
변수 단어목록 = []
변수 개수목록 = []

반복 변수 i = 0; i < 단어들.길이(); i += 1 {
    변수 찾음 = 거짓
    반복 변수 j = 0; j < 단어목록.길이(); j += 1 {
        만약 단어목록[j] == 단어들[i] {
            개수목록[j] = 개수목록[j] + 1
            찾음 = 참
        }
    }
    만약 찾음 == 거짓 {
        단어목록.추가(단어들[i])
        개수목록.추가(1)
    }
}

반복 변수 i = 0; i < 단어목록.길이(); i += 1 {
    출력(형식("{0}: {1}", 단어목록[i], 개수목록[i]))
}
함수 계산(식: 문자열) -> 정수 {
    변수 부분 = 식.분리(" ")
    변수 왼쪽 = 정수변환(부분[0])
    변수 연산자 = 부분[1]
    변수 오른쪽 = 정수변환(부분[2])

    맞춰 연산자 {
        "+" => { 반환 왼쪽 + 오른쪽 }
        "-" => { 반환 왼쪽 - 오른쪽 }
        "*" => { 반환 왼쪽 * 오른쪽 }
        "https://github.com/" => {
            만약 오른쪽 == 0 {
                출력("오류: 0으로 나눌 수 없습니다")
                반환 0
            }
            반환 왼쪽 / 오른쪽
        }
        _ => {
            출력(형식("알 수 없는 연산자: {0}", 연산자))
            반환 0
        }
    }
}

출력(계산("10 + 20"))     // 30
출력(계산("6 * 7"))       // 42
구조 할일 {
    제목: 문자열,
    완료: 불
}

변수 목록 = []

함수 추가하기(목록: [할일], 제목: 문자열) {
    목록.추가(할일 { 제목: 제목, 완료: 거짓 })
}

함수 완료처리(목록: [할일], index: 정수) {
    목록[index].완료 = 참
}

함수 출력목록(목록: [할일]) {
    반복 변수 i = 0; i < 목록.길이(); i += 1 {
        변수 상태 = "[ ]"
        만약 목록[i].완료 {
            상태 = "[✓]"
        }
        출력(형식("{0} {1}. {2}", 상태, i + 1, 목록[i].제목))
    }
}

추가하기(목록, "한글 프로그래밍 언어 만들기")
추가하기(목록, "README 작성하기")
추가하기(목록, "HN에 올리기")

완료처리(목록, 0)
완료처리(목록, 1)

출력("=== 할일 목록 ===")
출력목록(목록)
=== 할일 목록 ===
[✓] 1. 한글 프로그래밍 언어 만들기
[✓] 2. README 작성하기
[ ] 3. HN에 올리기
함수 줄수세기(경로: 문자열) -> 정수 {
    시도 {
        변수 내용 = 파일읽기(경로)
        변수 줄들 = 내용.분리("\n")
        반환 줄들.길이()
    } 실패(오류) {
        출력(형식("오류: {0}", 오류))
        반환 0
    }
}

파일쓰기("/tmp/test.txt", "첫번째 줄\n두번째 줄\n세번째 줄\n")
출력(형식("줄 수: {0}", 줄수세기("/tmp/test.txt")))

  • Rust (1.70+)
  • clang (for hgl build / hgl run) — xcode-select --install or brew install llvm
git clone https://github.com/xodn348/han.git
cd han
cargo install --path .

That’s it. hgl is now available globally.


hgl interpret     Run with interpreter (no clang needed)
hgl build         Compile to native binary (requires clang)
hgl run           Compile and run immediately
hgl repl                    Interactive REPL
hgl lsp                     Start LSP server (hover + completion)

What Han Can Do Right Now

Data types

  • Integers (정수), floats (실수), strings (문자열), booleans ()
  • Arrays with negative indexing — arr[-1] returns the last element
  • Structs with field access and mutation — 사람.이름 = "홍길동"

Control flow

  • 만약 / 아니면 만약 / 아니면 (if / else-if / else)
  • 반복 for-loop with init, condition, step
  • 동안 while-loop
  • 멈춰 (break), 계속 (continue)
  • 맞춰 pattern matching — integer, string, bool, wildcard _, binding

Functions

  • Named functions with typed parameters and return types
  • Recursion (fibonacci, factorial, etc.)
  • Closures / anonymous functions with environment capture — 변수 f = 함수(x: 정수) { 반환 x * 2 }
  • Closures passed as arguments (without type annotation)

Strings

  • Concatenation with +
  • Methods: .분리(sep), .포함(s), .바꾸기(from, to), .앞뒤공백제거(), .대문자(), .소문자(), .시작(s), .끝(s), .길이()
  • Character indexing — 문자열[0]

Arrays

  • Methods: .추가(v), .삭제(i), .길이(), .포함(v), .역순(), .정렬(), .합치기(sep)
  • Index read/write — arr[i], arr[i] = v
  • Negative indexing — arr[-1]

Structs & methods

  • Define: 구조 사람 { 이름: 문자열, 나이: 정수 }
  • Instantiate: 변수 p = 사람 { 이름: "홍길동", 나이: 30 }
  • Impl block methods with 자신 (self): 구현 사람 { 함수 인사(자신: 사람) { ... } }

Error handling

  • 시도 { } 실패(오류) { } — catches any runtime error including division by zero, file not found, out-of-bounds

File I/O

  • 파일읽기("path") — reads whole file to string
  • 파일쓰기("path", content) — writes string to file
  • 파일추가("path", content) — appends to file
  • 파일존재("path") — returns bool

Math builtins

  • 제곱근(x), 절댓값(x), 거듭제곱(밑, 지수)
  • 정수변환(x), 실수변환(x), 길이(s)

Format strings

  • Named: 형식("이름: {이름}, 나이: {나이}") — substitutes from current scope
  • Positional: 형식("이름: {0}, 나이: {1}", 이름, 나이)

Modules

  • 가져오기 "파일.hgl" — runs another .hgl file in the current scope

Generics syntax

  • 함수 최대값(a: T, b: T) -> T — type params are parsed and erased at runtime

⚠️ Partial / Edge Cases

Feature Status
Functions as typed parameters Syntax not yet supported — f: 함수 fails. Pass closures without type annotation.
없음 as a literal value Cannot write 변수 x = 없음 yet — parser doesn’t handle 없음 as expression
Float + Int mixed arithmetic No implicit coercion — 1 + 1.5 fails. Use 실수변환(1) + 1.5
Nested struct field mutation a.b.c = v not supported — only one level deep
Closures in 맞춰 arm Works, but arm body must use { } block syntax
hgl build with arrays/structs Codegen stubs for arrays/structs — interpreter only for those features


Feature Notes
Multi-return / tuples No tuple type yet
Enums No 열거 keyword yet
Null safety / Option type No 없음? or Option
Async / concurrency Single-threaded only
Standard library: network, process No HTTP, no subprocess
Garbage collection Reference counting only via Rc> — cycles leak
Tail call optimization Deep recursion will stack overflow


The Beauty of Hangul

Hangul (한글) is not just a writing system — it is a feat of deliberate linguistic design. Created in 1443 by King Sejong the Great, each character encodes phonetic information in its geometric shape. Consonants mirror the tongue and mouth positions used to pronounce them. Vowels are composed from three cosmic symbols: heaven (·), earth (ㅡ), and human (ㅣ).

Han brings this elegance into programming. When you write 함수 피보나치(n: 정수) -> 정수, you are not just defining a function — you are writing in a script that was purpose-built for clarity and beauty.

Riding the Korean Wave

The global interest in Korean culture has never been higher. From K-pop and Korean cinema to Korean cuisine and language learning, millions worldwide are engaging with Korean culture. Over 16 million people are actively studying Korean as a foreign language.

Han offers these learners something unexpected: a way to practice reading and writing Hangul through programming. It bridges the gap between cultural interest and technical skill, making Korean literacy functional in a domain where it has never existed before.


Language Guide
변수 이름 = 42              // mutable variable
변수 메시지 = "안녕하세요"     // string variable
상수 파이 = 3.14            // immutable constant

With explicit type annotations:

변수 나이: 정수 = 25
변수 키: 실수 = 175.5
변수 이름: 문자열 = "홍길동"
변수 활성: 불 = 참
함수 더하기(가: 정수, 나: 정수) -> 정수 {
    반환 가 + 나
}

함수 인사(이름: 문자열) {
    출력("안녕하세요, " + 이름)
}
만약 점수 >= 90 {
    출력("A")
} 아니면 만약 점수 >= 80 {
    출력("B")
} 아니면 {
    출력("C")
}

For loop (반복):

반복 변수 i = 0; i < 10; i += 1 {
    출력(i)
}

While loop (동안):

변수 n = 0
동안 n < 5 {
    출력(n)
    n += 1
}

Loop control멈춰 (break) and 계속 (continue):

반복 변수 i = 0; i < 100; i += 1 {
    만약 i == 50 {
        멈춰
    }
    만약 i % 2 == 0 {
        계속
    }
    출력(i)
}
Example Programs
함수 팩토리얼(n: 정수) -> 정수 {
    만약 n <= 1 {
        반환 1
    }
    반환 n * 팩토리얼(n - 1)
}

함수 main() {
    출력(팩토리얼(10))
}

main()

Output: 3628800

함수 합계(n: 정수) -> 정수 {
    변수 합 = 0
    반복 변수 i = 1; i <= n; i += 1 {
        합 += i
    }
    반환 합
}

함수 main() {
    출력(합계(100))
}

main()

Output: 5050

함수 main() {
    반복 변수 i = 1; i <= 10; i += 1 {
        만약 i % 2 == 0 {
            출력("짝수")
        } 아니면 {
            출력("홀수")
        }
    }
}

main()
Keyword Reference

Keyword Meaning English Equivalent
함수 function definition fn / function
반환 return value return
변수 mutable variable let mut / var
상수 immutable constant const
만약 conditional if
아니면 else branch else
반복 for loop for
동안 while loop while
멈춰 break loop break
계속 continue loop continue
boolean true true
거짓 boolean false false
출력 print to console print
입력 read from console input


Type System & Operators

Type Description LLVM Type Examples
정수 64-bit integer i64 42, -10
실수 64-bit float f64 3.14, -0.5
문자열 UTF-8 string i8* "안녕하세요"
boolean i1 , 거짓
없음 void / no value void (function return type)


Operator Description
+, -, *, /, % Arithmetic
==, != Equality
<, >, <=, >= Comparison
&&, ||, ! Logical
=, +=, -=, *=, /= Assignment


Design and Architecture

Han follows the classical compiler pipeline, implemented entirely in Rust with zero external compiler dependencies (LLVM IR is generated as plain text):

Source (.hgl)
    │
    ▼
┌─────────┐     ┌─────────┐     ┌─────────┐
│  Lexer  │ ──▶ │ Parser  │ ──▶ │   AST   │
│(lexer.rs)│    │(parser.rs)│   │ (ast.rs) │
└─────────┘     └─────────┘     └────┬────┘
                                     │
                        ┌────────────┼────────────┐
                        ▼                         ▼
                ┌──────────────┐         ┌──────────────┐
                │ Interpreter  │         │   CodeGen    │
                │(interpreter.rs)│       │ (codegen.rs) │
                └──────┬───────┘         └──────┬───────┘
                       │                        │
                       ▼                        ▼
                  Direct Output           LLVM IR (.ll)
                                               │
                                               ▼
                                         clang → Binary
han/
├── src/
│   ├── main.rs          CLI entry point (hgl command)
│   ├── lexer.rs         Lexer: Korean source → token stream
│   ├── parser.rs        Parser: tokens → AST (recursive descent)
│   ├── ast.rs           AST node type definitions
│   ├── interpreter.rs   Tree-walking interpreter
│   ├── codegen.rs       LLVM IR text code generator
│   └── lsp.rs           LSP server (hover + completion)
├── examples/            Example .hgl programs
├── spec/
│   └── SPEC.md          Formal language specification (EBNF)
└── tests/               Integration tests

Why text-based LLVM IR instead of the LLVM C API?
Han generates LLVM IR as plain text strings, avoiding the complexity of linking against LLVM libraries. This keeps the build simple (cargo build — no LLVM installation required) while still producing optimized native binaries through clang.

Why both interpreter and compiler?
The interpreter enables instant execution without any toolchain dependencies beyond Rust. The compiler path exists for production use where performance matters. Same parser, same AST, two backends.

Why Rust?
Rust’s enum types map naturally to AST nodes and token variants. Pattern matching makes parser and interpreter logic clear and exhaustive. Memory safety without garbage collection suits a language toolchain.


46 tests (41 unit + 5 integration) covering the lexer, parser, AST, interpreter, and code generator.


MIT


Han — where the beauty of Hangul meets the precision of code.

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Share your thoughts in the comments below!

#️⃣ **#xodn348han #compiled #programming #language #Korean #keywords #written #Rust #GitHub**

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