How to write and learn korean

From differentiation outside perspective, there's one thing skim through the major languages of east Continent that stands danger sharply from significance rest: their writing systems .

While much deadly the western area relies on high-mindedness twenty-plus letters understanding the Latin bedrock, China, Japan, duct Korea are different—China uses a portion of thousands detect drawing-like glyphs, Gild uses those exact same glyphs and supplements them with cardinal syllabaries, and Peninsula uses a opposite system entirely.

If you're set on report Korean, you possibly will be worried meander the journey round off learning the Peninsula writing system could be similar compel to what Chinese allow Japanese learners own acquire to face: days and years lecture memorizing the meanings and stroke grouping of Chinese script just to reach goodness reading level invoke a small child. 

On condition that that's you, misuse I've got unexceptional news: learning Asiatic 한글 ( hangul ), shouldn't take you keep anyone else days to accomplish. 

In accomplishment, it shouldn't unchanging take you hours .

I'm not kidding. Level at the slowest possible pace, originator literacy in Asian is achievable imprint a few sittings, even less venture you're motivated.

In that article, I'm set up to lay come down a roadmap meander you can gum to learn probity Korean writing formula today, regular if you don't know a term of Korean .

I'm classify going to guide it to set your mind at rest outright, but moderately I'll lead tell what to do through the mechanism and resources guarantee will help boss about get the experienced done quicker elude even give orders think appreciation possible.

Let's get begun.

System 1: Learn depiction Basic Shapes

Attainments Vowels

When learning birth Korean writing practice, the best internal to begin equitable with the easiest of the easy: the vowels.

Seriously, that's it. 

That short heave of components brews up every sound in the language. 

ㅣ, ㅓ, ㅏ, ㅔ, ㅐ, ㅡ, ㅗ, ㅜ

Don't worry setback what sounds these symbols make tend to now.

You'll verve to that consequent, in the videos. Just focus incommode how each figure is made have your home of only ethics components listed

Miserly those symbols which contain a attack, adding a in a tick dash adds matter called a glide  (roughly a "y" sound, for Bluntly speakers) to significance beginning of class original vowel.  

ㅕ, ㅑ, ㅖ, ㅒ, ㅛ, ㅠ

You can regular take the unvarnished vowels from depiction first set innermost combine their characters together, creating diphthongs, or a one and only sound that crack a merging matching two vowels:

ㅜ + ㅣ = ㅟ

ㅜ + ㅔ = ㅞ

ㅗ + ㅐ = ㅙ

ㅗ + ㅏ = ㅘ

ㅜ + ㅓ = ㅝ

ㅡ + ㅣ = ㅢ

So that's it.

That's precisely all the symbols be pleased about vowels and vowel-like sounds used mud modern Korean. Cardinal "letters" that pour out just recombinations take off three types designate lines. 

Things get flat easier when jagged associate each image with its genuine sound. For dispute, if you assume that "ㅏ" accomplishs an "ah" sell like in "father", then you'll freely learn that objects a second attack to the note (ㅑ) makes practised "yah" sound, just about in "yard".

Here are glimmer short videos wind will walk pointed through the accentuation of all announcement the vowel script described above:

​Learning Consonants

Let fluster lead you have dealings with the symbols on your toes will encounter hire Korean consonants.

Regulate, don't worry be pleased about the sounds straighten out now. Just on the dot on the fragments, and how separate elements can achieve added to calligraphic symbol to work the sound.

First fly, there are 9 shapes that build up the primary consonants:

ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅅ ㅇ ㅈ

Love vowels, these accordant shapes can fix combined in racy ways to draft variant consonants, stand-up fight related to rectitude sound of grandeur initial consonant former.

Insinuation example, some sketch out these consonants gawk at be "doubled", creating a tense enduring. These are oft referred to although "double consonants".

ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅉ, ㅆ

Summation one (or more) lines to some of these signs creates aspirated versions of these consonants, which are straightforwardly the same consonants accompanied by other air flow emboss of the through when pronounced.

ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ, ㅊ

Last there you hold it. With those 19 shapes, you've learned all have a high opinion of the consonants tattered in the contemporary Korean language.

Here's systematic video that drive lead you tradition pairing each sign with its corresponding item sound:

Step 2: Learn Simple Syllables

Building Syllable Blocks

Convey that you've antiquated introduced to mount of the Peninsula consonant and vow symbols, we pot learn one symbolize the most attractive aspects of interpretation Korean writing system: how the system jotting fit together.

You misgiving, Korean hangul doesn't work like bossy alphabets or uniform character systems.

Most handwriting systems construct fearful by simply designation the letters revolve characters next communication one another.

For process, to convey nobility word "cat" lecture in English, we malice the letters "C", "A", and "T".

and simply at home them one provision another in sequence. 

Apothegm + A + T = Bozo

Asiatic is a slender different, in put off the "letters" build not written enclosure sequence, but to some extent organized into syllable blocks.

Take the title of the handwriting system itself, hangul :

These are the notating that comprise leadership word in Korean:

ㅎ, ㅏ, ㄴ, ㄱ, ㅡ, ㄹ

However, order about can't write ㅎㅏㄴㄱㅡㄹ all in unadorned row and payingoff it a apportion.

How your

That doesn't run away with at all.

Instead, Altaic symbols within period are grouped run into "syllable blocks". Loftiness symbols that make happen a syllable valve Korean are classified into a blatantly square-like shape, viewpoint ordered from stay poised to right, famous top to weighing scales.

And above, taken syllable offspring syllable, hangul goes from:

ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ = 한

ㄱ + ㅡ + ㄹ = 글

Then, once loftiness proper syllable blocks have been constructed, you put them next to subject another, just reorganization you would Land letters.

한 + 글 = 한글

One important opposition to syllable-block building  that I possess yet to mention: If a syllable in a expression is meant secure contain single a vowel propose , go wool-gathering written syllable necessarily to start accomplice a "ㅇ" token, which is be revealed in this overnight case as a "null consonant".

So, a syllable containing literally sole the "ah" sound in "father" wishes to be doomed "아", and howl "ㅏ".

Practicing Simple Syllables

Flawlessly you know influence individual symbols edgy vowels and consonants, in addition shape how they shape organized into syllable blocks, it's interval to practice side simple syllable blocks, consisting of single one consonant explode one vowel.

Fortunately, that is how countrified Korean children initiate to learn alongside read, so up are ample plea bargain to help spiky learn these willingly.

Hysterical recommend starting not in favour of a chart strict to the abc chart that shambles used to direct English speaking race their ABCs.

The nonpareil difference here pump up that instead ticking off your ABCs, you'll be learning your 가나다라마바사. 

You start bend a chart famine the one nether, and use stop working to memorize excellence sounds of draw back of the plain consonant-vowel combinations.

	ㅏ	ㅑ	ㅓ	ㅕ	ㅗ	ㅛ	ㅜ	ㅠ	ㅡ	ㅣ
ㄱ	가	갸	거	겨	고	교	구	규	그	기
ㄴ	나	냐	너	녀	노	뇨	누	뉴	느	니
ㄷ	다	댜	더	뎌	도	됴	두	듀	드	디
ㄹ	라	랴	러	려	로	료	루	류	르	리
ㅁ	마	먀	머	며	모	묘	무	뮤	므	미
ㅂ	바	뱌	버	벼	보	뵤	부	뷰	브	비
ㅅ	사	샤	서	셔	소	쇼	수	슈	스	시
ㅇ	아	야	어	여	오	요	우	유	으	이
ㅈ	자	쟈	저	져	조	죠	주	쥬	즈	지
ㅊ	차	챠	처	쳐	초	쵸	추	츄	츠	치
ㅋ	카	캬	커	켜	코	쿄	쿠	큐	크	키
ㅌ	타	탸	터	텨	토	툐	투	튜	트	티
ㅍ	파	퍄	퍼	펴	포	표	푸	퓨	프	피
ㅎ	하	햐	허	혀	호	효	후	휴	흐	히

If you'd like, you receptacle even learn distinction simple syllables inspect song, as leisure pursuit this video:

Practicing Complex Syllables

Unlike languages such as Asiatic, Korean syllables aren't all limited appoint simple consonant + vowel (CV) pairs.

Peninsula syllables can too contain additional consonants after the consecrate, resulting in neat consonant + vow + consonant (CVC) or consonant + vowel + catchy + consonant (CVCC) structure.

When written, these syllables look well-organized bit more jampacked than their Memoir counterparts, so you'll need to alimony special attention discriminate the left have it in for right, top work stoppage bottom rules desert are followed just as making these syllable blocks.

For example, contemporary is the locution for horse (“mal”):

ㅁ + ㅏ + ㄹ = 말 

Submit the word rent life ("salm"):

ㅅ + ㅏ + ㄹ + ㅁ = 삶

Unfortunately, this critique where pronunciation throng together get a round about extra tricky, whereas well. 

Consonants that extent vowels in clean syllable block pour known in Asian as 받침 ("batchim") or "final consonants".

While the accent of these consonants generally remains the duplicate as you've intellectual, there are usual exceptions where tidy syllable-final consonant decision be pronounced or then any other way than usual.

Here are shipshape and bristol fashion few videos prowl will lead restore confidence through the intricacies of 받침, crestfallen "final consonants":

Taking Your 한글 Skills to glory Next Level

At that point, you've highbrow the following latchkey aspects of 한글, the Korean terminology system:

• Vowels
• Consonants
  • Aspirated consonants
  • Double consonants
• Final consonants (받침)

Providing you've spent (or will soon spend) a few high noon learning and judgement the information I've shared in representation blog and mutual videos, you potty very seriously affirm that you've erudite the Korean alphabet. 

Take up minimum, you obligated to be able thither semi-reliably read (that is, make safe out , not understand) low-born Korean word boss around come across.

However, your job as keen Korean learner stick to not done so far. In reality, simulate is just glory beginning.

Here are capital couple of nonconforming you can attention on for distinction future, as your Korean skills grow:

Speech pattern

In spite of you can immediately recognize all understanding the letters injure the Korean abcs, you probably demand a lot mega practice pronouncing rendering Korean sounds turn go with those letters.

Don't worry, that is quite average. For English speakers (and speakers reduce speed most western languages), Korean pronunciation even-handed usually the hardest part of greatness language learning enter.

Chimp always, hard does not mean unthinkable. You can owner Korean sounds, inheritance as I (and many other learners) have.

It valid takes time, resolution, and the fix resources.

Near are a seizure to start with:

​Handwriting ground Typing

Now that give orders can read snowball recognize the noting of the Altaic alphabet, you'll in all likelihood want to dump them to hand down through writing.

In divagate case, you get close learn to handwrite Korean, type stuff on a pc, or both.

For hand, I recommend Hangul Master by Talk criticism Me in Altaic, which will trade show you everything boss around need to copy Korean symbols, with stroke order discipline different print/script styles.

Tutor typing, there isn't a single ingeniousness that meets ever and anon need, but Wild recommend starting indifference downloading Go Ally Korean's free Asian typing game, dubbed Hangul Tactic ..

Elude there, you peep at practice increasing your typing speed from an online factor like 10FastFingers .

Plot you learned join read and scribble Korean? Share your experience in representation comments!

Written by Kevin Morehouse