Learn Korean

This blog will help you learn Korean and understand the Korean culture better!

[learning-korean101]

Lesson 6: Diphthongs

Diphthongs: Are combinations of vowels. 

ㅐ: 

Dipthongs:ㅐ →  Pronounce: Ae →  Example: 애들 (Ae-dul)  

ㅓ:

Dipthongs: ㅓ → Pronounce: Eh → Example: 가게 (ga-geh)

ㅒ: 

Dipthongs: ㅒ → Pronounce: Yeh → Example: 개 (gae) 

ㅖ: 

Dipthongs: ㅖ → Pronounce: Yeh → Example: 계단 (gye-dan)

ㅢ: 

Dipthongs: ㅢ  → Pronounce: Eui → Example: 의사 (eui-sa)

ㅚ: 

Dipthongs: ㅚ → Pronounce: Weh → Example: 죄 (jweh) 

ㅘ: 

Dipthongs: ㅘ → Pronounce: Wah → Example: 찰영 (chwal-yeong) 

ㅙ: 

Dipthongs: ㅙ → Pronounce: Weh → Example: 왜요 (Wae-yo) 

ㅟ: 

Dipthongs: ㅟ → Pronounce: Wee → Example: 귀 (gwi)

ㅝ: 

Dipthongs: ㅝ  → Pronounce: Weo → Example: 월 (wol) 

ㅞ: 

Dipthongs: ㅞ  → Pronounce: Weh → Example: 웹사이트 (web-sa-ee-teu) 

Congrats on finished this lesson about dipthongs! If you are still confused, please feel free to DM/message me on Tumblr. In the next lesson, we’ll be learning how to read and write. 

[learning-korean101]

Lesson 5: Batchim (빋침)

If you haven’t learn 한글, which is lesson 2 then do that first then come back to this lesson. 

Batchim: Is a grammatical feature. It’s a consonant placed at the bottom and pronounced at the end in a Korean syllable block. 

Batchim (받침) mean support or prop because it supports other letters from below. You can’t distinguish which one is a 받침 or not with rominized Korean. You can see a big difference when you compare Korean language.

Rules:

ㅇ: 

If a syllable ends in  ㅇ → Rule:ㅇ makes an “ng” sound → Example: 사랑 (sa-rang)  

If a syllable ends in ㅎ and is followed by ㅇ → Rule: ㅎ is silent → Example: 맗이 (ma-ni)

If 받침 is followed by ㅇ → Rule: 받침 is carried over to replace the silent ㅇ → Example: 먹어요 becomes into → 머거요 (meo-geo-yo)

ㅌ: 

If syllable ends in ㅌ and is followed by 이 → Rule: Makes 치 (Chi) sound → Example: 같이 →  가치 (Ka-chi)

ㄷ: 

If syllable ends in ㄷ and is followed by 이 → Rule: Makes 지 (Ji) → Example: 귿이 → 구치 (Gu-chi)

ㄹ: 

If syllable ends in ㄹ → Rule: If followed by a constant: makes a L sound. If followed by: ㅇ: Make (kind of) r sound →  Examples: 살다 (sal-da) & 살아요 (Sa-ra-yo) (kind of a rolled r sound but shorter and tighter) 

Rule: Some consonant rules 

Combination: ㄴ + ㄹ →  Rule: Makes ㄹ + ㄹ sound → Example: 운래 → 월래 (wol-lae)

Combination: ㄹ + ㄱ →  Rule: Make just ㄱ sound & it ㄹ + ㄱ + ㄷ, then makes a ㄱ + ㄸ sound → Examples: 닭 →  닥 (dak) & 읽다 →  익따 (ik-dda)

Combinations: ㅅ + ㄷ →  Rule: Makes ㄸ sound → Example: 없다 →  업따 (eop-dda) 

Congrats you just finished learning about 빋침. I know 빋침 is confusing so if you have any question please feel free to contact me. Next lesson is going to be about diphthongs. 

[learning-korean101]

Quiz 1: 한글

Today you will be quiz on the 한글 alphabet. Make sure you have a pen and paper and send us your answers through message. You can gain bonus points if you add the name of the characters in the letter. 

Consonants: 

ㄱ -

ㄴ -

ㄷ -

ㄹ -

ㅁ -

ㅂ -

ㅅ -

ㅇ -

ㅊ -

ㅋ -

ㅍ -

ㄲ -

ㄸ -

ㅆ -

ㅉ -

Vowels: 

ㅏ -

ㅑ -

ㅓ -

ㅕ -

ㅗ -

ㅛ -

ㅜ -

ㅠ - 

ㅡ - 

ㅣ -

ㅐ -

ㅒ - 

ㅓ - 

ㅕ -

ㅘ - 

ㅙ - 

ㅚ - 

ㅝ -

ㅞ - 

ㅟ - 

ㅢ - 

[learning-korean101]

Lesson 4: Consonants

Basic Consonants:

ㄱ - 기역 (Giyuk) = G 

ㄴ - 니은 (Nieun) = N 

ㄷ - 디귿 (Digeut) = D 

ㄹ - 리을 (Rieul) = R 

When ‘ㄹ' is the first consonant, it sounds somewhere between ‘r’ & ‘L’ 

When ‘ㄹ’ is the final consonant, it sounds similar to ‘L’ as in bell. 

There are few Korean words starting with ‘ㄹ' you will mostly likely see the foreign/borrowed words starting with ‘ㄹ' because of the ㄹ initial sound rule. 

ㄹ initial sound rule: words starting with ㄹ should be converted to ㄴ or ㅇ ex. 로동 (x) → 노동 (0).

ㅁ - 미음 (Mieum) = M 

ㅂ - 비음 (Bieup) = B

ㅅ - 시읏 (Siot) = S 

Somewhere between ‘s’ and ‘sh’ sound in English. 

When paired with ㅑ, ㅕ, ㅛ, ㅠ, ㅣ, the pronunciation of ㅅ is closer to ‘sh’. 

When paired with ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅔ, ㅐ, the pronunciation of ㅅ is closer to ‘s’. 

When ㅅ is used as a final consonant, the pronunciation of ㅅ is closer to ‘t’. 

ㅇ - 이응 (ieung) = Ng

As the first consonant: No sound.

As the final consonant: Ng sound. 

ㅈ - 지읒 (Jieut) = J 

As the first consonant: J sound.

As the final consonant & not followed by a vowel: T sound. 

ㅊ - 치읓 (Chieut) = Ch

As the first consonant: Ch sound. 

As the final consonant & not followed by a vowel: T sound. 

ㅋ - 키읔 (Kieuk) = K 

ㅌ - 티읕 (Tieut) = T 

ㅍ - 피읖 (Pieup) = P  

ㅎ - 히읗 (Hieut) = H 

Double Consonants: 

ㄲ - 쌍기역 (ssang-gi-yeok) = kk 

As the first consonant: kk sound. 

As the final consonant: k sound. 

ㄸ - 쌍디귿 (ssang-di-geut) = tt 

As the first consonant: tt sound. 

Not used as a final consonant. 

ㅃ - 쌍비읍 (ssang-be-eup) = bb 

As the first consonant: pp sound.

Not used as a final consonant. 

ㅆ - 쌍시옷 (ssang-si-ot) = ss

As the first consonant: ss sound.

As the final consonant: t sound.

ㅉ - 쌍지읒 (ssang-ji-eut) = jj

As the first consonant: jj sound.

Not used as a final consonant.

Congrats on learning the whole 한글 consonants. You guys will have an upcoming quiz about 한글. Be sure to study the 한글. The quiz will be posted on Wednesday. 

[learning-korean101]

Lesson 3: Vowels (모음)

Structure/Combination:

Each syllable in Korean is in this invisible block.

Each syllable always starts with a consonant. 

ㅂ + ㅗ = 보 (b + o = bo)

Vowels are placed either under the constant or next to the constant.

ㄹ + ㅏ = 라 (r/l + a = r/la)

Consonant + Vowel + Consonant (Final consonant is always placed at the bottom)

ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ = 한  (h + a + n = han) 

Basic vowels:

ㅏ = A

ㅑ = Ya

ㅓ = Eo 

ㅕ= Yeo

ㅗ = O

ㅛ = Yo

ㅜ = U

ㅠ = Yu

ㅡ = Eu

ㅣ= I 

Double vowels:

ㅐ = Ae

ㅒ = Yae

ㅔ = E

ㅖ = Ye

ㅘ = Wa

ㅙ = Wae

ㅚ = Oe

ㅝ = Wo

ㅞ = We

ㅟ = Wi

ㅢ = Ui

Congrats on learning about 한글 vowels! Next lesson is going to be about 한글 consonants!

[learning-korean101]

Lesson 2: Korean Alphabet (한글)

Notes:  There are 24 letters in the Korean alphabet (한글). 한글 has 14 consonants and 10 vowels. There are compound consonants and vowels too, but they are form by combining the basic consonants and vowels, which I explain more about in the next lesson. 한글 has no F, R, V, & Z sounds.

Vowels: 

ㅏ = A 

ㅑ= Ya

ㅓ= Eo 

ㅕ= Yeo

ㅗ = O

ㅛ = Yo

ㅜ = U

ㅠ = Yu

ㅡ = Eu

ㅣ= I 

ㅐ= Ae

ㅒ= Yae

ㅔ= E

ㅖ= Ye

ㅘ = Wa 

ㅙ = Wae 

ㅚ = Oe

ㅝ = Wo 

ㅞ = We

ㅟ = Wi

ㅢ = Ui

Constant: 

ㄱ = G/K 

ㄴ = N 

ㄷ = D/T

ㄹ = R/L

ㅁ = M

ㅂ = B

ㅅ = S

ㅇ = Ng 

ㅈ = J

ㅊ = Ch

ㅋ = K

ㅌ = T

ㅍ = P

ㅎ = H

Congrats on finishing the whole 한글 alphabet! The next lesson, I will be breaking down the 힌글 vowels on how understand the structure, the combination, and the basic and double vowels. 

[learning-korean101]

Lesson 1:한글 (Hangul) History

한글 (Hangul) is Korean letters created and distributed by the 4th King Sejong during the Joseon Dynasty under the name 훈민정음 (Hunminjeong-eum) in the 1446. Back to Joseon Dynasty, people lived without letters and were unable to properly find their rights as human beings. 

훈민정음 had 28 letters in all, of which only 24 are in use today.

Even if they wanted to appeal to the government office, they had no way of appealing and asking for correction when they faced an unfair trial. Also, there was no way to make a record of agricultural work as people could not write. King Sejong felt sorry for the pitiful circumstance of people and created 한글.

훈민정음 혜례본 is a textual manual of 훈민정음 text and is known as the only script explaining the principle of making letter and including who made it and date of issue, resulting in being register as a World Heritage by UNESCO. 

한글 refers to the name of the Korean characters, and 한국어 (Hangukeo) refers to the language spoken by Korean.