Korean Basics

Hangul Alphabet (한글)

Hangul is the Korean writing system created by King Sejong in 1443. It's considered one of the most logical and easy-to-learn writing systems in the world. Unlike Chinese characters, Hangul is phonetic, meaning each symbol represents a sound.

Basic Consonants (자음)

Korean consonants have different sounds depending on their position in a word. We've included some tips below!

ㄱ

g/k

가 (ga)

ㄴ

n

나 (na)

ㄷ

d/t

다 (da)

ㄹ

r/l

라 (ra)

ㅁ

m

마 (ma)

ㅂ

b/p

바 (ba)

ㅅ

s

사 (sa)

ㅇ

ng/silent

아 (a)

ㅈ

j

자 (ja)

ㅊ

ch

차 (cha)

ㅋ

k

카 (ka)

ㅌ

t

타 (ta)

ㅍ

p

파 (pa)

ㅎ

h

하 (ha)

Double Consonants (겹자음)

Double consonants are a combination of two identical consonants, producing a stronger and more emphasized sound.

ㄲ

kk

까마귀 (kkamagwi)

ㄸ

tt

따뜻하다 (ttatteuthada)

ㅃ

pp

빠르다 (ppareuda)

ㅆ

ss

쓰다 (sseuda)

ㅉ

jj

짜다 (jjada)

Basic Vowels (모음)

Korean vowels are easy to learn. They are typically pronounced consistently!

ㅏ

a

아 (a)

ㅑ

ya

야 (ya)

ㅓ

eo

어 (eo)

ㅕ

yeo

여 (yeo)

ㅗ

o

오 (o)

ㅛ

yo

요 (yo)

ㅜ

u

우 (u)

ㅠ

yu

유 (yu)

ㅡ

eu

으 (eu)

ㅣ

i

이 (i)

Compound Vowels (복합 모음)

Compound vowels are sounds made by combining two or more basic vowels.

ㅐ

ae

개 (gae)

ㅔ

e

에어컨 (eokon)

ㅒ

yae

얘기 (yaegi)

ㅖ

ye

예쁘다 (yeppeuda)

ᅪ

wa

와 (wa)

ᅫ

wae

왜 (wae)

ᅬ

oe

외국인 (oegugin)

ᅯ

wo

원하다 (wonhada)

ᅰ

we

웨딩 (weding)

ᅱ

wi

위험 (wiheom)

ᅴ

ui

의사 (uisa)

💡 K-pop Tip!

K-pop group names like **'EXO'** are written as '엑소' in Hangul, and **'BTS'** is '방탄소년단'. Learning Hangul will help you read and write your favorite group's names!

Essential Greetings (인사말)

안녕하세요

annyeonghaseyo

Hello (formal)

Use when meeting someone for the first time or in formal situations. **This is the most common and polite greeting in Korea.**

안녕

annyeong

Hi/Bye (casual)

Only use with close friends or people younger than you. Using this with an older person or superior is considered rude.

안녕히 가세요

annyeonghi gaseyo

Goodbye (to someone leaving)

Literally means "go in peace." You say this when the other person is leaving but you are staying.

안녕히 계세요

annyeonghi gyeseyo

Goodbye (when you're leaving)

Literally means "stay in peace." You say this when you are leaving, but the other person is staying.

처음 뵙겠습니다

cheoeum boepgetseumnida

Nice to meet you

A very formal greeting used when meeting someone new, especially an elder or someone in a higher position.

반갑습니다

bangapseumnida

Nice to meet you

A common and polite way to express "nice to meet you" to someone you're meeting for the first time.

🎤 Learn from K-pop Lyrics

The song title **"안녕"** by Joy (Red Velvet) is a great example of this casual greeting. It shows how "안녕" can be used to say "hi" or "bye" between close friends or lovers.

Basic Courtesy Phrases (기본 예의)

감사합니다

gamsahamnida

Thank you (formal)

This is the most polite way to say thank you. Use it in formal situations or with people you don't know well.

고마워요

gomawoyo

Thank you (casual)

A less formal way to express gratitude. Use with friends or people you are familiar with.

죄송합니다

joesonghamnida

I'm sorry (formal)

A formal apology for a mistake. Used for more serious situations or to show respect.

미안해요

mianhaeyo

Sorry (casual)

A casual apology to friends. Can be used for minor mistakes.

괜찮아요

gwaenchanayo

It's okay

Use this to accept an apology or reassure someone. It can also be used to say "I'm okay" or "I'm fine."

실례합니다

sillyehamnida

Excuse me

Getting someone's attention politely, or excusing yourself for a brief moment.

Korean Numbers (숫자)

Korean has two number systems: Native Korean numbers and Sino-Korean numbers. Here are the basic native Korean numbers (1-10) which are often used for counting people, objects, and age.

1

하나

hana

2

둘

dul

3

셋

set

4

넷

net

5

다섯

daseot

6

여섯

yeoseot

7

일곱

ilgop

8

여덟

yeodeol

9

아홉

ahop

10

열

yeol

Practice What You've Learned

🧠 Take the Basics Quiz

Test your knowledge of Hangul, greetings, and basic phrases with our interactive quiz.

Start Quiz

📝 Practice with Phrases

Use our phrase generator to practice Korean phrases and expand your vocabulary.

Generate Phrases

🎵 Learn with K-pop

Apply your knowledge by studying K-pop lyrics with translations and explanations.

Browse Lyrics

What's Next?

Great job learning the Korean basics! Now that you know Hangul and essential phrases, here's what you should study next:

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