Language Guide
How to learn Korean
a beginner guide for English speakers
Korean's writing system, Hangul, is the easiest part β it's phonetic and was deliberately designed to be learnable in a day. The hard parts come later: SOV word order, particles, and a politeness system woven into every verb.
Why Korean is hard for English speakers
- Subject-Object-Verb word order: "I apple eat" instead of "I eat apple."
- Particles attach to nouns to mark role: μ/λ (topic), μ΄/κ° (subject), μ/λ₯Ό (object), μ (location/time).
- Politeness endings change the verb depending on whom you're addressing: ν΄μ (polite-casual), ν©λλ€ (polite-formal), νλ€ (plain).
- Sound changes (batchim) merge consonants between syllables β μ
λλ€ reads as imnida, not ip-ni-da.
- Honorifics elevate the subject: μλ²μ§κ»μ μμ¬νμ
¨μ΄μ instead of μλΉ κ° λ¨Ήμμ΄μ.
First 10 Korean words to learn
Lock these in before anything else. They cover greetings, basic questions, and the phrases you reach for when you don't know what to say.
KoreanEnglishμλ
νμΈμ (annyeonghaseyo)hello
κ°μ¬ν©λλ€ (gamsahamnida)thank you (formal)
μ£μ‘ν©λλ€ (joesonghamnida)I'm sorry / excuse me
λ€ / μλμ (ne / aniyo)yes / no
μ΄λμμ? (eodi-yeyo?)where is it?
μΌλ§μμ? (eolma-yeyo?)how much is it?
λͺ¨λ₯΄κ² μ΄μ (moreugesseoyo)I don't know / I don't understand
λ€μ λ§μν΄ μ£ΌμΈμ (dasi malsseumhae juseyo)please say it again
μ²μ²νμ (cheoncheonhi-yo)slowly please
λμμ£ΌμΈμ (dowajuseyo)please help
See the full common Korean words list for the next layer of vocabulary.
Korean grammar pitfalls to watch for
Topic vs subject markers
μ/λ introduces a topic or contrast; μ΄/κ° marks the grammatical subject and adds focus. μ λ νμμ΄μμ ("as for me, [I'm] a student") vs μ κ° νμμ΄μμ ("I am the student"). The shift in meaning is subtle but real.
Politeness endings
Same verb, three registers: ν΄ (casual, friends), ν΄μ (polite everyday), ν©λλ€ (formal, work and strangers). Pick the wrong one and you sound either rude or stiff.
Verb stem + ending
Korean conjugation is stem + tense + politeness ending stacked together: κ°λ€ (to go) β κ° + μ + μ΄μ β κ°μ΄μ ("I went," polite). Drill the stacking pattern; raw verb tables are less useful.
Best way to practice Korean daily
Mix study modes to train recall, pronunciation, and sentence building together. Short, daily, output-focused beats long, irregular, passive-only.
- Practice 10β15 minutes daily instead of long irregular sessions.
- Build a vocabulary list around your real goals, not generic word lists.
- Write short sentences and get instant corrections from an AI tutor.
- Use spaced repetition to review words before they fade.
- Track streaks and XP to keep momentum over weeks, not days.
Tip: Learn Hangul on day one. It takes a few hours and immediately makes every other Korean resource β drama subtitles, menus, app text β accessible.
Find your starting level
Skip beginner content if you're already past it. The free 2-minute CEFR placement test maps you to A1βB2 so the AI tutor and lessons start at the right difficulty.
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