Study Notes: How to Study Korean - Unit 0

Overview of Unit 0: Lessons 1-3

  • Focus on mastering Korean letters and syllables before moving on to vocabulary and grammar.

  • Importance of reading Korean as a foundation for language learning.

  • Recommendations to abandon Romanized versions after mastering the alphabet.

Introduction to Korean Letters

  • The Korean writing system is an alphabet with unique characters, differing significantly from English.

  • Presented in a non-alphabetical order to simplify learning.

  • Alphabetical structure:

    • Consonants: ㄱ, ㄲ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄸ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅃ, ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅉ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ

    • Vowels: ㄏ, ㅐ, ㅑ, ㅒ, ㅓ, ㅔ, ㅕ, ㅖ, ㅗ, ㅘ, ㅙ, ㅚ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅝ, ㅞ, ㅟ, ㅠ, ㅡ, ㅢ, ㅣ

Lesson 1: Basic Korean Consonants

  • Consonants Explained:

    • ㄱ = k

    • ㄴ = n

    • ㄷ = d

    • ㄹ = r/l *

    • Sound: Between “R” and “L”; exemplified with “hadda.”

    • ㅁ = m

    • ㅂ = b

    • ㅅ = s

    • ㅈ = j

    • ㅎ = h *

    • Distinction of sounds between Korean and English letters noted.

Lesson 1: Basic Korean Vowels

  • Vowels Explained:

    • ㅣ = i

    • ㅏ = a

    • ㅓ = eo (similar to "uh")

    • ㅡ = eu

    • ㅜ = u

    • ㅗ = o

  • Vowels drawn horizontally or vertically dictate syllable structure:

    • Vertical: ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅑ, ㅕ, ㅗ, ㅜ.

    • Horizontal: ㅣ, ㅡ.

Lesson 1: Syllable Formation Rules

  • Korean letters are arranged into blocks representing syllables where:

    • 1 = consonant

    • 2 = vowel

    • 3 = optional final consonant

  • Syllable formation:

    • Examples:

    • bab = ㅂ(1) + ㅏ(2) + ㅂ(3) = 밥

    • Sub-Structures based on vertical and horizontal arrangements.

Lesson 1: Syllabic Tables

  • Created combinations demonstrated without final consonants.

  • Introduces variety of constructed syllables:

    • Basic consonant-vowel pairs in a table format showcasing multiple possibilities per vowel.

Lesson 2: Additional Basic Letters

  • Introduction of the letter ㅇ, which is silent at the beginning of syllables:

    • Examples: 안 = an, 운 = un, 온 = on.

  • Can function as a final consonant creating "ng" sound:

    • Examples: 강 = kang, 방 = bang.

Lesson 2: New Sets of Consonants

  • Sets introduced with phonetic similarities:

    • ㄱ Set:

    • ㄱ (k), ㄲ (kk), ㅋ (k)

    • ㅂ Set:

    • ㅂ (b), ㅃ (bb), ㅍ (p)

    • ㅈ Set:

    • ㅈ (j), ㅉ (jj), ㅊ (ch)

    • ㄷ Set:

    • ㄷ (d), ㄸ (dd), ㅌ (t)

    • ㅅ Set:

    • ㅅ (s), ㅆ (ss).

Lesson 2: Syllable Construction Practice

  • Similar to Lesson 1, various syllabic combinations demonstrated using new letters.

  • Importance of familiarization with sound and syllable structures emphasized.

Lesson 3: Korean Dipthongs

  • Introduction of more complex vowels (dipthongs):

    • ㅑ = ya, ㅕ = yeo, ㅗ = o, and common combinations.

  • Additional vowels stemming from previous studied vowels:

    • ㅐ (ae), ㅔ (e).

Lesson 3: Advanced Tone Fusion

  • Combining existing vowels to create new sounds indicated:

    • Examples:

    • ㅜ + ㅣ = ㅟ (wi), ㅜ + ㅓ = ㅝ (wo), ㅗ + ㅣ = ㅚ (oe).

  • Certain vowels noted as less common but important to learn for full comprehension.

Comprehensive Syllable Table

  • A wide-ranging table of possible syllable combinations provided, aiding in visual comprehension.

  • Emphasizes the various arrangements and structures possible in Korean syllables, also indicating less common structures.

Application of Learnings

  • Ability to create syllables demonstrated; examples noted include certain verbs and nouns using all learned letters.

  • Encouragement to practice through forming blocks with various combinations in written exercises.

Final Recommendations

  • Suggested practice on newly acquired letters/srcipt.

  • Included examples from English-based words adopted into Korean to provide familiarity and writing reference.


Overview of Unit 0: Lessons 1-3

  • Focus on mastering Korean letters and syllables before moving on to vocabulary and grammar is crucial for establishing a strong foundation in the language.

  • Importance of reading Korean as a foundational skill for language learning cannot be overstated since it enhances comprehension and pronunciation, allowing learners to engage with written material effectively.

  • Recommendations to abandon Romanized versions after mastering the alphabet emphasize the need for learners to become comfortable with the original script to improve fluency and avoid reliance on transliteration, which can hinder proper pronunciation and understanding of the language.

Introduction to Korean Letters

  • The Korean writing system, known as Hangul, is a unique alphabet consisting of 24 basic letters, providing a phonetic basis for the language. It differs significantly from English by focusing on syllable block formations rather than individual letters.

  • Presented in a non-alphabetical order to simplify learning, this approach helps learners to associate sounds with symbols more readily, making the acquisition of language skills less daunting.

  • Alphabetical structure:

    • Consonants: ㄱ, ㄲ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄸ, ㄹ, ㅁ, ㅂ, ㅃ, ㅅ, ㅆ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅉ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅎ

    • Vowels: ㄏ, ㅐ, ㅑ, ㅒ, ㅓ, ㅔ, ㅕ, ㅖ, ㅗ, ㅘ, ㅙ, ㅚ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅝ, ㅞ, ㅟ, ㅠ, ㅡ, ㅢ, ㅣ

Lesson 1: Basic Korean Consonants

  • Consonants Explained:

    • ㄱ = k (as in “kite”)

    • ㄴ = n (as in “no”)

    • ㄷ = d (as in “dog”)

    • ㄹ = r/l: The sound is between “R” and “L,” exemplified with “hadda.”

    • ㅁ = m (as in “man”)

    • ㅂ = b (as in “bat”)

    • ㅅ = s (as in “sun”)

    • ㅈ = j (as in “jug”)

    • ㅎ = h: The pronunc iation is different from English, often softer.

    • Distinction of sounds between Korean and English letters noted, which highlights the necessity for practice to master these unique articulations.

Lesson 1: Basic Korean Vowels

  • Vowels Explained:

    • ㅣ = i (as in “see”)

    • ㅏ = a (as in “father”)

    • ㅓ = eo (similar to "uh")

    • ㅡ = eu (a sound that does not have a direct English equivalent)

    • ㅜ = u (as in “moon”)

    • ㅗ = o (as in “go”)

  • Vowels drawn horizontally or vertically dictate syllable structure, a fundamental aspect of composing words in Korean:

    • Vertical Orientation: ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅑ, ㅕ, ㅗ, ㅜ.

    • Horizontal Orientation: ㅣ, ㅡ.

Lesson 1: Syllable Formation Rules

  • Korean letters are arranged into blocks representing syllables, a crucial structural concept where:

    • 1 = consonant

    • 2 = vowel

    • 3 = optional final consonant

  • Syllable formation:

    • Examples demonstrate how to construct syllables:

      • beob = ㅂ(1) +ㅓ(2) + ㅂ(3) = 법 (beob)

    • Sub-structures based on vertical and horizontal arrangements enhance understanding of sound combinations.

Lesson 1: Syllabic Tables

  • Created combinations demonstrate various syllabic structures, providing a clear representation of how basic consonant-vowel pairs form syllabic blocks.

Lesson 2: Additional Basic Letters

  • The letter ㅇ is introduced, which acts as a placeholder at the beginning of syllables being silent:

    • Examples: 안 = an (the sound begins with the vowel), 운 = un, 온 = on.

  • This letter can also function as a final consonant producing the


  • Vowels are drawn either horizontally or vertically, which dictates the structure of the syllables composed from these vowels. This structure is crucial for understanding how to construct words in Korean.

  • Vertical Orientation: The following vowels are drawn vertically:

    • ㅏ (a)

    • ,,.lllllllllllllllllll;’
      ㅓ (eo)

    • ㅑ (ya)

    • ㅕ (yeo)

    • ㅗ (o)

    • ㅜ (u)

  • Horizontal Orientation: The following vowels are drawn horizontally:

    • ㅣ (i)

    • ㅡ (eu)

  • In practice, vertical vowels are placed at the side of the initial consonant, while horizontal vowels appear below the consonant in the syllabic block. This arrangement helps learners visualize and pronounce Korean words correctly.