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Speaking Korean 101

The Korean language is a fascinating and complex language of debated origins yet rich in history, culture, and beauty. Whether you're planning a vacation to the Korean World, trying to reconnect with your heritage, or just enjoy learning new languages, follow these simple steps to speaking Korean and you'll soon be on your way to fluency!

Learn Hangeul, the Korean alphabet

The alphabet is a good place to start when you're learning to speak Korean, especially if you hope to progress to reading and writing later on. Korean has a fairly simple alphabet, although it may seem strange to most English speakers at first because it is completely different than the Roman alphabet.

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Learn to Count

Knowing how to count is an essential skill in any language. Counting in Korean can be tricky, as Koreans use two different sets of cardinal numbers, depending on the situation: Korean and Sino-Korean, which originated from Chinese and has some of its characters. Use the Korean form for numbers of items (between 1 and 99) and age & Use the Sino-Korean form for dates, money, addresses, phone numbers, and numbers above 100.

  • One = 하나 pronounced "hana"

  • Two = 둘 pronounced "dul"

  • Three = 셋 pronounced "set

  • Four = 넷 pronounced "ne(t)"

  • Five = 다섯 pronounced "da-seo(t)"

  • Six = 여섯 pronounced "yeo-seo(t)"

  • Seven = 일곱 pronounced "il-gob"

  • Eight = 여덟 pronounced "yeo-deolb"

  • Nine = 아홉 pronounced "ahob"

  • Ten = 열 pronounced "yeol"

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Memorize simple vocabulary

The wider the vocabulary you have at your disposal, the easier it is to speak a language fluently. Familiarize yourself with as many simple, everyday Korean words as possible - you'll be surprised at how quickly they build up!

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Learn some conversational phrases

By learning the basics of polite conversation, you'll very quickly be able to interact with Korean-speakers on a simple level. Try learning the words/phrases for:

  • Yes = 네 pronounced "ne" in any situation where you would be speaking formally, or 응 "eung" if you're speaking with someone informally.

  • No = 아니요 pronounced "aniyo"

  • Hello = 안녕 pronounced "anyeong" (in a casual way) and "anyeong-haseyo" in a formal way.

  • Thank you = 감사합니다 pronounced "gam-sa-hab-nee-da"

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