LESSON 01 · BEGINNER
Lesson 01 — Read Hangul
Hangul is the Korean alphabet. Instead of memorizing whole words, you can learn a small set of letters and combine them into syllable blocks.
By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to read your first Korean syllables.
TODAY’S FOCUS
한글
Letters group together into small, readable syllable blocks.
LEARN · UNDERSTAND HANGUL
Hangul is the Korean alphabet.
Instead of memorizing whole words, you can learn a small set of letters and combine them into syllable blocks.
Your learning goal
By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to read your first Korean syllables.
LEARN · BASIC VOWELS
Meet the basic vowels.
ㅏ
a
ㅑ
ya
ㅓ
eo / uh
ㅕ
yeo / yuh
ㅗ
o
ㅛ
yo
ㅜ
u / oo
ㅠ
yu
ㅡ
eu
ㅣ
i
LEARN · BASIC CONSONANTS
Meet the basic consonants.
Read the Korean letter first. The smaller Latin letters are only a helpful pronunciation guide.
ㄱ · g/k
ㄴ · n
ㄷ · d/t
ㄹ · r/l
ㅁ · m
ㅂ · b/p
ㅅ · s
ㅇ · silent/ng
ㅈ · j
ㅎ · h
SEE · BUILD A SYLLABLE
Build your first syllable.
Korean letters are grouped together into syllable blocks. Watch one consonant and one vowel become one sound.
ㄱ + ㅏ = 가
ga
ㄴ + ㅏ = 나
na
ㄷ + ㅏ = 다
da
ㅁ + ㅏ = 마
ma
ㅂ + ㅡ = 브
beu
ㅅ + ㅣ = 시
si
SEE · HOW HANGUL BLOCKS WORK
One block, three simple patterns.
Read the pieces first, then notice how they sit together inside one square-shaped syllable.
VERTICAL VOWEL
ㄴ + ㅏ → 나
The vowel sits beside the consonant.
HORIZONTAL VOWEL
ㄴ + ㅗ → 노
The vowel sits below the consonant.
FINAL CONSONANT
ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ → 한
A final consonant rests at the bottom.
SAY · READ IT ALOUD
Try reading first.
Say each block aloud before checking the small answer underneath.
바
ba
가
ga
사
sa
나
na
자
ja
다
da
하
ha
마
ma
WHAT’S NEXT
Keep reading Hangul — then learn to write it separately.