한국 is how Koreans write Korea. You will read it on your own in step 5.
Read Korean before your coffee gets cold.
The Korean alphabet was invented in 1443 to be learned in a single morning. In about ten minutes you will read your first words, with a native speaker’s voice on every sound.
“A wise person can learn them before the morning is over. Even a slow one can learn them in ten days.”
Lesson 1, step by step
- Vowels from three strokesㅏ ㅓ ㅗ ㅜ
- The silent circle아 오
- Consonants drawn from your mouthㄱ ㄴ ㅁ
- Build blocks, find hidden words곰 눈
- Read your first word한국어
- Real travel phrases감사합니다
- Quick check3 questions
Step 1 of 7 · Vowels
Three strokes make every vowel.
A round dot for the sky, a flat line for the earth, a standing line for a person. Put the sky beside the person or the earth and you have a vowel.
person
earth
Over the centuries, brush writing turned the round dot into a short line.
Step 2 of 7 · The silent circle
A vowel never stands alone.
Every block starts with a consonant. When the word starts with a vowel sound, Korean writes ㅇ there, a circle you don’t pronounce.
Tall vowels sit to the right of the circle. Flat vowels sit underneath it. Tap a block to hear it.
Which block says “o”?
Step 3 of 7 · Consonants
Consonants are drawings of your mouth.
Each letter shows where your tongue, lips or teeth are when you make the sound. Tap a letter.
Step 4 of 7 · Build a block
Snap three letters into one block.
Pick a start, a vowel and an end. Twelve real Korean words are hiding in here.
Hidden words 0 of 12
Watch the block when you switch vowels: tall vowels push the first letter to the left, flat vowels push it to the top.
Step 5 of 7 · Your first word
Now read this on your own.
Every letter here is one you already know. Sound it out one letter at a time.
Step 6 of 7 · Real phrases
You can already read parts of real phrases.
Step 7 of 7 · Quick check
Three quick questions.
Lesson 1 complete
You read Korean today.
The red seal says 합격, “passed”. You will be able to read it after lesson 2.
Words you can read now
What the full course adds