✅Day 1: Hangul Consonants – Learn to Read Korean Fast
Hangul Consonants – Learn to Read Korean Fast
Welcome to your first Korean lesson! π
Today, we’ll start with the foundation of reading Korean: Hangul consonants (μμ).
Don’t worry, it’s easier than you think.
By the end of this post, you’ll be able to read basic Korean syllables using real consonants. Let’s go!
What is Hangul?
Hangul (νκΈ) is the Korean alphabet. It was created in the 15th century by King Sejong to help everyday people read and write easily.
It has two main parts:
- Consonants – 14 basic ones (we’ll cover them today!)
- Vowels – 10 basic ones (we’ll cover tomorrow!)
Hangul letters combine into blocks like LEGO to form syllables. Super fun and logical!
Let’s Learn the 14 Basic Korean Consonants
Here’s a table of all 14 basic consonants, how they sound, and examples from English:
| Letter | Romanization | Sound in English | Example Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| γ± | g / k | Hard G or K | go, kiss |
| γ΄ | n | N | no, nose |
| γ· | d / t | D or T | dog, tip |
| γΉ | r / l | R or L (soft) | rice, love |
| γ | m | M | mom, moon |
| γ | b / p | B or P | bat, pan |
| γ | s | S | sun, snake |
| γ | ng / silent | Silent at beginning, NG at end | song, ring |
| γ | j | J | juice, jump |
| γ | ch | CH | cheese, chat |
| γ | k | Strong K | kite, kick |
| γ | t | Strong T | top, tea |
| γ | p | Strong P | pig, pop |
| γ | h | H | hi, hello |
Tips to Memorize Consonants Easily
- γ΄ looks like a nose → N sound
- γ is like a mouth → M sound
- γ is a circle = silent at start, NG at end
- γΉ rolls a bit like both R and L
Don’t try to memorize all at once. Focus on 3–4 per day and come back often.
Practice: Build Syllables!
Remember, Hangul makes syllable blocks: [Consonant + Vowel]
You don’t need to know all the vowels yet — we’ll learn those tomorrow!
But here are some examples using the vowel γ
(which sounds like “a” in “car”):
| Syllable | Breakdown | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| κ° | γ± + γ | ga |
| λ | γ΄ + γ | na |
| λ§ | γ + γ | ma |
| μ¬ | γ + γ | sa |
Cool, right? You're already reading Korean syllables!
Mini Quiz: Match the Sound!
Can you match these Korean consonants to their English sounds?
| Korean Letter | English Sound |
|---|---|
| γ | b / p |
| γ· | d / t |
| γ | h |
| γ | ch |
Did you get them right? If not, no worries — review the chart and practice again!
Coming Up Next...
Next lesson: Hangul vowels — 10 beautiful sounds that complete Korean syllables.
You’ll learn how to combine them with today’s consonants to read real Korean words like a pro!
Get ready to read: μ, μ΄, μ€, μ°, μΌ, μ΄... and so much more! π°π·
Conclusion
You’ve just taken the first real step into the Korean language. π
Now you can recognize and pronounce the 14 basic Hangul consonants.
That’s a huge win!
Remember, learning Korean is a journey — and it should be fun!
Practice a little every day and come back for the next post:
"Hangul Vowels – Easy Sounds You’ll Love to Say"