How to Read Korean in 20 Minutes, by OllehRebelz on YouTube. 22 min 39 s.
- Video length
- 22 min 39 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Start with the five basic consonants: ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ, ㄹ, and ㅁ. Say their sounds aloud as you write each one a few times.
Add the remaining common consonants: ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, and ㅎ. Group similar shapes together to remember them faster.
Learn the basic vowels ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅗ, ㅛ, ㅜ, ㅠ, ㅡ, and ㅣ. Notice how the short strokes show the direction of the sound.
Practise combining one consonant and one vowel into a block, such as 가, 나, 다, and 라. Read each block left to right, top to bottom.
Add a final consonant, called batchim, under the vowel when a syllable ends in a consonant. For example, 한 is ㅎ plus ㅏ plus ㄴ.
Write simple words you already know, such as 김치, 서울, and 아이. Sound them out slowly before checking the meaning.
Use a Hangul chart or flashcard app for 10 minutes a day. Test yourself by covering the romanisation and reading the letters aloud.
Review tricky letters that look alike, such as ㅓ and ㅗ or ㅡ and ㅜ. Write them side by side until you can tell them apart.
Tips and common mistakes
Learn sounds, not romanisation, because roman letters can make Korean pronunciation confusing.
Say each letter aloud while writing it, since Hangul is easier to remember when you use sound and movement together.
Do not try to memorise every rule at once; focus on reading slowly and accurately first.
Some letters change sound at the end of a syllable, so learn basic batchim sounds after you can read simple blocks.
Questions
How long does it take to learn Hangul?
You can learn the basic letters in about 20 to 30 minutes, but reading comfortably takes a few short practice sessions.
Do I need to learn Chinese characters or hanja?
No. Everyday Korean is written in Hangul, so start with Hangul and add hanja later only if you need it.
Should I use romanisation?
Use it only as a short-term crutch. Learn the actual Korean sounds so you do not build pronunciation habits from English spelling.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
