Consonants - 자음

In the previous lesson we started our Korean language learning starting with very basic vowels. However as you probably guess, knowing vowels only is not enough to read Korean characters.

Here is the list of the consonants you need to learn first, and we will first associate it with the vowel “아” (replacing the empty consonant “ㅇ”) to understand more clearly the prononciation of each character :

• ㄱ (g) - 가
• ㄴ (n) - 나
• ㄷ (d) - 다
• ㄹ (r/l) - 라
• ㅁ (m) - 마
• ㅂ (b) - 바
• ㅅ (s) - 사
• ㅈ (j) - 자
• ㅊ (ch) - 차
• ㅋ (k) - 카
• ㅌ (t) - 타
• ㅍ (p) - 파
• ㅎ (h) - 하

Note that we mentioned each character’s english letter equivalent, but sometimes it actually differs slightly in pronunciation, and you will get used to it by practice.

The pronunciation of the character ㄹ is between a “r” and a “l” which might be confusing to english speakers.

Also some characters can seem similar but if you listen well, you will notice that they are not pronounced with the same “intensity” : ㅈ/ㅊ , ㄷ/ㅌ, ㅂ/ㅍ, ㄱ/ㅋ.

For example, ㄷ is similar with ‘d' in english and ㅌ is closer to 't’.

We advise you to take your time to listen to all the pronunciation subtleties with the following table :

Also you should know that the consonant ㅅ changes its pronunciation when put together with an “i”. Then 시 is pronounced “shi” and not “si”.

How to write down Hangul?

Having learned the fundamental vowels and consonants, you might consider noting them in your personal book as a way to enhance your writing skills and help commit them to memory.

But before you begin, bear in mind that there exists an "official" method for writing these letters, which is as follows:

And for the vowels :

It's important to be aware that each person has their unique writing style and not everyone strictly follows this way.

Double Consonants - 쌍자음

Pronouncing double consonants in Korean can be a bit challenging for learners, as it requires a stronger, more tense articulation compared to their single counterparts.

Here's a brief guide:

1. 1. ㄲ (kk): This sound is a tenser and more forceful version of ㄱ (g/k). It's like a strong 'k' sound made at the back of the throat
2. 2. ㄸ (tt): This is a tenser version of ㄷ (d/t). It's similar to a strong 't' sound, pronounced with more emphasis.
3. 3. ㅃ (pp): A tenser and more forceful version of ㅂ (b/p). It's like a strong 'p' sound, pronounced with extra breath.
4. 4. ㅆ (ss): This is a stronger and more pronounced version of ㅅ (s). It's similar to a hissed 's' sound, made with more tension in the tongue.
5. 5. ㅉ (jj): A tenser version of ㅈ (j). It sounds like a very sharp 'j', almost like a forceful 'ch' in English.

For each of these consonants, the key is to make the sound more forceful and with more tension in your mouth. It may take some practice to distinguish these from their single counterparts, especially for non-native speakers.

Listening to native speakers and practicing with audio resources can be very helpful in mastering these sounds.

• 띠 (ddi)
• 또 (ddo)
• 까 (gga)
• 꾸 (ggu)
• 짜 (jja)
• 쪼 (jjo)
• 빠 (bba)
• 뿌 (bbu)
• 씨 (ssi)
• 쏘 (sso)

Once again you can practice writing them by reproducing the big table above in your notes.

Vocabulary

And now that you have memorized everything, you are ready to learn your first simple korean words:

• 바나나
  Banana
• 아기
  Baby
• 여자
  Woman
• 나라
  Country
• 도시
  City
• 바다
  Sea/Ocean
• 비
  Rain
• 비누
  Soap
• 커피
  Coffee
• 뼈
  Bone
• 띠
  Ribbon