Blog
The parts of Korean textbooks rush through, explained with real situations and examples.
- Busan or Pusan? Korean Revised Romanization ExplainedWhy Pusan became Busan in 2000, how Revised Romanization differs from McCune-Reischauer, and why kimchi, Samsung and Lee kept their old spellings.
- Confusing Korean Vowels: ㅓ vs ㅗ, ㅐ vs ㅔ, and ㅡ and ㅢ ExplainedWhy 거기 and 고기 sound alike to beginners, whether 개 and 게 really differ, and how to say ㅡ and ㅢ, with simple lip tricks and minimal pairs to drill.
- Counting Money in Korean: 만, 억 and How to Read Won PricesWhy 10,000 won is 만 원, how Korean groups big numbers by four digits, and how to read cafe, market and rent prices from 천 원 up to 억 without panic.
- How Hangul Syllable Blocks Work: Initial, Vowel and Final LettersWhy Korean stacks letters into squares: where the first consonant, vowel and batchim go, tall vs flat vowels, and why a silent ㅇ starts so many syllables.
- How to Learn the Korean Alphabet in a Weekend: A 2-Day PlanA realistic 2-day plan to learn Hangul: basic vowels on Saturday morning, consonants after lunch, syllable blocks, then batchim and real words on Sunday.
- How to Say Dates and Birthdays in Korean (and Your Real Age)Say any date in Korean with 년, 월 and 일, learn the 유월 and 시월 exceptions and the days of the week, and see how age works since Korea dropped Korean age in 2023.
- How to Type Korean on Any Keyboard: Windows, Mac, iPhone, AndroidLearn the 2-set (두벌식) Korean layout, consonants on the left and vowels on the right, then add Korean input on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android in minutes.
- How to Write Your Name in Korean (Hangul) the Right WayTurn your English name into Hangul by sound, not spelling: how F, V, R, L and final consonants work, with examples like Michael 마이클 and Chris 크리스.
- Kim, Lee, Park: Why So Many Koreans Share Common SurnamesAlmost half of South Koreans are a Kim, Lee or Park. See the top 10 Korean surnames from the 2015 census, why 이 is spelled Lee, and what a family seat means.
- Korean Counters Guide: 개, 명, 잔, 병 and How to Order FoodLearn the 11 Korean counters you actually need, from 개 and 명 to 잔, 병 and 마리, with native numbers, word order, sound changes and real restaurant phrases.
- Korean Name Meanings: How Korean Given Names Really WorkWhy most Korean names have two syllables, how hanja give them meaning, native names like 하늘 and 슬기, generation names, and popular names by decade.
- Korean Sound Changes: Why 한국말 Sounds Like "Han-gung-mal"Batchim sound changes beginners hear every day: liaison, nasalization, the 7 final sounds, ㄹ+ㄴ and ㅎ aspiration, with real words you will use in Korea.
- Korean Tense Consonants: ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅆ ㅉ vs Plain and AspiratedHow to hear and say Korean's three-way consonants: plain ㄱ, aspirated ㅋ and tense ㄲ, with the tissue test, pitch tips and minimal pairs like 불, 풀 and 뿔.
- Native vs Sino-Korean Numbers: When to Use Which SystemKorean has two number systems. Learn when to use 하나, 둘, 셋 and when to use 일, 이, 삼 for age, time, money, dates and phone numbers, with clear examples.
- Telling Time in Korean: Hours, Minutes, 반 and 오전/오후How to tell time in Korean: native numbers for hours, Sino-Korean for minutes, plus 반, 오전 and 오후, 새벽 and 저녁, and the difference between 시 and 시간.