Q&A for How to Speak Korean

When you're asking for something in a store or restaurant, you add "juseyo." For example, "keopi-eul, juseyo." which means, "coffee, please." Or, you can use it when you're begging or asking for something in general. For example, it would be "jebal."

There are many apps available for download. PopPoppingKorean teaches you to read Hangul, and you can learn a few words by playing it. It even shows exactly how your breath should come out and your tongue should look while pronouncing the letters. Other popular choices include Eggbun and Memrise.

Yes, there are many words in Korean that are taken from English (typically they are pronounced differently though, so you'll have to listen closely to understand). These are called loanwords. For example, "skin" means toner (a general name for a type of skincare product) in Korean. "Aiskrim" is another example, which is the Korean pronunciation of ice cream. Many English (as well as Japanese or Chinese) words are used in the language, so you'll be familiar with a few concepts from the start.

Use apps that take you step by step processes on how to speak Korean and many other languages. Find online penpals who might be happy to chat too. Be friendly and reach out online via Korean forums where people are happy to chat with you.

You could listen to Korean music while you're going to school, or coming home from it, or just doing homework. School can also help you out by providing Korean books at the library. You may also want to ask if there is a Korean class available at your school. You can learn Korean on the weekends, but don't stress yourself.

You'll be able to memorize the Korean alphabet and how to put them together, etc. But it will take you longer to learn all the terms and essential words in Korean.

It's very possible! It's actually really simple.

Absolutely. Language are learned more easily, the younger you are.

Language fluency can take years, but it's likely that you will have a fair amount of knowledge in conversational terms in a year or two. It will take a lot of work to get up to that level in such a short amount of time, so if you're learning on your own, it's more likely it'll take you 2-3 years.

You can memorize hangul by learning the characters and their pronunciation. You can learn the simple consonants and vowels and their pronunciation first. After, you can combine them to make words. For example, a vowel you would memorize is ㅏ, which is pronounced "ah" like you had an idea. A consonant is ㄴ, which is pronounced "n" like when you are saying "no."

A very useful app for learning Korean as a beginner is called Eggbun, found on the app store. The interface is essentially an interactive texting companion that teaches Hangeul and simple vocabulary, and is perfect for beginners.

Depending on your first language, it might be harder to pronounce some sounds and easier to pronounce some others, but you can search online to find the ways that Korean children learn the alphabet. It might also help to search ga na da ra ma ba sa/가 나 다 라 마 바 사 .

The word "jebal" means "please" in Korean. When asking for something, it is generally recommended to use "juseyo" as the polite form, but "jebal" can be used in a general conversation as a form of request.

If you learn Hangul, then it will be much easier because you automatically cut out having to translate from English, to Romanization, to Hangul.

Watch Korean movies, listen to Korean radio or music, read newspapers in the language and find a native speaker with whom you may converse.

If you're trying to learn it without anyone around you who can speak the language, it might take two to three years, but if you are surrounded by Korean friends, have Korean family members, or live in Korea, it might take you a year or even a little less.

"Don eetsuhyo." This is slightly impolite, and you'll probably receive a strange look.

Yes. Try using an app or find a video and make notes.

If you are learning it from English, it is recommended that you learn sentence structure while you are learning the vocabulary. This way, you can understand which words can be used in which sentences. Oftentimes, the same word in Hangul has many different meanings and uses. It would be beneficial to know how this word can be used in a number of sentences instead of possibly being confused as why you find the word in sentences where one definition is out of context.

There are definitely perks to being a fan of K-Pop. A great benefit is learning simple vocabulary, such as greetings and emotional speech.

No. You do not have to memorize every word in Korean. If you're beginning, it would be best to look up the translation in Korean. Practice saying 10 times, writing it in Korean 10 times, and constantly writing other Korean words. It is the most effective traditional way to get the concept of the word down. Be careful, some Korean words or phrases have different meanings or tones (politeness, playfulness, etc.). Try to find as many definitions as you can of that word, before you have a set definition in your head. Another good idea is to make flashcards. You could write the definition or word in Hangul, and have the other side with a corresponding picture, or, the word in English.

You should be able to read Korean Hangul after just a few months. It is a fairly straightforward writing system.

Not unless you're going to school in Korea, or studying it in school. If you're just learning it to make conversation, spelling isn't a necessity.

Native speakers can be found in many places. You might find a native Korean speaker at an international school. If you have a "Korea Town" where you live, that's a great place to start.

Language fluency can take years. Having basic vocabulary, though, won't take years. It might take a few months or even only a couple weeks.

Practice consistently and devotedly. Memorize words in order to expand your vocabulary, and in order to improve your accent, listen to K-pop and/or Korean films, TV shows, and cartoons. If you have a friend or an acquaintance who speaks Korean, see if they are willing to meet with you and let you practice conversation.

Yes, the audio can help you understand the accent and pronunciation while the emotions that people feel can help you understand tone and mood.

You can! But if you are writing it you need to learn the hangul but it only has 40 characters which is way less than in Chinese and Japanese.

Not the entire language, but most of the basics. Try to use an app or a video and take lots of notes.

It depends on how you learn but Korean is easier to learn than Chinese or Japanese because it has fewer characters, and yes, it is possible to learn Korean quickly especially if you have apps or books. Memrise is a great app to learn Korean.