한국어 (Korean)
Korean is spoken by over 75 million people in South Korea, North Korea, and diaspora communities worldwide. It's the language of K-pop, K-drama, Samsung, and one of the world's most innovative economies.
Why learn Korean?
Korean culture has become a global phenomenon. From BTS to Parasite, Korean soft power continues to grow. South Korea is a technology leader and major economy, making Korean valuable for business.
What makes Korean distinctive?
- Hangul (한글) — A brilliantly designed alphabet, learnable in hours
- SOV word order — Verb at the end
- Honorific system — Multiple speech levels
- Agglutinative — Meaning built by adding particles and endings
- No grammatical gender — Pronouns don't change by gender
- Topic-prominent — Similar to Japanese
This guide
- Hangul — The Korean alphabet
- Your first words — Essential vocabulary
- Grammar basics — Sentence structure
- Verbs — Conjugation and speech levels
- Numbers — Two counting systems
- Everyday conversations — Practical phrases
- Culture and context — Understanding Korean society
- Next steps — Resources for continued learning