Korean Language Elementary lesson 1

[Korean Language-Lesson 1]

What is a good way to learn Korean

Learning Korean needs time and patience.
Best way of learning and mastering the language is to spend at least 30 minutes to read Korean article or story with help of dictionary. Acquiring more vocabularies a weapon to learn language. If you cannot study by yourself, it is necessary to have private tutor. Customised lesson according to your need will help you to learn Korean faster. To learn language, having strong basic foundation like recognising Hangeul (Korean alphabet), understanding grammars and speech style is important. Some may want to learn only speaking without learning reading and writing. In that way, they might be able to speak some words faster, but when the time passes, it won't last long. Knowledge without good foundation is not lasting. However, once you learn all the necessary alphabets and grammars, you will be able to study by yourself. With all the right knowledge, you will be able to see Korean dramas and even newspaper with help of the dictionaries.

Sounds great!


In this first lesson, many unfamiliar grammars will be seen, but they are just for you to memorize for now. More detailed explanation for grammar will be done once you reach that level. In this lesson, only noun polite form “imnida” will be further studied.
[Lesson 1]


Greeting 1 (with English pronunciation)

Korean (pronunciation) English
Mary: /An-nyeong-ha-se-yo?/ Hello.

Bryan: /An-nyeong-ha-se-yo? / Hello.

Mary: /i sa-ra-meun chin-gu-im-ni-da/ This is my friend.

Song: /Man-na-seo Ban-gab-sseum-ni-da/ Nice to meet you.
/Je i-reu-meun Song-im-ni-da./ My name is Song.

Bryan: /Man-na-seo Ban-gab-sseum-ni-da/ Nice to meet you.
/Je i-ru-meun Bryan-im-ni-da/ My name is Bryan.

Bryan: /Dang-si-neun Han-gug Sa-ram-imnikka/ Are you Korean?


Song: /Ne, Jeo-neun han-gug-sa-ram-im-ni-da/ Yes. I am Korean.

Vocabulary;

이/그/저 (i/geu/jeo) -means ‘this, that near listener, that far away from both,사람 (saram) means “person” 한국 (han kug) means “Korea” 친구 (chin-gu) means ‘friend”

Phrase Note
Note 1. An-nyeong-ha-se-yo (meaning is " Are you in peace?)
It is an informal greeting which may be used at any time of day and in any situation. It is interchangeable with “An-nyeong-ha-sim-ni-kka” without any difference in meaning. “An-nyeong-ha-sim-ni-kka” is a formal greeting.
The English equivalent of this expression is “how are you?”, “Good morning”, “Good afternoon”, “Good evening’.


Additional Useful Expressions
“Kam-sa-ham-ni-da” & “Go-mab-sseumnida” are used as a courtious expression of gratitude or appreciation.
“Mi-an-hamnida” is used when one needs apologize “ sorry”
“Cheon-ma-ne-yo” is used as a formal reply to apologies, thanks and respectful recognition.

“An-nyeong-hi ga-se-yo” is Goodbye or farewell. (Literally means “please go in peace”) The person stays behind says to the person leaving.
“An-nyeong-hi gye-se-yo” is (“Please stay in peace”)

Grammar Practice

~Im-ni-da (~입니다)
It is formal polite style and used after noun.


The pattern for sentences ending in 이다 Is from “A is B”

noun + subject particle+ noun +VS이 + verb ending.
이것 이 신문 (이 +ㅂ니다)입니다.

In any case, the noun preceding 이다 --ends in a vowel
So, it will take verb polite form of +ㅂ니다--> 입니다

Interrogative form of 입니다 is 입니까.

Noun + ㅂ니다. Noun+ 입니까?


Ex: It’s coffee. 커피입니다.
Is it coffee? 커피입니까?
ex)
It's newspaper. “sin-mun-im-ni-da”
It's water. “ mur-im-ni-da”
It's coffee. “i-geo-seun keo-pi-im-ni-da”

~Im-ni-kka (~입니까?)
It is used for interrogative sentence.
Is it newspaper. “sin-mun-im-ni-kka”
Is it water. “ mur-im-ni-kka"
Is it coffee. “i-geo-seun keo-pi-im-ni-kka”



· 인사예절 (Greeting Etiquette)
Korea is a country where greeting someone is done in many ways. When meeting an elder person, you must use more formal style of speech, and must bow courteously. When greeting someone, you should bend down a little and bow your head. To an elder person you would say, “안녕하세요? / 안녕하십니까?” , whereas among friends you would say, 안녕?/ 잘 있었니?. When you visit to an elderly person’s house, it is polite to give a big bow, when arriving.

Dialogue
안녕하세요? [an-nyeong-haseyo]
안녕하세요? 저는 금원 입니다. [an-nyeong-ha-se-yo, jeo-neun Keum Weon im-ni-da]
저는 Mina입니다. [jeo-neun Mina im-ni-da]
고맙습니다. [go-mab-sseum-ni-da]
어, 죄송합니다. [eo, joe-song-ham-ni-da]


안녕하세요? [an-nyeong-haseyo]
이름이 뭐예요? [i-reu-mi meo-ye-yo]
안녕하세요? 제 이름은 Mina입니다. [an-nyeong-haseyo, je i-reu-meun Mina im-ni-da]
어디에서 왔어요. [eo-di-e-seo wa-sseo-yo]
저는 일본에서 왔습니다. [jeo-enun il-bo-ne-seo wa-sseum-ni-da]
만나서 반갑습니다. [man-na-seo ban-gab-sseum-ni-da]
네, 반갑습니다. [ne, ban-gab-sseum-ni-da]



1. Korean Vowels and Consonants

Hangeul consists of 40 letters (21 vowels and 19 consonants). However, in the beginning, only 10 basic vowels and 14 consonants will be learnt as they are basic letters). - 10 vowels are as follows

ㅏ —> equivalent to English sound of “a”
ㅑ —> equivalent to English sound of “ya”
ㅓ —> equivalent to English sound of “eo”
ㅕ —> equivalent to English sound of “yeo”
ㅗ —> equivalent to English sound of “o”
ㅛ —> equivalent to English sound of “yo”
ㅜ —> equivalent to English sound of “u”
ㅠ —> equivalent to English sound of “yu”
ㅡ —> equivalent to English sound of “eu”
ㅣ —> equivalent to English sound of “I”


· Please repeat after me
ㅏ
ㅑ
ㅓ
ㅕ
ㅗ
ㅛ
ㅜ
ㅠ
ㅡ
ㅣ


· Please write on work sheet referring to the sample paper (left to right / top to bottom)

14 Consonants are as follows

ㄱ —> Gi-yeok (G is softer than K) - when it forms the syllable with vowel, it
will be sound like “G” ex: ㄱ + ㅏ = 가 g + a = ga
ㄴ —> Ni-eun when it forms the syllable with vowel, it will be sound like “n”
ㄷ —> Di-geut when it forms the syllable with vowel, it will be sound like “d”
ㄹ —> Ri-eul when it forms the syllable with vowel, it will be sound like “r”
ㅁ —> Mi-eum when it forms the syllable with vowel, it will be sound like “m”
ㅂ —> Bi-eub when it forms the syllable with vowel, it will be sound like “b”
ㅅ —> Si-Ot when it forms the syllable with vowel, it will be sound like “sh”


ㅇ —> I-eung when it forms the syllable with vowel, it will be sound like “ng”
when it comes in front of vowel, it becomes silent
Ex: 아 = a in stead of “nga”
ㅈ —> Ji-eut when it forms the syllable with vowel, it will be sound like “j”
ㅊ —> Chi-eut when it forms the syllable with vowel, it will be sound like “ch’
ㅋ —> Ki-euk when it forms the syllable with vowel, it will be sound like “k”
ㅌ —> Ti-eut when it forms the syllable with vowel, it will be sound like “t”
ㅍ —> Pi-eub when it forms the syllable with vowel, it will be sound like “p”
ㅎ —> Hi-eut when it forms the syllable with vowel, it will be sound like “h”


Please study consonants (Write and write on square sheet or excel sheet-left to right / top to bottom with first come first basis)
ㄱ
ㄴ
ㄷ
ㄹ
ㅁ
ㅂ
ㅅ
ㅇ
ㅈ
ㅊ
ㅋ
ㅌ
ㅍ
ㅎ




Please write on work sheet referring to the sample paper (left to right/ top to bottom)


2. How to write Hangeul

All letters of Hangeul are written from top to bottom and from left to right.
First comes first applies to all by priority.


Consonant comes first followed by vowel
1) Consonant + vowel Ex: 가
2) Consonant + vowel + consonant Ex; 감
3) Silent (“o”) +vowel Ex: 아
4) Silent (“o”) + vowel + consonant Ex: 안


· Reading practice

가 갸 거 겨 고 교 구 규 그 기

나 냐 너 녀 노 뇨 누 뉴 느 니

다 댜 더 뎌 도 됴 두 듀 드 디

라 랴 러 려 로 료 루 류 르 리

마 먀 머 며 모 묘 무 뮤 므 미

바 뱌 버 벼 보 뵤 부 뷰 브 비

사 샤 서 셔 소 쇼 수 슈 스 시

아 야 어 여 오 요 우 유 으 이

자 쟈 저 져 조 죠 주 쥬 즈 지

차 챠 처 쳐 초 쵸 추 츄 츠 치

카 캬 커 켜 코 쿄 쿠 큐 크 키

파 퍄 퍼 펴 포 표 푸 퓨 프 피

하 햐 허 혀 호 효 후 휴 흐 히