If Korean letters look like cool little shapes, that’s because they are—and they’re designed to be easy. In this beginner-friendly guide, you’ll learn the building blocks of Hangul, read your first Korean words, and practice with quick exercises. Let’s make Hangul your new superpower.

What is Hangul?

Hangul (한글) is the Korean writing system. It was created in the 15th century by King Sejong and scholars to help ordinary people read and write. Hangul letters are called jamo (자모), and they combine into square syllable blocks.

A key idea: you don’t write letters in a straight line like English. You build a block for each syllable:

• Block = consonant + vowel (+ final consonant)
• Example: ㄱ + ㅏ = 가 (ga)

Meet the vowels (모음)

Start with these six:

• ㅏ = a (as in "father")
• ㅓ = eo (like a relaxed "uh")
• ㅗ = o (as in "go")
• ㅜ = u (like "oo" in "moon")
• ㅡ = eu (a short, central vowel; lips relaxed)
• ㅣ = i ("ee" as in "see")

Tip: Vertical vowels (ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅣ) sit to the right of the initial consonant. Horizontal vowels (ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ) sit below the initial consonant.

ㄱ과 ㅏ를 합치면 .

ㅗ와 ㅁ을 합치면 .

Meet the consonants (자음)

Focus on these common ones:

• ㄱ = g/k (soft "g" as in "go")
• ㄴ = n
• ㄷ = d/t
• ㄹ = r/l (a flap between "r" and "l")
• ㅁ = m
• ㅂ = b/p
• ㅅ = s
• ㅇ = silent at start / ng at end
• ㅈ = j
• ㅎ = h

Practice reading simple blocks: 나 (na), 모 (mo), 리 (ri), 누 (nu), 미 (mi).

안녕하!

How blocks are arranged

• Vertical vowels (ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅣ): consonant on the left, vowel on the right → 가, 너, 리
• Horizontal vowels (ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ): consonant on top, vowel below → 모, 무, 르
• Add a final consonant under the block: 감 (ㄱ+ㅏ+ㅁ), 얻 (ㅇ+ㅓ+ㄷ)

Write order inside the block: top to bottom, left to right.

Read your first words

Let’s learn a few everyday words built from basic vowels and consonants.

안녕하새요 → 안녕하세요 ㅔ (e) vs ㅐ (ae): the greeting uses 세 (ㅅ+ㅔ).

Culture note: Why Hangul feels smart

Hangul letters reflect mouth shapes and sound categories. Consonants like ㄱ, ㄴ, ㅁ were designed to show how the tongue and lips move. This is why beginners can learn to read quickly—Hangul is logical, not just memorization.

Practice checklist

• Read blocks out loud: 가, 고, 구, 그, 기
• Build from jamo: ㄴ + ㅣ = 니, ㅂ + ㅜ = 부, ㅈ + ㅓ = 저
• Spot the ㅇ: silent at start (이), "ng" at end (왕)

Keep sessions short and daily. Even 5 minutes of reading simple blocks will speed up your progress.

You’ve got this!

You learned the A1 essentials: vowels, consonants, and how to build syllable blocks. Keep practicing with words like 학교, 한국어, 이름, and use 안녕하세요 in real conversations. Hangul will feel natural soon—one neat little square at a time.