Hangul — the ingenious alphabet
Hangul (한글) was invented in 1443 by King Sejong the Great — with the goal of enabling every Korean to read. It is not a character system like Chinese, but a true alphabet with 14 consonants and 10 vowels, which are combined into syllable blocks.
The Basic Consonants
| Character | Sound | Mnemonic |
|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | g/k | Like an angle |
| ㄴ | n | Like an L mirrored |
| ㄷ | d/t | Like a rectangle open at the top |
| ㄹ | r/l | Like a curved S |
| ㅁ | m | Like a square (Mouth = "mouth") |
| ㅂ | b/p | Like a bucket |
| ㅅ | s | Like a roof |
| ㅇ | ng (silent at the beginning of a syllable) | Like a circle |
| ㅈ | j/ch | Like a roof with a line |
| ㅎ | h | Like a man with a hat |
The Basic Vowels
| Character | Sound |
|---|---|
| ㅏ | a (as in "father") |
| ㅓ | eo (like "ö" in "öffnen") |
| ㅗ | o (as in "oven") |
| ㅜ | u (as in "clock") |
| ㅡ | eu (between "ö" and "ü") |
| ㅣ | i (as in "eagle") |
| ㅐ | ae (like "ä") |
| ㅔ | e (as in "bed") |
How to Read Hangul
Letters are combined into syllable blocks: 한 = ㅎ (h) + ㅏ (a) + ㄴ (n) = "han". 글 = ㄱ (g) + ㅡ (eu) + ㄹ (l) = "geul". Together: 한글 = Hangul. With a bit of practice, you can read signs, metro stations, and menus after 2–3 hours — even if you don't yet understand the meaning.
💡 Tipp
Learn Hangul before the trip — it only takes 2–3 hours and is a game-changer. You can suddenly read metro stations, decipher menus, and understand street signs. Apps: "Duolingo Korean" or "Write It! Korean" are good starting points.
